@ A really good church friend of mine recently passed away. | really miss her, and | still
find myself crying about her. Even though, as an Adventist, | know we believe that
® when we die, our bodies stay in the ground till the resurrection, | often wish—as
some people believe—that she was looking down and watching over me wherever
| go. Is that bad?
@ Pastor Shawn and Auntie Lian: We are so sorry to
hear about your loss. It’s clear from your letter, your
le friend was an important part of your life.
Don't feel bad about your feelings. It's not easy to
accept that someone so special to you is dead. As you
go through your grief, you will experience different
thoughts and emotions as you work through your loss.
Continue to pray and ask the Holy Spirit to comfort
you as you allow yourself the time and space to work
through your feelings.
In Gen. 37:34, 35, when Jacob, Joseph's father,
thought his son was dead, the Bible says, “Jacob tore
his clothes and dressed himself in burlap. He mourned
deeply for his son for a long time. His family all tried to
comfort him, but he refused to be comforted. ‘| will go
to my grave mourning for my son,’ he would say, and
then he would weep” (NLT).
It took Jacob a long time, but eventually he was
able to get through his grief and function again. Just
know, in time, you will too.
But there is good news. Going back to the story—
Jacob thought he would never see his son Joseph again
(because he was under the impression that Joseph had
been killed). But God was merciful and allowed them
to be reunited, and Jacob was able to see his son once
more. Continue to hold on to the hope that when Jesus
returns, you'll be reunited with your friend.
We will keep you in prayer during this time of
your loss.
We encourage others who may be going through
a similar loss: share your feelings with your parents or
pastor, to help you in your journey through grief. =
Do you have a question for Pastor Shawn and Auntie Lian?
Email it to messenger@adventist.ca.
(A X
\i 0 Straight Talk
BRE
12 May 2023 4