Love and Grief‏

Hello everyone.

I really do not have any idea about what to write here right now. So I decided to share with you about what happened to my family during the sem break.

On the 27th of September, we received a shocking news. My father's father passed away. It was my grandma who told my dad about the news. Personally, I do not know how to react to that news. We then packed and set off to my grandparents' place in Kuala Lumpur. 

My father was so cool about it and so were my uncles and aunties when we reached there. They were chattering with each other, updating each other about the preparations for the funeral. See, my grandpa was sick for a very long time. His children have to spend a lot for his medical treatment and for a maid to help clean and care for him and my grandma. So, an outsider might think that they are relieved of the financial burden and no bother about his passing. A funeral might be the last thing to send him off this earth. I'm here to tell you that they were wrong.

As soon as my grandpa's body was brought to them, my youngest aunt asked him to wake up. She broke down, asking him to come back. My father and the rest of his siblings started to shiver. They can no longer hold back their tears. Their father have left them and went to heaven. To tell you the truth, that was the first time I saw my father cry. My father, the eldest of the five siblings, the pillar of strength of my family, cried. My father, my uncles and aunties loved this man, their caregiver, their discipline 'teacher', their father. Love and grief is what best explain this situation.

Those who watched Jesus weep at the tomb of His dear friend Lazarus also witnessed a connection between grief and love. After Jesus arrived at the place where Lazarus was buried, He ''wept''. (John 11:35) He was deeply grieved even though He knew He would raise His close friend from the dead just a few minutes later (v.43-44). The people watching Jesus in the throes of grief said to each other,"See how much He loved him!" (v.36)

In the throes of our own loss, grief is an expression of the love we have for another person. To put it another way, only those who first love can ever truly grieve. This is a bittersweet truth that we sometimes forget.

Thankfully, as believers in Jesus, we don't grieve like people who have no hope (1 Thessalonians 4:13). In light of Jesus' death and resurrection, we do grieve, but with hope of one day being united with those we loved so dearly (v. 14).

Yes, my grandpa is in heaven, no more pain, no more suffering. Thank you God for loving him so much too! We're looking forward to meeting him there! 

Sincerely

Kharis