There are certain months of the year that trigger surprising feelings. For me, April is one of those months. Decades ago, my husband and I suffered through the miscarriage of our first baby who was due April 12. Even though we went on to have three wonderful children who are all married and have families of their own, turning the calendar page to April often brings back the memories of that loss.
And then to compound that, years later our daughter was pregnant with twin girls who we were also due in April! We were so excited…only to be faced with the incredible grief of having them born still at just 19 ½ weeks. But through the tears, heaven suddenly became a reality. Our girls were there!
Though many years have passed, the reality of the loss is still there, but now it is tempered by the truth of this verse, “…weeping may remain for a night, but rejoicing comes in the morning. Psalm 30:5b I cannot think of the baby I miscarried, nor our beautiful twin granddaughters without also being reminded that because of the hope we have in Christ and the power of his resurrection, death is not the end. I can know without a doubt that someday I will meet them in heaven and we will spend all of eternity together.
The older I get and the more goodbyes that have been said, the more I am reminded that heaven is my home and I am here but a little while. Putting today’s tears into perspective reminds me of the incredible joy that I will experience when I see my precious Savior face to face. So yes, there is a tinge of sadness when I turn the calendar page to April, but there is also the reminder that because of the death and resurrection of Jesus, death is not the final chapter of our story.
Phil Wickham in his beautiful song, ‘Hymn of Heaven’ reminds us: “And on that day, we join the resurrection And stand beside the heroes of the faith With one voice, a thousand generations Sing, “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain.”
What is causing you to weep today? What loss is threatening to overwhelm you? May the hope of heaven remind you that joy truly comes in the morning.
Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you for the promise that you give me, that though my heart is heavy today and the tears are so very near, that joy does come in the morning. This pain, this grief, will only last for a little while, and then I will have all of eternity to breathe that air of heaven. Remind me when I feel overwhelmed that the hope of heaven is very real today. Amen.
Throughout this Day: Take some time today to listen to ‘Hymn of Heaven’ by Phil Wickham here As you listen to the words, ask God to fill you with the hope of heaven in the midst of the weeping and tears that you may be experiencing.