Hope & Grief Co-Exist

“Some people see Heaven as a far-off place high in the clouds. I believe Heaven is all around us, and the veil is thin. We might not be able to see the people there, but sometimes, we can feel their presence and the peace that comes with it.”

Hope and Grief Co-Exist

Grief is just so hard. There are people and things I will grieve for the rest of my life. If you ask someone who is grieving a loss, they will tell you that it never goes away. Grief is the price of love.

Several years ago, a co-worker/friend had a sudden brain aneurysm and died a few days later. Her children were my students, and I loved the whole family. I went to the funeral and did my best to remember my favorite memories of her.

At the same time, my best friend's 5-year-old daughter was fighting cancer. The doctors told her family the only thing left to do was to manage her pain. Of course, everyone was devastated, especially her parents. My best friend was holding on to hope that she would be healed to the very end of her life. How could she not? That's what moms do.

A few days after my co-worker/friend's funeral, I had an extremely vivid dream. I was sitting in the driver's seat of a pickup truck. It was dark outside, and it looked like I was in the forest. The dome light was on in the cabin, and I was aware that someone was sitting in the backseat.

Instead of turning around, I looked at the person in the rearview mirror. I could see the face of my co-worker/friend. I asked what she was doing there, and she told me that she had come to tell me that she was ok. She said it was beautiful and calm and safe where she was. She said we didn't have to worry about her anymore. She said she was with God and was truly happy.

I sat in awe at hearing her speak to me because I knew she was dead. But she was very much alive in the backseat of this truck. She was beautiful and glowing. Her smile covered her whole face. I felt peace radiating from her.

I woke up and couldn't shake the vividness of this dream. It was almost disturbing to me. It seemed so real, like my friend was giving me a message. Soon, I realized that the message she sent wasn't for me, but for my best friend who was losing her daughter.

I shared the dream with my best friend and encouraged her to talk to her daughter about what lay ahead for her. I encouraged her to tell her that Heaven was real and safe and wonderful.

It was only days later that my best friend's beautiful daughter passed away. While nothing could mitigate the grief we were all feeling, I felt hope and peace in knowing that she was truly healed and redeemed in Heaven. She was surely sitting on Jesus' lap and listening to Him tell stories of all the days.

Those who love her continue to grieve the loss of the beautiful child who passed away much, much too soon. But in the grief, there is peace in knowing she is in Heaven.

Some people see Heaven as a far-off place high in the clouds. I believe Heaven is all around us, and the veil is thin. We might not be able to see the people there, but sometimes, we can feel their presence and the peace that comes with it.

If you are grieving a loss, know that hope and grief coexist. It is not a betrayal to the person you lost to have hope they are living in paradise. The grief doesn't go away, but there is peace surrounding it. There is hope.