Hospice - Comfort from Christ's Cross at the Loss of a Child

... Continued

Christian Peace in the Midst of Christian Suffering - It Isn't a Feeling

As I was leaving, I had the opportunity to speak again with the grandparents. It was an opportunity to speak the gospel of comfort and hope in the gift of baptism.

On my way to my care, the father came out to talk again. This was another opportunity where he, too, was able to grasp the comfort of forgiveness and mercy in the midst of his emotional roller-coaster ride. The comfort of the gospel, especially in a crisis like this, where we can not make heads or tails out of "why?" that we trust what God promised. The father was struggling with hatred, anger, frustration and then back to, as he said, "God has a plan and has promised that this will work for a reason, even if I can't see it yet."

I let him know that God's grace and forgiveness is greater than our emotional rides of ups and downs. Even when our emotions are filled with doubt, anger, hatred and other emotions, Christ still paid for our sins. He still forgives us. He is still gracious to us.

Our Lord is patient, understanding, and He perseveres in His faithfulness to us. As humans, there are times that we just have to be human and understand that Christ and His Word will endure. This is the peace that Jesus gives to the Christian at the very same time that we go through our crises in life. It isn't a feeling. It isn't that we will not suffer. It is that we have the victory in the end. Our God is all suffering with us.

"These things I have spoken to you that in me you might have peace. In the world you shall have tribulation, but be of good cheer, I have 6the world." Jesus John 16:33