It’s been a year since the passing of my dad. And I’ll be honest. I’m still grieving. But I’m finding hope in grief.

Grief isn’t all tears and sadness.

It’s a process of accepting reality and coping with the new that loss brings. And we all handle it differently. The common bond we each hold is the need to grieve our losses. It’s a necessary part of healing and life beyond the loss.

I want to let you in on how God is helping me walk through this season. This is a glimpse of what I experienced the other day. I hope it encourages you.

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope. Romans 15:13 (ESV)

I knelt beside the grave and tears began to flow. As my knees touched the ground the heavens poured out rain like tears of empathy and peace. I walked to the foot of the grave and the rain stopped. The sun came out from behind the clouds and warmed my heart. It’s like God was reminding me that the sun will shine again and again. No matter how hard life is and even in the face of death, the Son will shine.

The yellow dirt digger was working on a new grave. Harder and harder it dug as I stood silent letting the grief sit with me. I often pushed grief to the side and moved beyond it before it was ready to leave. But not today.

The cars flew by faster than the speed of life. They didn’t hesitate to notice the lives that once breathed, but rather rushed on to their next thing. But not me. I stood in awe of the two worlds I beheld.

The one was eternal. Peace. Hope. Forever. The other was stricken hard with grief. Pain. Heartache. And the anguish of never stopping even for this. But God bid me to stop for a moment. Let the world keep spinning but let me slow down and breathe in His sweet stillness found in the truth of this earthly death.

Dad was not in the grave I stood beside.

His body buried deep beneath the surface was just a shell of a human. But dad and all that we knew him to be was far from here in a place where tears are wiped away and there’s no hunger, thirst, or need for self to be satisfied. Only Jesus. Eyes on Him. Voices raised for Him. Hands applauding for Him. Knees buckled for Him. Hearts surrendered to Him. Mouths praising only Him.

As I stood at the grave of my dad, God met me in my sorrow and let me in on a glimpse of what heaven will be.

I saw it as the breeze blew through the trees and the leaves clapped.

I noticed as the rain tenderly fell on my back and swept across the field in a swoop of majesty.

I felt it as the sun pulled the clouds away and the warmth touched my shoulders.

It wasn’t just a warm and fuzzy moment all dreamed up and fake. It was God’s creation revealing His glory to a hurting child all teary eyed and weak.

But I walked away stronger than I came. And I’m reminded again to slow down and see all God is revealing to me. Dad’s death has taught me a lot about what is really important.

Stop and smell the roses even if they are on a freshly dug grave. God is with you even there. And He might even reveal Himself in a new and precious way.

Look for Him.

Love & Blessings,

Micah