Last Monday, Our Lord Jesus came and took Pei Pei home. She was the niece of our sisters Jenny, Enge, and Citra; so, she was one of Tante Lydia’s grandchildren.  Most of you did not know her because she did not come to church regularly.  From the very first time I met her, she was already unhealthy; over time her condition worsened that rendered her too sick and too weak to go anywhere.  But from time to time when she was healthy, she would come and worship.  Today she is already home with Christ Our Lord, where there is “no more sickness, no more pain, no more parting over there.” Amen.

There are several reasons why we look forward to going to heaven.  Next to meeting Jesus Our Savior is, I believe, the desire to be with our loved ones, not temporarily, but forever.  No more parting over there! Death brings with it a lot of pain; the most intense is perhaps the parting part, where we must say goodbye, where we can’t talk or touch our loved ones. Even though we know we will be reunited, the loss and the loneliness can be unbearable. Knowing that we will be with our loved ones forever brings much comfort, not only now but also later when we are facing our own death.  We’ll be together.

But there is one more fact that should bring comfort to our grieving souls: Knowing that not only does God understand our pain, but He also feels it.  In his book, All The teachings of Jesus, Herbert Lockyer writes, “There is no place where earth’s sorrows are more felt than up in heaven.”  Jesus’ tears before Lazarus’ tomb reminds us, not only does He understand our grief, but He also feels it.  In this we take comfort: God shares our sadness; so, we never grieve alone.

About a month ago Pei-Pei asked to be baptized. So, there on her hospital bed, surrounded by her family, she was baptized into the saving grace of God.  She re-dedicated her life to Christ Our Lord.

Pastor Paul