‘In a little while you will see Me no more, and then after a little while you will see Me.’ Aware that they wanted to question Him, Jesus said to them, ‘Are you asking one another why I said, ‘In a little while you will not see Me, and then after a little while you will see Me’? Truly, I tell you, you will weep and wail while the world rejoices. You will grieve, but your grief will turn to joy.’– John 16:16; 19-20

We all experience grief. It doesn’t matter what phase of life you are in. Someone says that “grief is like a wave,” it comes and goes from time to time. Some of us have experienced deep grief related to the loss of family members, friends, pets, job-related grief, or even COVID-19’s restrictions and fear of the unknown. In the last few months, my family has been in the land between joy and grief. We have experienced so many transitions that brought with it both joy and pain. Each member of my family experienced these emotions in different ways depending on their perspective and role in the family.

I remember the night I dropped my nine-year-old daughter off at a friend’s house. My wife, my two-year-old daughter and I needed to travel to Orlando, Florida to search for a new home. We could not bring her with us because she couldn’t miss school. When we talked to her about the possibility of staying at this friend’s house, she seemed to understand it. However, when she got out of the car, gave me a hug, and I kissed her and said to her, “I love you, baby, do your best,” she started sobbing and saying, “I don’t want to stay daddy. I don’t want to stay.” My heart was broken. I couldn’t stand it. I asked my wife to take her inside, and I stayed in the car and cried, too. I had never cried about leaving my daughter behind for a little while as much as I did on that night. It was dark inside the car, I was driving to Chicago, from where we would take our flight to Orlando and was crying all the way.

SPIRITUAL THOUGHT

This event with my daughter made me reflect and wonder what must have gone through the heart and mind of Christ as he left his disciples behind for a little while after having been with them for three and a half years in a transformational relationship. I can only wonder how God feels when He looks at you and me going through so much grief while we wait until He comes to take us home.

MY PRAYER

Lord God! I know that You have good plans for us. “Plans to prosper us and not to harm us, plans to give us hope and a future.” But while we are waiting here for a little while, we ask for your uninterrupted presence with us in our trials and pain. We pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Written by Jomante Ianga courtesy of AdventHealth’s West Orange Chaplain Team