It has been over a decade since we have experienced the loss of a close family member. Having done many funerals, I am reminded of the brevity of life.
“As a Father has compassion on His children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear Him; for He knows how we are formed, He remembers that we are dust. The life of mortals is like grass, they flourish like a flower of the field; the wind blows over it and it is gone, and its place remembers it no more.”
Psalm 103:13-16 NIV
My father-in-law, who passed away last week, lived to 89. In many ways, he was one of those “larger than life” figures. When I met him, he was a towering figure. A weightlifter – he could lift quite a bit by the way – and he made sure in those early days that I knew just how much he could lift (I would have been more intimidated, but I was an athlete and weightlifter at the time myself).
A disabled Vet, he lived by the motto “God, family, country.” He was as patriotic as they come, and did so much to help other veterans get what they should have already received.
For many, 89 years is a long life. But this life is but a blink of an eye when compared to eternity. If all we had to think about was this life, the grief could be overwhelming.
But I am so thankful that Psalm 103 doesn’t end there…
“But from everlasting to everlasting the Lord’s love is with those who fear Him, and His righteousness with their children’s children— with those who keep His covenant and remember to obey His precepts.”
Psalm 103:17-18 NIV
Our hope is found in God, and the truth in His Word that this life is not the end.
This should help us find peace during difficult and trying times, for all who die in the Lord, we will see them again, and rejoice with them in the Lord’s presence for all eternity!
Along the Multicolored Road 
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