“Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?” 1 Corinthians 15:55
This 2 sentence Bible verse when a time of mourning arrives, leaves 2 questions begging to be asked. Turns out that this verse is THE answer to an entire chapter in the Bible, where Paul is presenting the ultimate, technical case for what happens to a person when they die, now that Christ has ultimately defeated ‘Death’ by His own! But in their form, they are still questions!
Lifting off in a jet to come home from vacation, I knew that Keri Allen, one of our very special ‘Jesus Gals’ in church, had recently been placed under Hospice care. With a broken phone, I had no other information. I didn’t know that as our plane flew us home, Keri had already arrived in the arms of Jesus… perfectly safe and secure… FOREVER! OR that I was flying into a storm!
6 hours later, when I got the word Keri had passed, darkness fell. But the Allen family had already been intercepted by the greatest enemy of all mankind. Visiting them, they sat at my daughters house together, family and friends, remembering, reliving and telling stories in the form of ‘remember when?” Talking and crying through the first baby steps toward mourning, where Jesus rules.
The verse today is meant to be a victory shout. An ‘in your face’ punch in the air to satan and the darkness of death. Now that Jesus Christ has beaten death, we Believers are untouchable… ULTIMATELY. Keri can testify to that! But in reality, the promise is a ‘not yet’ for us now. Next to the loss of a child, the loss of a spouse or parent is the greatest emotional pain on this earth. Friend is not far down the list!
Death Sucks! I hate it! But so does God! He didn’t send it, cause it or invent it. But death IS a reality that REALLY hurts. And while the shock and pain diminish over time, it never really goes away… until WE reach Heaven. For those who choose Hell, it NEVER disappears. The answer to the question, ‘Oh Death, where is your sting?” is easily answered by experience. That ‘Sting’ is right here and NOW!
If you are blessed to know Keri and her wonderful family, YOU are in mourning. Add to the pain your remembrance when you experienced it as a spouse or child yourself, it’s a serious gut punch… relived. But now that you know, it comes with serious responsibility. Knowing gives us legs and knees! Legs to ‘Go tell the Good News’ and knees to ‘Pray and comfort those who mourn.’
The greatest ‘Mourning’ lesson I have ever learned is to ‘Be kind to yourself.’ The Bible tells us that there is a TIME to mourn. TAKE IT! We are not untouchable super heroes. Death and mourning are not things we can easily shake off. They take serious time and yielding as we walk through that valley. So take it! Remembering with each step that… Eternal Life is a promise right around the corner for those who, like Keri, choose to follow The King of The Sting! Jesus promises. We will see Keri again!
