The picture of our Savior’s embrace as we walk though sadness is very real. We can lean into Him, and feel Him palpably in deep groans of grief. It’s OK to be weak in Jesus’ arms.
“Jesus said, ‘Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.’” (Matthew 19:14)
Jesus came to save all people. When He spoke of children, He taught that our faith should reflect their innocent and full dependance on God. When life is cut short on this earth, it shocks us to the core. Loss, whether we see it coming or not, is perhaps the hardest part about life on earth. In many instances, it can drive us to question our faith, and God. God can handle those questions. His arms are strong enough to hold our grief, for as long as we need to grieve. We serve a Savior who is acquainted with suffering and loss, who empathizes with us and offers comfort and encouragement as we traverse through hard seasons. When we think of the kingdom of heaven, we can know children who leave this earth are safe with their heavenly Father.
The NIV Study Bible defines the kingdom of God:
“The ‘kingdom of God,’ in preaching of Jesus as recounted in the Gospels is the reign of God that he brings about through Jesus Christ- i.e., the establishment of God’s rule in the hearts and lives of his people, the overcoming of all the forces of evil, the removal from the world of all the consequences of sin- including death and all that diminishes life- and the creation of a new order of righteousness and peace.”
Today, as we mourn loss and pray for the passing of a child, let us put all of our grief into the arms of our Father in heaven. Our hope, through Christ, is that we will meet once again, without pain, sickness, or sadness. The picture of our Savior’s embrace as we walk though sadness is very real. We can lean into Him, and feel Him palpably in deep groans of grief. It’s OK to be weak in Jesus’ arms. In time, His hope, strength, and grace will allow us the healing we need to live through life without the one we have lost.
A Prayer for the Passing of a Child
Father,
You promise You are close to the brokenhearted and save those who are crushed in spirit (Psalm 34:18). Abba, Yahweh — You are not only with us in brokenhearted seasons, but You heal our broken hearts (Psalms 147:3). We come to You today, grief-stricken and sad. God, we don’t understand death and dying, nor can we comprehend why an innocent child suffers and leaves us so early and so soon. There are facts we know about Scripture, our faith, and You, Father, that in times of grief bounce through our minds muddled in sorrow and pain. Our prayer today is that You are embracing our child, which has soulfully left this earth to come home to You.
Hug them for us, Father. Give us the peace, clarity, and understanding we need to stand up and walk through our day. Somehow, life moves on as we grieve. This is the hardest part, God. We feel stuck in our sadness yet have to keep moving through the days and weeks that follow. We can’t see the end of our grief, God, but You can. Carry us, day by day.
We come to You, as Matthew wrote: “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light” (Matthew 11: 28-30). Give us rest for our souls, Father.
Help us to cling to the Truth of Your Word. Holy Spirit, powerfully remind us what it says! When it’s hard to focus, let the words of John’s Gospel come to our minds, “Now is your time of grief, but I will see you again and you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy” (John 16:22). And Paul, who suffered so much in his life on earth, who wrote, “I can do all things through him who gives me strength” (Philippians 4:13). Father, we know in Christ our joy and peace cannot be stripped away from us, but right now if feels buried so far underneath the reels of memories of the child we have lost. We know You are our strength, but the word and the concept seem so foreign to us right now.
John wrote, “He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away” (Revelation 21:4). Oh, how we ache for no more death or mourning or crying, Father. Come, Lord Jesus! Return and restore all the earth and establish the Father’s kingdom. We cannot see through the screen of tears to the work we still have left to do for You. It’s too hard to know how this grief could possibly benefit anyone or anything. Your ways are not our ways God, this we know, but our knowledge and our emotions are at war within us. Swiftly bring us calm and comfort. Hurry with relief, Father. The pain and the heartache consume us. The loss is significant. How do we carry on after this loss? How do we put our pain in perspective and find a way to move through the rest of the days you have numbered for us? Mold our minds and make our hearts malleable to Your mending, Father. Heal us, Holy Spirit. May our lives, though so seemingly shattered, continue to bring glory to God.
Paul wrote that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. (Romans 8:18) He also wrote to the Thessalonians:
“Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope. For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. According to the Lord’s word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. Therefore encourage one another with these words.” (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18)
Father, let our comfort be found in those words of truth and hope and life. Let them embrace us down to the core of our hearts, and penetrate the ball of sorrow deep in our souls. Get us through, day by day. Help us to wake each morning and bring all of our sorrow and grief to You. Let us not be afraid to be real with You about how we feel, God, about how we are doing. Soften our hearts to accept every offer of help and each ounce of healing You are faithful to provide. Send us a sign, Father, that our children, lost to us on this earth, are with You safely in heaven. Not because we need a sign to believe, but out of Your personal, caring, and miraculous love for us.
In Jesus’ Name we pray,
Amen.
Photo Credit: © Unsplash/Paolo Nicolello
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