My heart is a little sad. My brother-in-law closed his eyes on this life for the last time today, and opened them in eternity.

I say a little sad because I believe with all of my heart that when a loved one passes away, they are no longer suffering. I believe that God answers prayer. And in my prayers I always ask God to save any of my family and friends that have not given their lives to Him. I believe He not only hears me, but He responds.

Many times, death is so hard for us to accept. Even when the person is ill…we struggle with letting go. What brings me comfort though is believing that even on our death bed, God comes to us one more time. Deuteronomy 31:8 says, “The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.” He is not willing to let any of us go. I trust God, and I trust His word.

Roman 14:8 also says, “If we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord; so then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord’s.” All of us belong to Him. There is nothing about us that God doesn’t already know. And He loves us anyway…warts and all. 

My brother-in-law was one-of-a-kind. He was one of those people that made his presence known in every room he entered. He loved to have a good time, and he didn’t care if anyone else was having a good time, he made sure he did. I loved his spirit. I loved him. I loved knowing him, and I loved that I got to spend time on this journey with him. I pray that God welcomed him with open arms, and that he is enjoying eternity with all of his family and friends on the other side.

Until next time…

Be blessed