“Gifts of grace come to all of us. But we must be ready to see and willing to receive these gifts. It will require a kind of sacrifice, the sacrifice of believing that, however painful our losses, life can still be good — good in a different way than before, but nevertheless good. I will never recover from my loss, and I will never get over missing the ones I lost. But I still cherish life ... I will always want the ones I lost back again. I long for them with all my soul. But I still celebrate the life I have found because they are gone. I have lost, but I have also gained. I lost the world I loved, but I gained a deeper awareness of grace. That grace has enabled me to clarify my purpose in life and rediscover the wonder of the present moment.”
- Gerald Lawson Sittser, A Grace Disguised: How the Soul Grows Through Loss

The words from Gerald Lawson Sittser’s book deeply resonate with me, echoing the reality of the many losses I have experienced.  These losses are a poignant reminder that life seems to be moving faster than we often want to recognize.

Several years ago, I had arrived at our local hospital for a Palliative Visitation Seminar. My phone sent me notification of a friend’s sudden passing. Her departure was expected, yet the end came swiftly.

Though I had only known her for a few years, she made a significant impact on my life. She was a woman of grace, her smile brightening every room and her laughter spreading joy to all around her. Her faith in our Lord and Saviour was unwavering, and she kept a positive outlook on life despite the challenges she faced. She was generous and fiercely devoted to her family and friends, bravely battling cancer until it ultimately claimed her life earlier than her loved ones had hoped. God’s ways are higher than ours.

Just a couple of days earlier, I had attended my son-in-law’s mother’s funeral, another occasion where cancer had left its mark. Additionally, some other friends and family have been courageously fighting against cancer, often with little success. These experiences serve as reminders that, while our understanding is limited, God’s thoughts are higher than ours.

It is difficult to accept that death and loss can be considered gifts of grace.

It takes considerable time to reach this understanding. The experience is not linear; it is a process, as Sittser points out in his book A Grace Disguised.

A pastor friend reminded me that life is a journey rather than a destination, and that death is an integral part of this journey. We hold to the belief that the journey continues beyond this life.

Our hope is rooted in our faith in Jesus Christ and the grace He has bestowed upon us. We trust that our journey towards death will ultimately bring us into eternal union with Him. It is natural to feel sadness along the way. Tears, though often viewed as signs of vulnerability, are understood by God as a profound expression of our feelings. Washington Irving eloquently said, “There is a sacredness in tears. They are not the mark of weakness, but of power. They speak more eloquently than ten thousand tongues. They are messengers of overwhelming grief ... and unspeakable love.” Allowing ourselves to grieve is part of the process, and through it, grace is given. These extremely difficult losses can be gifts of grace.

During your current or future experience with grief may you feel God’s comforting presence and peace as He bestows grace upon grace.

Jesus said “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God, believe also in me. My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going.” Thomas said to him, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?” Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me ... Peace, I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid” (John 14:1-6, 27).

Susan Page is the daughter of the King, His beloved child, wonderfully forgiven and blessed! Susan longs to age gracefully, becoming more like Jesus as she seeks the hidden treasures revealed to her through Scripture, literature, the arts, humankind, and nature.