Grief and Hope
April 8, 2020
If things had gone according to plan, today I would be returning from my mission trip to Chocó.
I would have returned from my last in-school trip to this place which has touched my heart and taken part in molding me into who I am today. When I left last year, I was confident that I would return this year and say goodbye to my beloved friends who have taught me what true love looks like. Now, as airports close, and quarantine extends its choking fingers beyond what I predicted, I know that I might not get to see them again.
It’s hard to accept the unexpected. It’s hard to realize that my senior year is not going to look like I had dreamed it would. It’s sad to know that I won’t get to see my friends for these last few months that were supposed to be ours. It’s sad to look at my graduation with uncertainty, knowing that it’s definitely not going to look like I planned.
I know that I usually write more hopeful anecdotes, but I also want you to know that I am honest and vulnerable in the midst of tough situations. I want you to know that you’re not alone if you feel frustrated, sad, or angry, I want you to know that it’s okay to rest, to grieve, to mourn. These times are tough, even if you don’t have coronavirus. The world will never be the same.
This week, we remember another event that changed the world. This week, we look back and commemorate when Jesus died and rose again. However, before His glorious victory, the disciples were facing uncertainty. When they had the Last Supper with Jesus, celebrating Passover, they felt confused at what was coming. They failed when Jesus asked them to stay up and pray with them. Peter denied Him. Then, the Savior died. Imagine how they must have felt as their closest friend and greatest hope was nailed to the cross, seemingly defeated. I think they must have felt grief, hopelessness, fear, and even anger. They were imperfect, just like us. When everything was changing, their reactions were very similar to ours.
How profound that during this Passover, we are all at home while a “plague” passes over. How beautiful that our hearts are somehow wounded, because when Jesus died, “by His stripes we were healed.” How appropriate that this time doesn’t end in grief, but in celebration, as Jesus rose from the dead, emerging from the tomb victorious.
Let us take this time and remember His death and resurrection. Let us look within our hearts and let the Holy Spirit cleanse us from our sins. Let us look at Christ’s victory over death and declare that He will be victorious today and forever. Let us keep on hoping because the hope and the faith He has given us cannot be taken away.
My prayer for this season is that God will bring peace to every heart and fill us with hope. I pray that we will put our trust in our victorious Savior, who conquered death and disease. I pray for everyone who is feeling disheartened, frustrated, and angry to be reassured in God’s victory.
I encourage you to delve deeper into His Word. Take this time to pray and enter into communion with God. Spend time with your family, encourage loved ones. Most of all, I encourage you to hope. No matter what happens, our hope is founded upon Christ, and it will not fail.
Yours truly,
Isa