Last week I read that it has been 2 years since Billy Graham passed away. His son, Franklin Graham, shared a quote that his father said, and I loved it. It goes like this…”Someday you will read or hear that Billy Graham is dead. Don’t believe a word of it. I shall be more alive than I am now. I will just have changed my address. I will have gone into the presence of God.”
Those words struck me down to my core because that is how I think of my loved ones that have passed. Their bodies are gone, but their souls live on. And let’s be honest, the soul is the most important part of a person. It is a person’s very essence. So, if their soul lives on and they have gone to heaven, have I really lost that person? I suppose some would say that the answer is yes. However, for me, it really feels like the answer is no.
Sure, it’s hard to be without my loved ones while I am left here on Earth. I can dwell on that fact. I can make myself miserable thinking about how it isn’t fair that I have to continue to live my daily life without my husband. I can focus on how we vowed to love each other, to have and to hold each other, for as long as we both shall live. The problem here is I didn’t realize as long as we both shall live would be so short.
I can whine about how it isn’t fair that my dad was only 60 years old when he passed. How I don’t have him to go to for advice on things like I used to. I can focus on how much I miss watching him interact with his grandkids, and how it sucks that he never even got to meet Meghan.
We can keep going here with all the loved ones I have lost, but that isn’t me. I can’t focus on all that negativity. Instead, I like to think of it like Billy said, my loved ones have just changed addresses. And what a beautiful blessing for them that they are in the presence of God. Can’t wait to join them there someday! Until then I will focus on the wonderful memories I made with them while they were here with me, and I will work to live my life in a way that honors them all.
Those words struck me down to my core because that is how I think of my loved ones that have passed. Their bodies are gone, but their souls live on. And let’s be honest, the soul is the most important part of a person. It is a person’s very essence. So, if their soul lives on and they have gone to heaven, have I really lost that person? I suppose some would say that the answer is yes. However, for me, it really feels like the answer is no.
Sure, it’s hard to be without my loved ones while I am left here on Earth. I can dwell on that fact. I can make myself miserable thinking about how it isn’t fair that I have to continue to live my daily life without my husband. I can focus on how we vowed to love each other, to have and to hold each other, for as long as we both shall live. The problem here is I didn’t realize as long as we both shall live would be so short.
I can whine about how it isn’t fair that my dad was only 60 years old when he passed. How I don’t have him to go to for advice on things like I used to. I can focus on how much I miss watching him interact with his grandkids, and how it sucks that he never even got to meet Meghan.
We can keep going here with all the loved ones I have lost, but that isn’t me. I can’t focus on all that negativity. Instead, I like to think of it like Billy said, my loved ones have just changed addresses. And what a beautiful blessing for them that they are in the presence of God. Can’t wait to join them there someday! Until then I will focus on the wonderful memories I made with them while they were here with me, and I will work to live my life in a way that honors them all.
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