If you also find yourself grieving this holiday season, I pray that God’s constant presence will comfort you. Whatever we face, we can always embrace gratitude for what Christ has done for us. That’s a choice we can consciously make, and one which I seek to do continuously.

You have two choices: you can trust His written Word that promises He will never leave you (and is, therefore, right where He always is…next to you, listening and loving). Or you can choose to turn your back on those promises and lean on your feelings instead.

Carrying the burden of guilt for this decision, which was made as part of stewarding your pet, can keep you from experiencing the abundant life God has for you. We should experience guilt for sinful choices (and even then, we are to take our guilt to Jesus so we can experience His forgiveness and peace). However, your choice was not a sinful one.

If your mom loved Jesus, she is with Him right now and if you love Jesus, the two (three counting your Father) will be together again when all His followers are united once and for all on the New Earth. Be patient; spend time thanking God for the years you had with your mom, and for the opportunities to serve Him by serving her. 

When my mom died, I mourned my loss, my wife’s, and above all my children’s. I felt like part of me had been taken away. That’s not an uncommon experience for those who’ve lost a parent.

It’s hard to totally know what to make of your experience, and my first recommendation would be, if you haven’t already done so, to talk to your pastor or another trusted leader at your church to get wise counsel and pastoral care.

This Friday, March 28, is the anniversary of Nanci’s homegoing. It’s hard to believe it’s been three years since she went to be with Jesus. I miss her every day, and am so thankful the great reunion awaits.

In his conversation with Brad Formsa on The WOW Factor, Randy shares personal reflections on the loss of his beloved wife, Nanci. He offers profound insights into navigating grief through faith, the power of God’s promises, and the importance of community in times of loss. They talk about his booklet Grieving with Hope: Walking with Jesus in Heartbreak, and Randy discusses practical ways to process grief while holding onto the certainty of eternal life through Jesus Christ. 

I’ll never forget the Sunday morning when I arrived at our church, which my mom had also attended. Though she had died that week, I decided to preach anyway. A very strange thing happened.