After Grief people become more important than things

Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another--and all the more as you see the Day approaching Hebrews 10:25 NIV

I was reminded tonight how grief had changed our family with the loss of  our daughter and sibling to our son. It seems that the things the world tells us to value are no longer important. My son said to me that he would much rather do things with his friends where he has opportunities to talk than to sit in a movie theater mindlessly looking on the action on the screen. How astounding coming from a teenager!  Yet, the loss of his sister taught him the importance of relationships because he has learned through his personal loss to never take life for granted.  Such profound wisdom for a young guy just starting off in life.

I must admit I am the same way.  After our devastating loss I am less likely to want to park myself on the couch and spend 3 hours on a Sunday afternoon watching our beloved Minnesota Vikings play. Maybe it would help if we had a winning football team? Regardless, I learned in my loss that the relationships with my family and the relationships with my friends are more important to me than driving brand new car, getting a large screen LED, or sitting in a movie theater for that matter.

Which is why I was reminded of the bible verse from Hebrews  where we are encouraged to not forsake meeting together, but that we are to encourage one another and all the more as we see the day approaching. I am positive that when Hebrews was written the people in the church suffered losses much like we suffer loss.  I am also sure that when loss occurred some of them would give up assembling together because they did not 'feel' like assembling together.

I remember the first Sunday after our family lost Maria my 12 year old son sitting on the edge of his bed looking up at  me and asking me if we had to go to church this morning.  I remember telling him that we had a choice.  We could all stay home because I know mom doesn't feel like much going and I know I do not feel like much going and if we did that we would likely not experience the kind words from our friends at church. I told my son that there will be other moments in his life where he simply isn't going to feel like going to church and assembling together with friends, but when we are hurting the most important thing we can do as believers is to put one foot in front of the other and keep on going.   My son never complained about wanting to stay home from that point on.  What he learned was blessings do come when we honor God by assembling together on the Sabbath

Coming out of the fog of grief makes us stronger.  It also reshapes our thinking from a 'he who dies with the most toys wins' to 'people are more important mentality.  So go ahead and enjoy your assembling together this morning and count the number of times a blessing flows to you in the encouraging words of friends.