It was recently brought to my attention that my sister's best friend passed away; a friend that reached out to her at a time she lost her niece

Romans 5:4 [Full Chapter]
and endurance produces character, and character produces hope,

It was brought to my attention by my sister that one of the individuals who reached out to our family died from complications of heart problems. This 73-year-old woman, I learned a while ago, had lost her daughter and her granddaughter. She understood the horrible grief of losing a child which is why, I think, she reached out to us at a time that others were running from us.

 She also loved the Lord Jesus with her entire being and it was her faith that kept her strong and helped her heal from the incredible pain of losing a child. So it was natural that when she learned of our daughter's passing to reach out and give us a ray of hope that things will get better in time. 

She was also my sister's best friend who kept in touch with her despite being separated by several states.

One of the most difficult things about losing people we love is how much smaller our world becomes.  One less friend means one less person that helps us feel connected in this world.The older we become the more losses we will encounter and the smaller our circle of friends becomes. 

Which is another reason why it's important to find a good Christian church and settle our roots sown deep so we can become well nourished and strong in faith.  The longer we attend a local church the more we will see others experiencing deep losses. 

 Grief and deep sorrow are givens in life.  The local church where we can lay our roots down becomes our family as losses occur.  As we worship our living creator Jesus and feel each emotion of our pain, God will use our pain to help others heal. He won't waste your pain.

My sister's friend, Kathy, may no longer be in her earthly body, but we know that it was her unquenchable faith in Christ that assured her that she is in heaven experiencing unbelievable fellowship with the saints that had gone before her. 

To those of us going through the grief of missing loved ones, our job from this point on is never giving up. As long as you are breathing your job is to share Jesus with as many people you know and pull them into the Kingdom of God. The pain of your sorrow may linger for seemingly many months, but reading God's holy bible and discovering the truths of Jesus will give you a new hope that will help you thrive in life.