Is it possible to grieve and hold fast to hope at the same time? As Christians, we are taught—and our faith is based on this fact—that we have the hope of eternal life with Christ after death. What an amazing, brain-boggling concept, when you really think about it! The Bible says that to be apart from the body is to be alive with Christ (Romans 8:10-11).

Even so, every year during the days leading up to Easter, grief hits me in the gut like a sucker-punch. No matter how much time passes, sometimes I think of my loved ones in heaven and an unexpected wave of some feeling very much akin to jealousy tumbles over me. Maybe I’m just envious that they get to see the good part before me. Sometimes I feel resentful that I got left behind to pick up the pieces. Sometimes I want them back so badly, it aches down to my bones.

We fill our worship service with songs of hope and rejoicing and longing fulfilled in Christ. Even when I want to wallow a while in self-pity and let the grief bring me to my knees, I am confronted with Truth: there’s still plenty of work yet to do here. God wants to use my time here to teach me, mold me, make me a tool of his own handiwork … until it is time to take me Home, too.

In the meantime, I will raise my hands and cry out to the One who gives me reason to hope in the midst of my grief. Our savior—the one who died, arose and is coming again—is worthy of praise!