The past couple of weeks have been emotionally hard for me…

Last week, a well-known and well-loved mega-church pastor, Darrin Patrick, died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound…God surely used this man’s ministry in a powerful way in my life. I will miss Darrin, but I’m forever grateful for the impact he had on my life.

Then, just this week, our beloved Kenny Schipper slipped into Glory after decades of battling infection and disease…Oh, how I’ll miss this man’s larger than life personality, his big smile, and his warm heart. Yes, I will miss Kenny, but I’m forever grateful that God allowed my life to intersect with Kenny’s life at the exact moment that it did.

It certainly has been a hard couple of weeks…

And you know, death (in all of its’ ugly forms) is such a present and gut-wrenching reality for all of us. The Apostle Paul would go so far as to label death as our greatest enemy (1 Cor. 15:26). But, praise be to God, our evil enemy, death, does not have the final say. Yeah, you read that right. Death does NOT have the final say. Why? Because of Jesus! Because of Jesus and his perfect life, and his perfect death (in our place and for our sins), and his perfect resurrection, there is true hope and a sure future. Yes, for those who truly know Jesus, by grace through faith, we have hope of a perfect, peaceful future in the “great beyond.” Isn’t that a wonderful truth to marinate in?

But as we wait for that incredible future, our present reality is marked by death and all the pain and suffering that it inflicts upon the living. So, it’s important that we don’t stunt our humanity by failing to grieve and grieve well. Indeed, our bright future causes us to grieve with hope (1 Thess. 4:13)…Here are some songs that I personally listen to as I seek to grieve in the present while hoping for the future…I pray these songs bless you as they have me over and over and over again…