It’s kind of a weird thing to attend a funeral for someone you’ve never met, but definitely a unique opportunity that I’ve had a few times since being on internship, including once this week.
Normally, funeral are associated emotions of grief and pain and confusion. Of course there is hope and glimmers of joy in the resurrection, but most of the funerals I’ve attended I sit there just not even knowing WHAT to feel.
The funeral that I ran sound for this week gave me an opportunity to understand more of those feelings I always feel but can’t quite name in that moment. Most of all, I realized that somehow, everything seems so to impact lives so much deeper at times like these… verses from God’s Word, lyrics from hymns… everything just seems so much more profound… so much more… well… ironically… more ALIVE!
To hear things like: “… NOTHING can separate us from the love of God.” (Romans 8 ) takes on new life when heard at a funeral.
“For as we have been united with Him in a death like His, we shall certainly be untied with Him in a resurrection like His.” (Romans 6)…means something different when you contemplate someone coming to the end of their life… or well, in another way, the beginning.
Or how about these words from a well-loved hymn:
“Yet when this flesh and heart shall fail and mortal life shall cease. Amazing grace shall then PREVAIL in Heaven’s joy and peace.”
We can sing that song on just any given day, but to hear those words at a funeral gives it so much more depth.
I think my favorite part of the funeral this week was to hear the soloist sing these powerful words:
“Then sings my SOUL, my Savior, God, to Thee. How great Thou art. How GREAT Thou art!”
My prayers go up for those I know who have lost loved ones recently (or maybe even not so recently). In those moments when there just aren’t words, may our very SOULS sing out to our great God! Even when we can’t understand, may He give us the strength to trust. May he draw us closer to himself and give us new life in Him.
joyfullyblessedblog.com 
Very nice post, Romans is the “Pull, or the Tug”. Paul sets us so that we can not fail but see our sin, so that we can see His Grace and in that the joy of knowing that the law no longer holds us. I just learned that in JM3.
Thanks for being a great Sister in Christ.
Good post Bekah. One I definitely needed to read today!
Praying for you today, friend!