Thank You, God, for Funerals
It is good to reflect on the gratitude we feel each day—even when, or perhaps especially when, the topic is complicated. Lord, today I thank You even for funerals. Though they bring sorrow and a flood of emotions, they also remind us of the gift of life and the hope we have in You. In the midst of grief, You draw us together—family, friends, and communities—to comfort and uphold one another. Funerals help us pause, remember, and celebrate the lives of those we love.
It is easy to focus on the hardship of a funeral. Without a doubt, we have lost someone we love and cherish, or we are walking alongside those who have. Yet this is also what makes funerals special. People gather together to support one another as we journey through life. And in that gathering, we share the hope we have in You—the One who has gone before us, walks with us, and remains behind us.
I also thank You for funerals because, even though they are hard, they give us the opportunity to share the legacy of those we love but see no more. We are reminded of the ways they taught us to live, love, and walk in faith. We get to see the special moments and the gifts You bestowed upon their lives.
So, thank You for the ways You are present in these sacred moments—through shared stories, tears, and even laughter. Thank You for the promise of resurrection, for the hope that death is not the end but a doorway into Your eternal embrace. Thank You for the love that lingers, the legacies left behind, and the ways our hearts are shaped by those who have gone before us. Thank You for the reminder that we can and will always carry those we love with us, even when our physical relationship with them has changed.
In mourning, let me see Your grace. In loss, let me feel Your love. Thank You, God, for being near to the brokenhearted and for turning our sorrow into hope. Thank You for the community that surrounds and supports one another.
Can we find the gift inside the sorrow of a funeral? Lord, help us to see it.
Comments