In Sympathy

I'm not trying to be funny, but I'm sick to death of sending sympathy cards. I think I've sent out over a half dozen in about that many days. The Bible says it's better to go to a funeral than to a party. (See Ecclesiastes 7:2.) It goes on to tell us why this is so. "For you are going to die, and you should think about it while there is still time" (same chapter, verse 3 NLT). So I've been doing a lot of thinking lately. About life. About death. Only in Christ Jesus do we have any hope at all: hope of life after this life, hope of no more death after a lifetime of deaths, hope of life everlasting. Jesus says it all in the New Testament book of John. "He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die" (John 11:25b, 26 NIV). Sick to death of funerals and sympathy cards? The day is coming when the One who died for us "will wipe every tear from [our] eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or cyring or pain, for the old order of things has passed away" (Revelation 21:4 NIV). Maranatha!