Grieving With An Eternal Mindset

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“Also, He has put eternity into man’s heart, yet so that he cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end.” Ecclesiastes 3:11b

READ:

When I lost Anna, it was as if a chunk of my soul was removed from inside my body. I had physical aching inside my chest, and a feeling of emptiness deep in my belly that welled up into my throat. Even my arms knew what was missing as they throbbed, heavy from her absence. In moments of despair, my mind was overcome with the desire for it all just to stop. I was never suicidal; I simply longed for an end to the pain that was so presently palpable. I had never felt that way before, not until death entered the most intimate parts of my life. Before experiencing loss, I longed for heaven, yes, but in a more cheerful and innocent way. I longed for heaven because I knew it was better than hell; it is where Jesus is. Anna’s death taught me about the deep place in my heart that ached for more than just heaven as a place, but for heaven as eternal redemption and perfect newness.

In Solomon’s wisdom, he teaches us in Ecclesiastes 3:11 that, “…He [God] has put eternity into man’s heart.” This truth was tangibly displayed in my own life as I longed to be free from death. It was now a personal longing to be in a place of perfect harmony, peace, and everlasting life. I wanted to return to the garden that I was created for with all the benefits God intended for mankind. I wanted to be where babies didn’t die. This blueprint is what God has written on each of our hearts, and what He has promised to the believer in Jesus. The deep pain of Anna’s death—the pit in my stomach and ache in my arms—revealed my deepest longing: eternity with my Creator, free from sin and pain.

In the second part of that verse, Solomon continues, “…yet so that he [man] cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end.” Although a longing for eternity is written into our souls, we still cannot entirely know what this future will hold or when creation will be brought into complete redemption. Thankfully, the Lord gives us glimpses in Scripture to draw us near to Him in our longing as we wait with complete hope in Him alone. It’s His Word that lights the path for us, enabling us to journey through grief with an eternal mindset, and teaching us to wait, fix our eyes above, and trust our Creator even when it doesn’t make sense.

What you’re feeling—that ache in your soul, the longing to be with your child again—that is your innate yearning for eternity. As Jesus prayed to the Father in John 17:16, we are reminded that we are not of this world. So, we long for where we do belong, the place written on our hearts.

REFLECT:

1. In your grief, how has God used Scripture to “light your path” (Psalm 119:105), granting a greater understanding of His eternal plans?
2. Read Psalm 16:8-9. How can you rest both physically and mentally on earth while your heart longs to be elsewhere? What does this look like practically in your daily life?
3. Read Revelation 21:1-6. List what is revealed about our eternity from this passage. What aspects do you especially look forward to? In what ways have you seen that a longing for this future has been written on your heart from the beginning?

JOURNAL:

Compare Revelation 21:6 to Ecclesiastes 3:11. Write a prayer of submission to the Lord who knows the whole story. Where do you (specifically) need to confess attempts for control in your life and surrender to Him? How does knowing He is the beginning and end help bring peace in your grief?

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Kayla is married to Justin in sunny south Florida where they enjoy life together with friends & family. Kayla is a teacher at heart, nurse by profession, & lover of truth! She serves as a volunteer nurse at her local Care-Net & enjoys women’s ministry discipleship especially in the areas of grief, marriage, & infertility. You can follow more of her musings on grief here.

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