No More Tears

Jun 11, 2021

"He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever."

- Jesus, Revelation 21:4

"I know that Heaven means a lot of things to a lot of people… and all of it is good! But what Heaven means to me, most of all, is no more tears."

- A dad at his daughter's memorial

Fasten your seatbelt… I'm taking you to a hard place today… a place of bottomless tears - suicide. Recently, a friend's daughter took her life. As I sat with him in that place where no words can comfort and no counsel can help and no balm can heal… I thought of you… all of you… who have sat with me and my friend in that place of pain that has no name. If I could, I would whisper these words to your heart:

"Dear Friend,

I cannot imagine what you and your family are going through as you prepare to celebrate and to remember your child's life. My favorite nephew, Neelan, was 24 years old when he decided life was too difficult for him to go on any longer… so he decided to end his life. My heart remains broken over his absence as I know yours is broken over your child's absence.

As a pastor for over 40 years, I have learned the hard way…

...that just because you know Jesus doesn't mean you won't hurt...

...that just because you know Jesus doesn't mean your heart won't be crushed...

...that just because you know Jesus doesn't mean you won't get depressed...

...that just because you know Jesus doesn't mean you won't feel all alone at times…

Knowing Jesus simply means that God understands your pain and that He loves you and that He is with you and that God will not allow anything to separate you from Him (Romans 8:35-39).

I believe your child is with Jesus in Heaven. I believe that his/her pain kept them from seeing any hope… but that did not prevent Jesus from giving him/her help when they needed it most. Life can get so confusing. No one knows what painful thoughts capture a mind and a heart in such moments… I only know it's not a place where Jesus passed judgement, but a place where He showed compassion.

Depression… hopelessness… is no different from cancer. People sometimes don't survive cancer because it's so destructive. People sometimes don't survive depression for the same reason. I do not know why your child felt like life was no longer worth living, but I do know that Jesus is good and that He was with him/her to the end, and then saved them when they could not save themselves… and took them to a place of no more tears… Heaven. One dark painful moment in a person's life cannot undo or diminish in the slightest what Jesus Christ did on the cross and through the Resurrection for all His kids!

Friend… because of Jesus… hope has the last word! Not suicide, not depression, not cancer, not even death. When that hopelessness comes knocking at your door… don't open it! Say out loud: ‘Hope lives in this house! My child is in Heaven! Never again will a tear run down their face… never again will their heart break… never again will they feel alone… because the Risen Lord Jesus Christ has done for them what I could not do… He saved them… and, by my faith in Jesus, I know I will see them again in that place of no more tears. Blessed be the name of the Lord!’