Hope in Grief
Happy Birthday, Sarah Jane
Today would have been my niece, Sarah Jane’s, 36th birthday.
The first time I met Sarah was in an airport in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. My sister, Brenda, her two young children, and mother-in-law were en route to Manning, Alberta. Brenda’s husband had accepted the position as pastor of a church and had gone ahead to start setting up his family’s new home.
Sarah was a few months old. I was expecting my first child, Ruthmarie. Brenda and I and our husbands were young, starting our families, with no darkness clouding the future.
Sarah grew up to be a vivacious young woman, creative and gifted. She studied Film and Television Production and was involved in a number of televised shows. Later, she began a degree in archeology at the University of Toronto. Sarah possessed a bright and inquiring mind and passion for life.
How could we have known that she would develop kidney disease and after years of hospital stays and eventually dialysis and surgery die at the age of 31?
For weeks after Sarah’s death, my grief was compounded with a sense of unfairness. Sarah had so much to offer. Even during her suffering, she showed compassion to others, brightening the lives of others. Now she had died, much too young, and my sister and brother-in-law were left with the terrible pain of losing a child.
Many years ago, a young man, not much older than Sarah, lost his life. He died on a cross, in terrible pain and humiliation, hated and despised. Was this fair?
No, it was not fair. He could have refused his Father’s purpose for him but he didn’t. He gave his life willingly so that we could be reconciled with God, through his blood.
After the funeral, as I stood at Sarah’s grave, my hope was in the knowledge that I would see my niece again. Her faith in God was strong. He gave her the strength she needed in her illness. I knew where Sarah was and that we would see her again.
Do I still struggle with my niece’s death? Yes. However, Jesus turned death into eternity and I have hope in grief.
Happy Birthday, Sarah Jane!
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