Love & Loss

As our church has experienced great loss at the start of 2022.... I remain consumed by God's love. As our church group prepares to go to Hawaii for SDC, I'm experiencing mixed emotions. But I wanted to pen my feelings to encourage my kin.

G R I E F is real and it is different for each of us. I went through a time where I was angry and frustrated and I was expressing this to everyone BUT God. We tend to forget that although God is not a person, He is still the greatest listener. He hears your thoughts and feels your pain. He can handle what you are feeling if you give it to Him. Whether it be pain, anger, numbness, shock or sorrow. Pour your heart out to the Lord and allow peace to take the place of that hurt. Remember, He is T H E R E!

L O S S is gain to a believer. Although their presence here among us will be greatly missed. I know Joe, Pastor Tuinei and Tilo received their greatest healing and that is divine healing. At times we tend to want to be selfish and keep our loved ones here for our own gain. But to the master, they've served their purpose. They've heard the words we only dream about, "Welcome, thou good and faithful servant!"

A D J U S T I N G to the loss of a loved one is no great feat. We cannot pick up the phone and call them, we cannot go over to visit them. No more hugs, no more lunch dates, no more seeing them at church. We stare at where they used to sit, look at their photos, envy families on holidays and cry on father's and mother's day. They say often, time heals all wounds. Although from experience, I find myself triggered during certain times of the year. But I find my meltdowns perfectly therapeutic. It will never be easy, life will never be the same after losing a parent. Adjust to life knowing that you are not alone.

 A C C E P T I N G the reality that our loved one is gone. The initial response of course is denial. Shock and disbelief sets in at the beginning. Then you come to the realization that although their physical life has ended, their spiritual journey continues. That can be of great comfort in knowing our parents were great believers, and so without a shadow of a doubt, we know where they went. They cannot return to us physically but we can join them. We can see them again, embrace them once more, and in that instance, there is H O P E!

H O P E is what we must hold on to. I've been saying it too often to my kinship but I believe in it wholeheartedly. Hold on to the certainty that we have through Jesus. Earth is an airport, We are just flying through, Jesus is the ticket and Heaven our destination. When one part of our SBAOG body hurts, we all hurt, we all grieve, we all have experienced great loss these past months. But I'm betting on Jesus with my life, holding on to H O P E!

As we prepare to take off this weekend for Hawaii, when I sink my toes into the sands of Waikiki, when I hike the Diamond Head or visit Pearl Harbor, I do so with the spirit of Joe, Tuinei and Tilo. They believed well and covered Pastor and I with their prayers daily and I know their prayers for us live on from the grave. Rest well my beloved friends, grieve well my kin, do not grieve like the world with no hope. But hold on to the hope we have in Jesus that we will be reunited with them. All my love, #teamsialoi.