Many of us have been mourning the loss of our dear friend and sister, Brittney.

In the beautiful words of her father, she is home with Jesus.  In the sweet words of my son, she has her new body.  In the words of a good friend, she has received her reward.  In the words of our Lord, she has literally crossed over from death to life.

I know that she is in heaven kickin' it with the Lord.  I know that she is no longer in any pain, the cancer is gone and now she has her new body that can dance forever and never tire.  I know that God works all things for good for those who love God.  I know that heaven is like no place on earth.  I know that she would rather have us rejoicing and not experiencing the pain of mourning.  I know it is a time for celebration of her life but right now - it hurts.

I know that God weeps with us...

John 11:30 Now Jesus had not yet come into the village, but was still in the place where Martha met Him. 31 Then the Jews who were with her [Mary] in the house, and consoling her [over the death of her brother Lazarus], when they saw that Mary got up quickly and went out, they followed her, supposing that she was going to the tomb to weep there. 32 Therefore, when Mary came where Jesus was, she saw Him, and fell at His feet, saying to Him, "Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died."

33 When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her also weeping, He was deeply moved in spirit and was troubled, 34 and said, "Where have you laid him?" They said to Him, "Lord, come and see." 35 Jesus wept.  36 So the Jews were saying, "See how He loved him!" 37 But some of them said, "Could not this man, who opened the eyes of the blind man, have kept this man also from dying?" 38 So Jesus, again being deeply moved within, came to the tomb.

Say all the jokes about the shortest verse in the Bible, but knowing that Jesus wept has comforted me as I continue to do so.  Jesus, who knew what He was going to do next, had compassion on Mary's loss of her brother.  He knows our sorrows and grieves with us.  It is good for us to weep and mourn.

I was also struck by something that JW said at church on Sunday that reminded me of the first part of the story when Jesus meets Martha, Mary & Lazarus's sister on the road...

John 11:17 So when Jesus came, He found that he had already been in the tomb four  days. 18 Now Bethany  was near Jerusalem, about two  miles off; 19 and many of the  Jews had come to Martha  and Mary, to console them concerning their brother. 20 Martha therefore, when she heard that Jesus was coming, went to meet Him, but Mary stayed at the house. 21 Martha then said to Jesus, "Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died. 22 "Even now I know that whatever You ask of God, God will give You." 23 Jesus said to her, "Your brother will rise again." 24 Martha said to Him, "I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day." 25 Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies, 26 and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this?" 27 She said to Him, "Yes, Lord; I have believed that You are the Christ, the Son of God, even He who comes into the world." 28 When she had said this, she went away and called Mary her sister...

Led by the Holy Spirit, Jesus always knew how to appropriately respond to everyone.  He responded perfectly to meet Martha's needs.  He responded perfectly to meet Mary's needs.  He responds perfectly to meet our needs.  And oh, how we need the Holy Spirit to show us how to respond to the needs of those around us during this time of loss on this earth.

May you continually be being filled with the Holy Spirit as you mourn the loss of our friend.  May her legacy speak of the hope that we share.