For those going through pain...

I can’t say that I relate to all the different types of pain that people are suffering from, but there is one type of pain that I can specifically relate to: grief. 

My Grammy died in July of 2022 and my Pawpaw died 3 months later. So, unfortunately, my family and I know way too much about grief.

So when they passed away so suddenly, my entire life was turned upside down – the same for every single person in my family. I was very discouraged and I could not find it in me to open up my Bible or to fervently pray to God or to even do a small devotional on the Bible App.

But on October 16, 2022, the words, “The pain that you’ve been feeling can’t compare to the joy that is coming” were on repeat in my mind. I had no idea where I had heard those words, but I assumed it was a Bible verse. Like I said, I couldn’t stop saying it to myself, so I decided to look up the scripture online.

The internet said the verse was Romans 8:18 and the ESV translation says this: “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.”

So after I figured out what the scripture was for this verse, I went to my KJV Bible to find the translation, and my Bible was bookmarked to the very page that had Romans 8:18 on it.

This all happened on a Sunday night and while we were at church that morning, the scripture for the sermon wasn’t even on Romans. It was on Exodus.

Then, I went to my NKJV Bible to see the other translation, and it was bookmarked to Romans 8:18 too!!!!!!!

At this point, I was shaking. I knew God was trying to tell me something and I was so shocked that He did it in such a personal and intimate way.

A couple weeks before this encounter, I was texting my cousin, Grace, and this was right before my Pawpaw passed. We were just talking about how so much has happened to our family lately and how sad we were feeling and all the grief we were experiencing. Then, in the middle of our sorrow, Grace said, “Something good is going to happen.” And I said to Grace, “I truly don’t know if something good can happen, but I hope so.”

So for the next couple weeks after she said this, a lot of negative things happened to me and my family, but then God put this mountain of a verse on my heart and told me in the most direct and intimate way that everything was going to be okay. And at the time, I had no idea how God was going to put joy back into my life. Ashamed, I believed that He was going to grant me some blessings and that would help me have joy again.

Fast forward a few months, I was indeed granted many blessings. I had the opportunity to travel to Italy, go to the Asbury revival, the beach with friends, counsel at camp again, graduate from college, among many other things. But I truly thought that these things would fill this gaping hole in my heart. Keep in mind, I was very happy that I got to experience these things, but it didn't give me complete satisfaction and contentment. And I don’t really know when I realized this, but FINALLY, I realized that my only source of pure joy comes from God. Gradually, I watched God do His work in me and I’m so happy and grateful to say that God has turned my grief into joy.

I worship and thank God for my grandparents all the time. I sadly know a lot of people whose grandparents weren’t really in their lives growing up, but for me, there wasn’t a day when I didn’t have my grandparents beside me or at least a phone call away. And that is why I can rejoice and praise God when I think about them. Psalm 30:5 says this: “For His anger is but for a moment, His favor is for a lifetime; Weeping may last for the night, But a shout of joy comes in the morning.”

I've linked one of my favorite hymns below. Check out the video!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yNZS5H9aNlY