“Only one life, ’twill soon be past. Only what’s done for Christ will last.” — C.T. Studd

She was beautiful, inside and out. Once a model, my cousin’s beauty was not simply external. She loved the Lord and it showed. We lost her yesterday to a short illness.

It’s in times like these that we wonder why. We hurt. We grieve. It brings to mind our own mortality. None of those emotions is wrong. Or inappropriate. 

But those of us who are Christ followers understand that, while we grieve, this isn’t all there is. We haven’t lost our loved ones forever. Our hope in Christ reminds us that we will again see our loved ones who followed Christ. As I’ve heard it said, those who have gone on before us have simply walked into another room. We can’t see them now, but we will, when Christ calls us home.

Death is part of life. We will all experience it. Some go earlier than we wanted, than we expected, but they did not go too soon. Every day of our lives is numbered before it began. It is a great comfort to know that our Heavenly Father is in control of life and death. 

To be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord, Apostle Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 5. My loved one is now with the Lord, enjoying His presence and the rewards that come with knowing Christ as Savior. She has entered into His rest. And one day I will see her again, of that I am confident. 

In the meantime, I intend to love without limits, showing God’s love and heart to those who need it most. I will cherish each day that my Father has given me. I will tell those who mean the most to me that I love and appreciate them. And one day He will call me home, too. 

Goodbye for now, my dear cousin. See you soon.

Nancy Flory is an associate editor at The Stream. You can follow her @NancyFlory3, and follow The Stream @Streamdotorg.