Today marks two years since a dear friend of mine passed away after a fierce battle with brain cancer. Grief has a way of marking time. Some days over the last two years have felt painful and raw, while others have felt peaceful. But this morning I found myself thinking about something different.
Two years ago today, she met Jesus.
That thought made me smile.
If you knew her, you knew her joy. She was the kind of person who could just make you happy to be around her and make people feel instantly loved. She gave the BEST hugs that you could feel long after she let go. And when I picture her stepping into heaven, I can only imagine the joy on her face as she met the One she had trusted her whole life.
Of course, she is still deeply missed here. Grief doesn’t disappear just because we believe in heaven. The empty spaces remain. The memories can still make us tear up. But over time, something gentle begins to happen. The sharp pain softens. The memories start to bring more smiles than tears. And slowly, we begin to see grief through the lens of hope.
Grief doesn’t only come when we lose someone we love. Sometimes it shows up when a job ends, when a relationship breaks, when life takes a turn we never expected. In those moments, it can feel confusing, lonely, and overwhelming.
But one truth has carried me through these last two years: God is still faithful in the middle of grief.
Scripture reminds us in Psalm 34:18 that “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.” God does not rush us through grief, and He does not abandon us in it. He walks with us through every tear, every memory, and every hard day.
Time does not erase our love for the people or things we have lost, but it does allow God to gently heal the deepest parts of our hearts. What once felt unbearable slowly becomes something we can carry with hope.
If you are walking through grief right now—whether from losing someone you love, a job ending, a relationship changing, or a season of life closing—I want to encourage you to keep trusting God. Even when we don’t understand the path, we can trust the One who leads us.
God’s plans are bigger than what we can see today, and His presence is constant even in our hardest moments.
And sometimes, in the middle of grief, He gives us a beautiful reminder of hope—like the quiet realization that someone we love is experiencing the joy of heaven.
Today I miss my friend. But today I’m also smiling.
Because two years ago today, she met Jesus.