22/07/2026
MINISTERING WITH BROKEN HEARTS
One thing not often talked about is the number of people pastors get to know who ends up dying.
The number can be staggering, overwhelming, and heartbreaking.
We kew their families. Celebrated their birthdays and knew their good times and bad.
Yes, losing some were like losing a family member.
We are not immune from pain, and many of us have shed silent tears as we said our good-bys many times from afar.
On Facebook, in just the last two years, on Facebook, I have seen a really high number of friends go home to be with the Lord.
Many I was not even aware of it until, maybe an old post of mine popped up, I then see a comment from them, clicked on their name to see how they are doing and find out they had went home to be with the Lord.
Some of these I had the pleasure of ministering to for years.
Now, seeing these past comments to them has become a blessing and a fond memory to cherish.
Once again, this happened at 4 am this morning when I saw a comment on an old post from Ms. EB and clicked on name because I hadn't seen her around in a while.
She lived in a nursing home and had dealt with many health issues and had problems with those around her.
Through the years, she had learned from many of my posts, not to be so harsh to people, to give grace to those not deserving it, and had even gotten to the point of feeling safe to admitt she was the problem at times.
In this particular post, written a few years ago, she was thanking God for always being with her and bringing her through her many surgeries.
I felt a special closeness to her because I knew she struggled with people, and that the nursing home had became a prison to her.
But in spite of all that, she still knew to praise God regardless of her problems.
Laying in the dark, with the stillness of the night all around, upon seeing her obituary and the date showing she just died 19 days ago, I shredded two types of tear for my old friend.
One was for the pain I felt to see she had died, and knowing others was now in pai
The other tears were of joy, knowing she was no longer in pain, no longer in that wheelchair and is now at the Throne of God worshipping and giving him praise, glory, and honor.
