One of my best buds encouraged my whole family to think heavenly thoughts and not earthly ones. He pulls this from Paul’s words to the church in Colossae, “Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.” (Col 3:2) This encouragement from him has stuck with our whole family for the past few years, especially as we wrestle through our waves of grief.
As I wrote recently about this 3rd year since losing Izzy, I’ve entered a phase of grief where much seems, ‘meh’. To one degree or another, I’m sure everyone enters into seasons like this after experiencing an event that changes your day-to-day. An event like death, disease, job loss, even relationship breakups bring a new norm to your life. That new norm usually is not one you would have chosen if you were the author of your life. So, now you need to live in that newness and sometimes (if not all the time) you’d rather not have that new norm.
In that new norm, life can become ‘meh’ or worse.
I struggle to look at my life and be happy with it. Losing my little girl affected everything…looking down the road at what may be ahead for my life brings sadness alongside even happy things. Isabel won’t be there to enjoy those things with us so how can something be truly happy or joyful anymore when sorrow will always accompany it? How do I do this next thing (such as church, try to make new friends, or even daily chores) when I’m weighed down by so much sadness?
These are my earthly thoughts…the thoughts on things that are on earth as Paul said.
When these thoughts come, I’m forgetting something. I’m forgetting in times like this, in times when my thoughts are earthly, that my God is absolutely sovereign. When he ordained this life and the events of my life as He did – a doctrine I wholeheartedly believe as the whole of Scripture is very clear that God ordains the events and every single bit of our life…there are no rogue molecules, as RC Sproul once said – God also ordained that real help in Him is available to endure the aftermath from even my little girl’s death.
When the hard providences of this life occur, when your little one dies or your wife gets sick with cancer for the second time or anything else at all, the days we are given afterward will be filled with real heartache and pain. But God has ordained it as well that we should take our thoughts from focusing on these earthly sorrows and find our hope, help, and light in the heavenly thoughts from above.
Turn your eyes upon your Savior, weary one. See Him seated upon His throne, ruling and reigning still. He is the One that still bears your sorrows, carrying them so you do not have to (Isa 53:3-4). There is true shelter under His wing (Ps 91:4). Take those thoughts from what now is not, what could have been that now is lost, and think on the heavenly things of Christ.
In Him, we find hope, help, and light in the dark days of sorrow. Think heavenly thoughts, not these earthly ones…
Till we are home…
Till We Are Home 
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