John 11:25 “Jesus said to her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies, and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die . . .’”

Death is a difficult experience. It means separation from loved ones and a new way of living for those left behind. But what if death is not the end?

Different stages of life preclude certain types of events. High school students will attend numerous graduation parties. Young adults will regularly dance at weddings and attend baby showers. But when you get older the type of events you attend changes. Sadly, funerals of people you love and respect increase in frequency.

I began thinking about these things a few weeks ago when Dad and I attended a number of funerals all in one week. Following the committal service, as we attendees slowly paraded our cars around the winding drive of the cemetery, I perused the many gravestones we passed.

One monument in particular caught my eye. Looking at the dates I realized that surviving family members had failed to have the death year engraved onto the stone. Decades had passed with no record of her final time of departure.

At first I felt sorry for this forgotten woman. “Poor Emma,” I thought. “No one remembered to finish her story.” But then I had another thought. Those who believe in Jesus never really die. Yes, their flesh becomes old, wears out, and must be put in the ground, but this person’s soul stays very much alive.

If Emma believed in Jesus as the resurrection and the life, then right now she lives and will never die. Maybe, although unintentional, Emma’s gravestone tells an even better story than the one we usually think of when it comes to death. Her body is in the ground, but her soul lives on.

No matter what stage of life you are now in, at some point you will encounter death. And the older we get the more prevalent it will be. But God’s child doesn’t need to grieve in the same way others do. For those who put their faith in Jesus will never really die. The date on the gravestone will record when the body gave out, but it will not record the end of the person.

So, grieving one, look forward in faith. There is life in Jesus. And if someday your family members forget to fill in the year on the stone, it won’t be a travesty. This oversight will only stand as a reminder that you are not really there. Because Jesus is the resurrection and the life you will never die but live forever!