She’s home now. No more pain. No more tumor. No more fear. No more wondering when “the end” was coming. No more fading in and out of consciousness. No more. She’s home now.

Her brother called me a few hours after Mandy went home. His voice was surprisingly upbeat. But as we talked I realized that he was genuinely happy because his sister was finally his sister again. The person he had visited every day who was frequently incoherent because of the myriad of drugs she was on was not his sister. He knew where she was. He knew that she was finally healed – fully.

As our conversation wound down I said, “Jason, what can I do.” He response floored – and inspired – me.

“You can rejoice. I know I am.”

So that’s what I’m doing. Rejoicing. I guess that’s the difference between grieving with hope and grieving without hope.

Brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant about those who fall asleep, or to grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope. We believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. (I Thessalonians 4:13-14)