Yesterday was Father’s Day. I saw many posts of emptiness from those who miss their father because he is no longer here. If yesterday left you feeling a bit lost I pray this message from the archives will refresh your spirit.

“How happy are those who live in your house; they never cease to praise you!” (Psalm 84:5(4)) Someone asked if we will have emotions in heaven. Happy is an emotion so the answer is yes. All of the emotions of pure love will fill our hearts. 

I’m thinking of my dad who moved to his forever home in 2017. He left us riding the most beautiful sunrise ever, as far as my sister and I are concerned. My heart tells me that every day since then has been full of pure happiness for him. It’s natural to be sad on the days burned into your heart with the tragedy of loss. It’s our human selfishness–that nasty habit that we spend a lifetime trying to kick–if we live for the Lord. We tend to feel empty when we can no longer see or touch the ones we love. It’s not that we don’t want them to go to Heaven–we pray that they do–we just don’t want them to go before us. We will miss them and feel like they will miss out on so many wonderful things yet to come.

However, we do have the ability to change what we think about, thus changing how we feel about those days. You will believe what you feed your mind. Fill your mind with this reminder; “How happy are those who live in your house; they will never cease to praise you!” If you consider how much greater the joy of Heaven is than anything this fallen world could ever provide, you can change your selfish sadness into a satisfied, warm and fuzzy feeling.

If your loved one accepted Jesus’ gift of salvation there is no question of their joy and safety. I love the story on the back of the Hospice handbook. It tells of a great ship leaving a harbor. The crowd on the shore waves sadly, “There she goes.” On the other side the crowd on the shore waves excitedly, “Here she comes!” Yes, death leaves a hole in our hearts but if we believe they have entered into everlasting life with Father, how can we not rejoice for them? We may not have been invited to their homecoming party but rest assured, they will be at ours.