It rips a jagged, raw and throbbing hole. It hurts to think, function and breathe. You don’t understand, you don’t know how to move forward and you don’t know what to do next. But you put one foot in front of the other and move on.
If you have ever lost anyone you love deeply, you know the vast hole in your heart their loss created never goes away. The jagged edges smooth and the stabbing pains lessen. But it never leaves you. Loss can be devastating, but there is comfort if you know they are with Jesus.
Today I am mindful of my mom. It is her birthday and we lost her way too soon nine years ago. I am certain she is in heaven with Jesus and many others who love her. She passed along her love of Jesus to us and I am so thankful. The faith she cultivated and nurtured in me has eased the aching of that hole in my heart. It gives me peace amid the continued longing and missing I feel for her every day.
I was reminded of the importance of leaving a legacy of faith while listening to the sermon at church this past weekend. The weekend we remember those we have lost over the past year at church is always a bittersweet one for me. It reminds me of those I have loved and lost. But as our wise and wonderful Pastor reminded us, it is important to also remember and honor the impact of their legacy of faith.
He mentioned the phrase, No Jesus=No Peace & Know Jesus=Know Peace. I certainly have peace knowing those I love are with Jesus. My faith and the peace I have is from the legacy of legacy of faith given to me by my parents. I have peace in my heart, even alongside the hole. Now I am passing on that legacy of faith to our children. 
If you love Jesus, give His love away. Create a legacy of faith in those you love. You never know what this life may bring and when Jesus may call you home. Create that peace that only Jesus offers in the lives of those you love. Introduce them to Jesus and His peace that surpasses all understanding.
Only He can smooth the ragged and jagged edges of that gaping hole of loss. Only His peace will allow you to move on, knowing you will see your loved one again. Only His peace can help you move on and live the life God has planned for you. Only He can speak into your heart in those moments when all you feel is loss and longing.
Share Jesus and leave a lasting legacy of love and peace. You and those you love will then always know peace, even amid gaping holes.
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