Revelation 21:4

"He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away."

I'm making my grand debut back in 2026 with daily scripture using this verse, we can laugh about it. There were a lot of things I was trying to navigate, especially during this past holiday season. A lot of moving parts. A realization happened where the lack of desire for a lot of things took over. Holidays aren't always as joyful as we tend to make them seem online.

Coming from a broken family, the year where I took the biggest risk of my life with surgery, struggling friendships, carrying weight of sorrow for people that I love. There's a lot of rabbit holes I could go down this morning. The one I'd like to focus on is the part I don't think people on the outside think about when it comes to hidden illnesses/diseases. Obviously, it's epilepsy for me. We look completely normal, physically, but could be in turmoil spiritually, mentally, emotionally.

For some of us, if you can relate, maybe whatever you face is the only thing you've ever known. I'm so sorry as I can't begin to imagine battling something from childhood into every phase of life. Others, it develops later in life. The place I'd like to use a microscope and zoom in on, is the word, "mourning."

Usually, when you hear that word, you think of, "loss." As if someone has lost a friend or a loved one. I'd challenge those, who don't have a chronic illness, to think outside of the box and ask themselves, "How could someone be in mourning who seems to have it all working, still enjoying events, woke up today, celebrated their birthday with friends, etc?" (Don't worry, I'll answer the question for you if you haven't caught on yet!)

We have to go through a sense of loss of our own lives. Reflecting a lot on memories, whether it's only childhood, maybe extends to teenage years or early adulthood, mourning can follow. I'm so sad this morning. I've cried many tears because there was a time where I lived. Now there's limitations, routines, questions, adjustment, adaptations, it's like handing out a brochure to every person I come across of, "Hey, by the way - use this for safety precautions."

I'd give anything to be that 16 year old girl, get up before the sun was up, drive to work, see one of my favorite students who was always the first one at morning daycare, and work an entire day. Go on late night drives either by myself or with my two beautiful friends singing songs we grew up to. Drive to get ice cream just because I wanted to.

I'm living now, but just in a different way. The way God has written. There is a part of my life that was lost though. It's a hard thing to navigate when it creeps into your mind. But here comes my favorite part...

"But God..." There it is. So, in this verse, yes. There will be a future I have where there will be no more tears, mourning, pain and how marvelous it will be. The good news of the gospel is so sweet, gentle, fragile. That's something you never lose sight of once you know it. He wants you to see it, hold onto it, don't lose grip and if you do, it's still always there waiting for you to come back home.