Death Surrounds Me…

This past year has been heavy. Too much loss. My Joe, my beloved sister, two of my surrogate fathers—gone. All within eight months.

Grief is a strange thing. It sneaks up on you in the quiet moments. A song, a scent, a familiar phrase can break you apart in an instant. And yet, here I am. Still standing. Friends and family check in on me, worried about how I’m holding up. Yes, I waver. Yes, the weight of it all sometimes feels unbearable.

But I always pull through.

Because I know Jesus. My Changeless Friend.

The Message in the Music

In 1997, Puff Daddy (now known as Diddy) released I’ll Be Missing You, a tribute to his friend, The Notorious B.I.G. It became an anthem of grief, longing, and remembrance. The song speaks to the pain of losing someone dear and the hope that we will see them again.

“I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die.” — John 11:25

Saint John—yes, the Saint John of the Bible—spoke the same truth long before. John 11:25 is a promise, not just words of comfort. Jesus told Martha that her brother, Lazarus, would rise again, just as we who believe will one day be reunited with those we’ve lost.

It’s that promise that keeps me going. The certainty that death isn’t the end.

Grieving with Hope

I still cry. I still miss them. Some days are harder than others. But I don’t grieve without hope.

If you’ve lost someone, know this: your pain is real. Your tears matter. But so does the promise of Christ. In Him, death doesn’t get the last word.

So, I keep listening. I keep remembering. And I keep believing.

“I’ll Be Missing You” will always make me cry, but it also reminds me that I will see them again.

🎵 Take a listen: I’ll Be Missing You