“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid” (John 14:27, NIV).

I attended a graveside service today, going to offer comfort and, instead, being blessed. A young man who gave his heart to the Lord years ago died in his 20s from a drug overdose. I was close to the family. I greeted the father and offered my empathy.  He had moisture in his eyes and told me, “I know he is at peace now, and I’m at peace. I loved him deeply. This is hard, but I am at peace. Two years ago, when he was in trouble, I gave him up to Jesus—nothing else I could do. He was doing well and then, this. The first 24 hours after he died were almost unbearable, but then the Lord spoke to me, ‘You gave him to me two years ago. I’ve got him.’”

There are all kinds of peace when we endure great struggles.

There is the peace of victory when a struggle has finally been overcome.

There is the peace of absence non-believers experience when their death takes away the demon that was chasing them, along with everything else their lives had cherished.

And then, there is the peace of presence, a peace this family taught me, a peace this deceased young man is experiencing. Our Lord was clearly present with his family who had lost so much. This young man is present at the feet of His Lord. He is present in the joy of memories that will one day outweigh the sadness of loss. He is present in the lives he influenced for good on this side of glory. And he will be present when his family greets him again, when “…the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever” (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17, NIV).

This peace of presence was real for this young man. It was spoken clearly by his family at that gravesite. I heard it and was blessed.

Dear God,

Thank you for the only peace that matters when this life is done, and the peace that passes understanding on this side of glory (Philippians 4:7).

Amen