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What Does It Mean to Experience Deep Loss?

I know so many who are suffering in grief for lost loved ones. I’ve experienced loss as well, learning at the age of 10 what it meant to lose someone when my baby half-brother passed away from a heart defect he’d had since birth. Even though I was young, I had often babysat him. I knew how to comfort him, how to protect the back of his head, how to warm up his milk, and how to give him his medicine at the right times. I sang songs to him and played with him and loved him deeply.

When my step-mom called our house that day, I answered the phone. She could not think to ask for an adult, and said in all her brokenness, “Misty, Steven is dead.” I’ll never forget those words or the sound of her voice. That was my first introduction to painful loss through death, but it was not the last.

What Is the Relationship Between Love and Grief?

Where love had once filled my heart, grief overtook that space. This is why I believe that the opposite of love is not hate—it is grief. Where love fills, grief leaves empty. Where love consoles, grief torments. Where love heals, grief leaves brokenness. The opposite of love is grief, and no amount of time seems to remove that hurt. I can still think back on those moments of loss, and it will hit me with the same force as if it just happened yesterday.

Why? If time is meant to heal all things, why does grief feel like the exception?

Because love… is the opposite… of grief.

How Does God’s Eternal Love Provide Healing?

Love is the most divine manifestation of God himself, and God is eternal. In that way, love is also timeless. Love is the only force that defies every known law of physics. It is able to expand and endure across all time and distance without being lost or diminished.

When we love, we see the reflection of God in this world. We get a blessed but diluted, earthly glimpse of the awesome, infinite power of God’s love. We hold it for a time, but when it is taken away, we are left with the memory of that power, and we feel to the depths of our soul the gaping hole that remains. There is a never-ending longing in our hearts, crying out to God for the connection we had with Him that has been removed through the loss of that person. The depth of our sorrow is the exact depth of our love—and so it is beautiful. That we feel the loss so deeply means that we loved that intensely.

How Can I Invite God’s Healing Light Into My Heart?

There is no earthly consolation for such a loss. Many stay trapped in this place for the rest of their lives, wishing they could have that love back again. Truly friends, the only power strong enough to heal that hurt is God himself. In moments of grief, we should pray that God comes to place His own light into that empty space. We should recognize that the reflection we saw in others was a beautiful insight into what will be, and God has the ability to fulfill our hearts beyond our wildest understanding if we will only let Him.

Many will rebel at this idea because it feels like a betrayal to the person they loved. They may think that somehow they will forget their loved one if they let God move into that space in their heart. I believe that there is no better way to honor the ones we’ve lost. We were blessed for a time to hold God’s hand, look into His eyes, laugh with Him, travel the Earth with Him, confide in Him, and learn from Him—through the lives of those we’ve loved. You cannot forget those things. The person you loved is not lost in this process of transformation—they are glorified. They are lifted up to the powerful and proper role in your life that they were meant to fulfill… to show you the face of God!

How Can I Find Hope and Peace Amid Grief?

Someday, we will know and experience God’s eternal realm of love without loss, where grief is no longer the price for having loved.

I pray for everyone who struggles with grief. I pray that you will recognize the power of God that was present in that relationship. I pray that you can find peace in knowing that God was there, revealed to you through their lives, and that God is still there, alive in yours.

“And now, dear brothers and sisters, we want you to know what will happen to the believers who have died so you will not grieve like people who have no hope.”
1 Thessalonians 4:13 New Living Translation

M Surine

Check Engine Light – A Spiritual Warning

Last week, Annette and I were traveling out of town to a doctor’s appointment for our youngest daughter. Halfway through the trip, our two-and-a-half-year-old trusted Jeep made a dinging noise out of the blue. As I looked around trying to figure out what it was, I saw it—the dreaded check engine light! That small orange symbol of a motor on the console.

An Unexpected Warning Sign

I immediately began searching for signs of what might be wrong, making sure it was safe to continue driving. Everything seemed fine, and I didn’t notice any changes in how the Jeep handled or ran. So, we continued our journey and arrived safely at our destination and back home. Thank God! We even drove it the entire week without issues.

However, something unexpected happened. One of our favorite features—the remote start and cold weather package—stopped working! In the middle of winter, this became a major inconvenience. Keep in mind, our Jeep is fairly new, with low mileage (under 30k). We shouldn’t be experiencing problems already, right?

What Happens When We Ignore the Warning?

This experience reminded me of our daily lives and our relationship with Jesus. Especially when we’re new to faith and church life—everything feels fresh, reliable, and exciting. Then, suddenly, the check engine light comes on.

We look around and think, Everything seems okay. I don’t feel any different. What’s going on, Jesus? But He is gently reminding us, Yes, you can keep going, but there are things we need to work on and repair.

Often, we ignore these spiritual warning signs because they don’t seem urgent. Maybe certain conveniences in our faith walk stop working—prayer feels dull, joy fades, or our connection with others weakens. We manage, work around it, and press on. But if we continue ignoring the issue, we might find ourselves completely broken down—stranded and unable to move forward in our faith.

Jesus—Our Lifetime Warranty

This week, I finally scheduled a service appointment for our Jeep. Thankfully, it’s still under warranty, so it shouldn’t cost me anything—just a little time.

The good news is, we too are under warranty! Jesus is our lifetime warranty, and it never expires! The key is to pay attention to the warning signs and address them before they escalate. And just like we need experienced mechanics with the right tools, we need wise counsel—mentors, pastors, and fellow believers—to help us get back on track.

God never intended for us to struggle alone. He calls us to trust Him when the warning light appears. As Jesus said in Matthew 11:30, “For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

So, let’s deal with the check engine light today and get back to enjoying the full blessing of our spiritual “remote start.”

😎 Stay blessed and in Him always,
Pastor Rich

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Celebrate God’s Faithfulness: Open Arms 2024 Wrapped

As we look back on 2024, we can’t help but be in awe of what God has done through Open Arms Community Church. From local outreach initiatives to life-changing baptisms, God has been at work in incredible ways, and we want to celebrate those moments with YOU!

Our 2024 Wrapped highlights the many ways God used our church family to make an impact. Whether it was reaching our community through the shoe outreach, supporting international missions, or providing essential resources to those in need, it’s been a year full of heart and action.

In 2024, we saw 23 salvations and 33 baptisms, and together, we raised over $5,000 for Angels of East Africa. God’s love flowed through us in ways that only He could orchestrate, and we’re so thankful for everyone who answered the call to serve and give.

But this doesn’t even cover it all! The stories we can’t track—people helping one another, prayers answered in quiet moments, and the countless acts of love that make up the fabric of our church—are just as important and meaningful. We don’t need the credit. All glory goes to God, who works in and through us.

So, let’s celebrate what Jesus has done this year! Check out our 2024 Wrapped and rejoice with us. Whether you’ve been part of a small group, volunteered at an event, or given to support our mission, you’re part of something bigger than yourself.

Together, we’ve made 2024 unforgettable. Here’s to even more of God’s work in 2025!

👉 Explore Our 2024 Wrapped