GENESIS 50:7-9 7 So Joseph went up to bury his father; and with him went up all the servants of Pharaoh, the elders of his house, and all the elders of the land of Egypt, 8 as well as all the house of Joseph, his brothers, and his father's house. Only their little ones, their flocks, and their herds they left in the land of Goshen. 9 And there went up with him both chariots & horsemen, and it was a very great gathering.

GENESIS 50:10-11 10 Then they came to the threshing floor of Atad, which is beyond the Jordan, and they mourned there with a great and very solemn lamentation. He observed seven days of mourning for his father. 11 And when the inhabitants of the land, the Canaanites, saw the mourning at the threshing floor of Atad, they said, "This is a deep mourning of the Egyptians." Therefore its name was called Abel Mizraim, which is beyond the Jordan.

DEALING WITH THE LOSS OF A PARENT

THE LOSS OF A PARENT I Am Not Unique Death spreads to all men (Romans 5:12) Many have lost: a spouse, a child, a grandparent, a close friend, a loved one. And many have lost a parent or parents. I stand with countless others that have lost a parent since the beginning of time.

THE LOSS OF A PARENT The Parent-Child Relationship Your parents are irreplaceable. The relationship upon which all others are based. You believe in your parents’ unconditional love. A parent’s death is an encounter with mortality.

THE LOSS OF A PARENT My World Turned Upside Down Thursday, August 20, 1992 Shock, Denial, and Disbelief Frozen in time; Refusal to accept such news. Questioning God... “Why?” (Job/David) “My God, my God why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from helping me, and from the words of my groaning?” (Psa. 22:1)

THE LOSS OF A PARENT Home Again & the Funeral Service Ecclesiastes 7:2-3 The living take it to heart, and the heart is made better for it (later). Shell-shocked and my mind still with a thick fog looming over it. Tried to remain strong for my mom; tried to appear strong before others.

THE LOSS OF A PARENT The Sunday After Psalm 116 I was glad when they said to me, “Let us go into the house of the Lord” (Psa. 122:1). Singing, praying, feeding upon the Word of God, remembering our Savior’s death. “…the members should have the same care for one another. And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it” (I Cor. 12:25-26).

THE LOSS OF A PARENT Don’t Forget the Others! My three sisters also lost a father. My mother lost her closest companion. Guard against a selfish grief. “Woe is me!” No, woe is everyone that has personally suffered such a loss! Romans 12:15 Philippians 2:4

THE LOSS OF A PARENT Be Thankful… If you were taught the Bible from childhood (2 Tim. 3:14-15; Eph. 6:4). To God for the time you did have to be with your mother/father (I Thess. 5:18). For the memories & experiences created. If your parents are still living, be sure to express gratitude (Eph. 6:2; I Tim. 5:4).

THE LOSS OF A PARENT Will There be a Reunion? A Sense of Longing for Dad Luke 9:28-36; 13:23-28; Matt. 22:23-33; I Thess. 4:13-18; John 11:25-26 After death, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and the prophets had not lost their identity. The family roles and relationships will have ended, but we will know one another.

THE LOSS OF A PARENT Will There be a Reunion? Do not sorrow as those who have no hope. Saints living will join the resurrected dead in the clouds with the Lord. Do you believe this (John 11:26)? “Therefore comfort one another with these words” (I Thess. 4:18). John 14:1-4