But let me reveal to you a wonderful secret. We will not all die, but we will all be transformed! It will happen in a moment, in the blink of an eye, when the last trumpet is blown. For when the trumpet sounds, those who have died will be raised to live forever. And we who are living will also be transformed. (1 Corinthians 15:51-52)

On November 1 we celebrate All Saint’s Day. In Mexico, they celebrate Dia de los Muertos. This multi-day holiday involves family and friends gathering to pay respects and remember friends and family members who have died. Traditions of the holiday include honoring the deceased using sugar skulls and marigold flowers, building home altars called ofrendas with the favorite foods and beverages of the departed, and visiting graves with these items as gifts for the deceased.

I remember being a bit horrified by the decorated skulls and the festive way they remembered their dearly departed when I first heard about this holiday. They seemed way too comfortable with death. But I have come to see that as Christians, death is not a period but a comma. It is a temporary separation that will be overshadowed by the immense joy we will feel when we are reunited in heaven. And at the final resurrection we will all receive glorified bodies that will never die! That is certainly something to celebrate.

Additionally, we know that the ‘veil’ that separates this world from the next is very thin. Our faithful loved ones surround us and root for us as we complete our Christian walk. As Hebrews 12:1-2 says, “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith…” In that case, it makes sense to acknowledge those witnesses at least annually.

My father would have been 93 this year. His birthday was one week before All Saints’ Day, and so at this time of year I find myself thinking of him and wondering. I can’t say for sure that he’s in Heaven. I don’t know if he’s surrounding me in that cloud. It is very possible that he is. But the bottom line is that I don’t know for sure. I know this is a pain that many of us share. It’s a pain that motivated me to do everything I could to introduce my mom to Jesus. It’s a pain that motivates me to pray continually for the souls of family members and friends and to be bolder in speaking about my faith with anyone and everyone. I encourage you to join me in that.

But I also encourage you to remember and celebrate the lives of those who have gone on before us. Share stories with the younger generations, remember the things that made them unique. Pull out the photo albums. Maybe even have a little feast of their favorite foods. After all, we’ll all be reunited again soon, in the blink of an eye. Then we’ll have eternity to thank them for their steadfast faith, finish all the conversations left unspoken, and rest together in the all-surrounding, overwhelming, infinite love of God Almighty, Jesus and the Holy Spirit. What a fiesta that will be!

Remembering,

Jen