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An Index of My Writings on Loss, Grief, and Eternal Hope

An Index of My Writings on Loss, Grief, and Eternal Hope

Last updated on: May 6, 2024 at 8:56 am by Randy Alcorn

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An Index of My Writings on Loss, Grief, and Eternal Hope 2024-04-12T15:01:57-08:00 Randy Alcorn

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In the years since Nanci’s cancer diagnosis, and her subsequent homecoming in March 2022, grief has become my companion—a friend, and a necessary part of my growth. It is not an enemy; rather, it’s an instrument in the hand of the Master Artist, or the anvil on which the blacksmith crafts and hones his metalwork. Indeed, as painful as they are, these “light and momentary troubles are achieving in us an eternal weight of glory” (2 Corinthians 4:17).

The only way to avoid grief is to avoid love. The only way I could grieve Nanci less is to have loved her less. I’m so thankful to have had a relationship so great that the absence of it has left that great hole in my life. The hole doesn’t feel as big now, not just because of the passing of time, but because of healthy grieving and my certainty that our relationship hasn’t been terminated, just interrupted.

Writing about Nanci’s life, my grief, and our blood-bought hope in Christ has been therapeutic for me. I’ve often wished for a single page where what I’ve written is listed in one place, to share with those who ask questions and want to know Nanci’s story. Stephanie Anderson, part of our wonderful EPM staff, categorized our resources, so you can click on ones that especially interest you or that you’ve missed entirely. Even people who regularly read my blog don’t see them all, and those who do will have forgotten some that they might want to reread or send to a friend.

Trusting His Loving Purposes (message on Nanci, Suffering, and Heaven at California Baptist University)

Having Loved Ones in Heaven Makes Our Anticipation of Eternity Stronger Than Ever (video Q&A with fellow widower Steve Silver)

Remembering Nanci, Anticipating Heaven (interview on the Chris Fabry Show)

God’s Promise of the New Earth Gives Us Hope and Perspective in Loss (interview with Dr. Lee Warren)

An Eternal Perspective on Suffering, Loss, and Grief (message at my home church, Good Shepherd Community Church)

Real Grief, Real Hope (interview on Revive Our Hearts Podcast)

Walking Through Cancer with a Loved One (podcast episode for Joni and Friends)

No More Curse (message about the New Earth, given at my home church, Good Shepherd Community Church)

Articles about death, including Nanci‘s:

Dying Is but Going Home (written right after Nanci’s homecoming to Heaven)

Joining the Real Party in Heaven

We Are Not Dying Out; We Are Hastening on to a More Glorious Life

What Happens to Us When We Die?

Why We Don’t Need to Fear the Moment of Our Death

Articles written during Nanci’s years of suffering and facing her cancer, and after her death:

Discovering the Wonders of God in the Low Tides of Life

Delighting in God and Trusting in Him through Cancer

Sorrow’s End

Suffering Is No Accident

Freedom and Comfort in Truth

Honest Faith Can Cry out to God

God’s Providence in Joseph’s Story—and Ours

God’s Word Sustains Us When Life Is Hard

Finding Resurrection Hope, and How Suffering Can Drive Us Deeper into God’s Love

Articles about Heaven and the New Earth, and our loved ones who are already in Christ’s presence:

Our Best Life Yet to Come: The New Earth, Our Eternal Home

What’s the Difference Between the Present Heaven and the Future Heaven?

Biblical Hope Is a Solid Certainty

Meet the Resurrected You

What Are My Loved Ones Experiencing in the Present Heaven?

Can We or Should We Talk to Loved Ones in Heaven?

Can Our Loved Ones in Heaven See Us During Important Times in Our Lives?

Is It Right to Long for Reunion with Loved Ones Who Have Died?

Does Our Marriage to Christ in Heaven Mean Our Earthly Marriage Partners Won’t Be Important to Us?

Photo: Unsplash

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