To this I hold, my Shepherd will defend me
Through the deepest valley He will lead
Oh the night has been won, and I shall overcome
Yet not I, but through Christ in me.
(CityAlight)
Everyone who gathered in McHenry, Maryland, for CMC’s annual conference resembled a big family coming together for a reunion. A team uniting together after a huge loss. A community relying on the Lord in the midst of devastating heartbreak.
For those of you who don’t know, Ericka Byler, director of enrollment services at Rosedale Bible College, passed away unexpectedly during RBC’s Choral Camp, the week before Multiply 2022. She was an inspiring young woman who served God with her life, and many people were greatly impacted by her time on earth.
I met Ericka once, not long before she passed from this life to the next. She was someone I was very excited to form a friendship with, someone I felt drawn to from just one conversation. I can’t pretend to relate to the devastation that her family, friends, and co-workers are experiencing. I didn’t know her like they did. I can’t tell you how hard it is to lose your daughter, sister, or best friend.
But I can tell you about the strength and peace I witnessed from those who were grieving the loss of Ericka.
“Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope.”
(1 Thes. 4:13 NIV)
We can all agree that death is hard. Really hard. We weren’t created to experience death. Losing someone is heart-wrenching and painful.
Both of my grandfathers passed away last year—my dad’s father on October 6, and my mom’s father on November 14. Two major deaths in our family in just over a month. One of them was a sudden and unexpected death. The other was a slow, gradual dying.
Even though their deaths were different in many ways, the result was the same. I no longer had a grandfather. My parent no longer had a father. My grandmother no longer had a husband. Death is difficult. And for the rest of our time on earth, it will be difficult. It’s important to acknowledge that. But we can’t stop there.
I know that my grandfathers, along with Ericka, are experiencing the greatest peace and joy, rejoicing with the One they love. And while we grieve and wish their time with us had been extended, God knew when their earthly lives would end. Death came as no surprise to him.
David says that “all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be” (Psalm 139:16). We must trust the loving Father’s plan for his children, even those he calls home before “their time.” It was always their time to depart, and they are much better off than they were on earth. We grieve, yes. Absolutely. That’s healthy, expected, and needed. But we don’t grieve like those who have no hope. We must keep our eyes on Jesus and his triumph over death!
And that is exactly what happened at Multiply 2022. We sang a song called “Yet Not I But Through Christ in Me,” * which is all about relying on Christ’s strength rather than our own. What an appropriate song to sing in the midst of deep sadness. It’s incredibly difficult to praise the Lord during hardships in our lives, but that is where our strength and peace comes from.
“The Lord gives strength to his people; the Lord blesses his people with peace.”
(Psalm 29:11)
This verse was my prayer during our time in Maryland. When I returned to Plain City and had my Monday morning cup of tea, I realized that Psalm 29:11 was imprinted on the mug, given to me months ago. The meaning is deeper for me now. Each day, I want to rely on the Lord for his strength and his peace, not my own.
God sees. He hears. And he wants to bless us with the strength and peace to continue in the work he has for us.
View photos from Multiply 2022
* “Yet Not I But Through Christ in Me” words and music by Jonny Robinson, Michael Farren, and Rich Thompson
© 2018 CityAlight Music (Admin. by Integrity Music)
CCLI License # 11508057
