The Lord is Near: A Tribute to My Mother

by M.L. Smith

“The Lord is near to the broken-hearted and saves the crushed in spirit.” – Psalm 34:18

Grief is a road no one chooses, yet in this fallen world, it is a path we must all tread. There are no words that can fully capture the sorrow of losing someone we love—no explanations that can make death seem natural or right. It wasn’t meant to be this way. Death is the great intruder, a bitter consequence of sin’s curse. And yet, even in the depths of sorrow, the Lord gives us this promise: He is near.

My mother, Dixie, knew what it meant to suffer. For a year, she battled cancer, fighting through pain and weariness with a strength that could only come from the Lord. And when that battle ended, when her earthly journey was done, she was not abandoned to the grave. Christ, who is near to the broken-hearted, was nearer still to her—welcoming her into the joy of His eternal embrace, where death has no power and suffering is no more.

The Nearness of God in Sorrow

In grief, the world often feels empty. The absence of loved ones weighs heavily, leaving our days feeling hollow and incomplete without their presence. And yet, Scripture tells us that in these moments of deep sorrow, God draws near. He does not stand at a distance, waiting for us to be strong enough to move on with our life. He comes to us, holds us in our brokenness, and carries us when we cannot stand.

My mother’s earthly battle is over, but her life in Christ is not. She rests in the arms of her Saviour, where there is no pain, no fear, and no sorrow. And though we grieve, though the ache of her absence remains, we trust in the promise that we, too, will be gathered into the presence of our gracious and loving Lord.

Christ Himself is no stranger to grief. He stood at the grave of His friend Lazarus and wept (John 11:35). He bore the weight of our sin and sorrow upon the cross, suffering in agony before giving up His life. But in His suffering, He accomplished our salvation. He took on death itself so that death would not have the final word over us. Because He lives, so too do all who die in Him (John 11:25-26). This is the comfort that sustains us.  Because of our Lord’s victory over sin and death, my mother is alive in Christ, waiting for the day of the bodily resurrection when He will raise her up in glory.

A Grief Shaped by Hope

Grief is not a sign of weak faith; it is the natural response to love and loss. But for those in Christ, grief is always shaped by hope. We do not mourn as those who have no future, no promise, no Saviour (1 Thessalonians 4:13). We mourn with the certainty that our loved ones in the faith are with the Lord, and that we will see them again.

This hope does not erase the pain, nor does it mean we must suppress our sorrow. Instead, it means we grieve as those who trust in God’s promises. We bring our tears before Jesus, knowing that He hears us. We confess our sorrow to Him, knowing that He cares. And we find our rest in Him, knowing that His love is stronger than death.

The Lord Who Saves the Crushed in Spirit

“The Lord is near to the broken-hearted and saves the crushed in spirit.” This is not only a promise for eternity—it is a promise for today. The same God who saved Dixie and called her home is the God who holds closely those left behind. He strengthens us when grief overwhelms us, comforts us when memories bring tears, and reminds us that this separation is only temporary.

In the Lord’s life-giving Word, in His Church, and in the Sacrament of His Body and Blood, we find the peace that the world cannot give (John 14:27). Here, Christ Himself comes to us, feeding us, forgiving us, and sustaining us until the day when He calls us home. Here, we stand with all the saints—those on earth and those in heaven—united in the one true faith, awaiting the final resurrection.

Until We Meet Again

My mother’s earthly battle is over, but her life in Christ is not. She rests in the arms of her Saviour, where there is no pain, no fear, and no sorrow. And though we grieve, though the ache of her absence remains, we trust in the promise that we, too, will be gathered into the presence of our gracious and loving Lord.

Until that day, we cling to the truth of Psalm 34:18: The Lord is near. He is near to us in our grief, near in our tears, and near in His steadfast love. He is near to us now, just as He was near to Dixie in life and in death. And He will never let us go.

Praise be to God! Amen.

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Rev. M.L. Smith is Director of International Missions of Lutheran Church–Canada (LCC).

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