By Eric Kaschinske

“For all the saints, who from their labors rest, Who Thee, by faith, before the world confessed, Thy name, O Jesus, be forever blest. Alleluia! Alleluia!”

As we near the end of the church year, the 1st day of November celebrates All Saints’ Day. Sometimes, this day is misunderstood, and some may tend to elevate a deceased relative beyond what is appropriate for sinful, imperfect humans who have finished their earthly race.

For me, All Saints’ Day is one of the toughest days of the year. It’s very difficult to go through the emotional lows of missing loved ones (in my case, my mother) and yet still praise the Lord for His influence on my life, while I eagerly look forward to the day when we will join our loved ones in the mansions of heaven.

Without fail, those first few words of “For All the Saints” come out of my mouth full and bold. But by the time we’re even midway through the first verse, I can’t see the hymnal through the flood of tears, and I can’t compose myself to sing much of the rest of the hymn. My wife sits next to me in much the same state — overcome with emotion and unable to continue singing.

My thoughts at that time often go to my mother, June, who was such a humble servant of the Lord and joined Him in His heavenly mansions in 2012. Certainly, there are also others whose presence I miss on this earth, including grandparents, friends, and even former students. For my wife, those people she misses include both of her parents, as well as her grandmother, who was a guiding force in my wife’s faith walk.

Without a doubt, there is someone (and likely more than one individual) that you miss dearly. That individual might have died recently, or it may be years or even decades since they have been gone. This might be a spouse, a close friend, or even a child or grandchild. At times, it is incredibly hard to press on. As we sing in stanza 5 of “For All the Saints,” “… we feebly struggle, they in glory shine.” The days we have on this earth are often marked with struggles, and some of the greatest struggles can be the emotional loss of a loved one.

Yet, we, as Christians, don’t grieve as those who have no hope.

“But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep.” ~ I Thessalonians 4:13-14 (ESV)

We know that for us, as Christians, a loved one’s death is not the end, nor is it a time to be filled with hopelessness. What we often consider to be a “Goodbye” is really a “See You Later!” as the Lord, in His infinite wisdom has chosen to call that loved one home first. We are comforted by the promises of His Word, promises that are trustworthy and true. In Revelation 7, we get a glimpse of what this glorious gathering of all the saints will look and sound like. What a reunion!

“But, lo, there breaks a yet more glorious day: The saints triumphant rise in bright array; The King of Glory passes on His way. Alleluia! Alleluia!”

Eric Kaschinske is the host of the weekly “Worship Anew” program. He also serves as a teacher at Concordia Lutheran High School in Fort Wayne, Ind.