“If you abide in Me and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it shall be done for you.” John 15:7, TLV

As I write today’s blog this morning, I’m sharing in the grief of close friends who lost a dear friend and associate. My friend, his family, the congregation he leads, and the family of this dear woman who left this world yesterday, they all prayed. For months. So, reading this verse today might leave us confused. Because they truly abided.

“I am the true vine, and My Father is the gardener.” John 15:1, TLV

It still boils down to this: Our Father is the gardener. When Yeshua taught us how to pray, it began with praise to His Father, then:

‘Our Father in heaven,
    sanctified be Your name.
Your kingdom come,
    Your will be done
    on earth as it is in heaven …” Matthew 6:9-10, TLV [Emphasis Mine]

So, as the tears flow at the loss of this precious sister in Messiah, we know without a doubt, the Father’s will was to take her home. Our sorrow is but for a season until we see her again — and there will be sorrow. We remember dear Robin and honor her memory by continuing in the faith and rejoicing in our wise Father.

If you have lost a loved one, may the Father comfort you. “And the shalom of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Messiah Yeshua.” (Philippians 4:7)