Speech | Honoring Travis Budinsky - The Good in Grief "Get up, I'll see you when you get here."
72https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-for-travis-budinskys-family
Full service - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B62h_-YJdEE&t=1356s
In this life, falling is a guarantee. It is inevitable. It's how we grow. Therefore, when you fall—fall on your back. That way you can look up. And if you can look up, THEN YOU CAN GET UP. Pain is not easy. We don’t want to go through pain. We need to understand that at the end of pain is growth. At the end of pain is victory. At the end of pain is a person stronger than before. Nobody accomplished their true mission in this life without going through pain, suffering, and living in a time of intense darkness.
The darkest nights are followed by the brightest mornings. My brother, my best friend, the one who opened my eyes to the truth so many years ago, Travis Budinsky wants me to shine my light brighter than ever before. And that is what I am going to do.
During these intense days and nights of grief, I could hear my brother saying "get up brother, the best is yet to come. I’ll see you when you get here. Now accomplish your life mission on this earth".
I’ve asked myself: what does my brother want for me? How does he want me to live? Who does he want me to become? Travis wants me to be happy. He wants me to smile, to love, to follow Jesus Christ, to take care of our family, to help others through pain and suffering, and to continue strong in my ministry.
In honor of my brother and knowing that I will one day see him again, which is a day I am so incredibly excited for, I am choosing to get up and live life the way my amazing brother wants me to live. I truly believe many of you also know that this is how Travis would answer these same questions if you asked them.
Death for a Christian is simply moving from one place to another. Travis knew this. He was incredibly faithful in this life. He did not fear death. He knew the hope that was in Christ. He took, like we all should, God's promises very seriously. I want to look at 1 Thessalonians 4—specifically verses 13 and 14:
13 But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep (asleep referring to those who have died), that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.
14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.
The apostle Paul is encouraging those in Christ that they WILL SEE their loved ones again. This is our hope. And this is not a hope as in “o, I hope my favorite football team wins today.” Or "I hope my coffee tastes good this morning". No. this is a GUARANTEE. WE WILL be reunited with our loved ones. There is no question about it. God's promises are true. And we can be confident in that.
Notice Paul did not say to NOT sorrow or grieve. He simply said to not grieve like those with no hope. We don’t grieve like those with no hope. But we do grieve. And its ok to not be ok.
When Jesus went to be with Mary and Martha after the death of their brother Lazarus, Jesus Wept. Let me repeat that—Jesus Christ—God manifest in the flesh—wept. He grieved. And yet Jesus was just about to resurrect Lazarus—which He did. What an amazing miracle.
Allow me to reiterate: its ok to not be ok. Its just not ok to stay that way. Travis does not want us to stay that way. He is victorious. He is victorious through the victory of Jesus Christ (which makes victory possible!). And he wants us to be victorious too.
We may be in our darkest moment, but I can tell you again what Travis would say “GET UP—the best is yet to come.”
Journeying Through Grief - "Get up, the best is yet to come." - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pA31tRMMOWI&t=2s