The Hits Just Keep On Coming
"The hits just keep on coming!"
Lt. Daniel Kaffee said that line in A Few Good Men. He was fighting for his case, and every turn brought another setback. On screen, that tension makes for a great movie. In real life, it just makes for a long day.
Pastors carry the greatest message in the world. We're bearers of "Good News" — God loved the world so much He sent Jesus to die for our sins. There's nothing like watching someone accept Christ and start a relationship with God.
But life is a collision of good and bad moments.
Sometimes the call, text, or email is good news. A marriage proposal. A new baby. A promotion. A restored relationship. A passing grade. Even a new puppy. Those moments are worth stopping to celebrate.
Other times, the news is hard. Loss. Fear. Death. Rarely do they come with easy answers.
Loss shows up everywhere — a life, a relationship, a job, something you loved. Job 1:21 says, "Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked shall I return. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord." Read on its own, that can sound stoic. Almost mechanical. But loss isn't mechanical — it's full of emotion, feeling, and shattered expectations. Walking with someone through it means validating what they feel while still building tangible steps toward healing.
Fear is a big one. Here's the truth: if you can say "What if..." in faith, you can say it in fear. Faith moves you toward a God who loves you. Fear moves you toward your own limits and a sense of hopelessness. Left unchecked, fear lets something that hasn't even happened start directing your life. That's a hard fight to win alone. When I walk with someone in fear, I point them back to God's character and His word — both are certain, both are freeing. When they see God's love for them in the middle of the situation, fear starts turning into faith. 1 John 4:18 says, "There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love."
Death has been part of the story since creation. We're all born knowing we'll die one day. I've pastored families through the death of a stillborn child, a baby ten days old, all the way up to a man who lived to 91. The anguish is real every time. Knowing you'll never see that person again, never have another conversation — that's hard to accept.
Here's the part I say carefully, so stay with me: there is a positive side to death. They are home with God. 2 Corinthians 5:8 says, "We are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord."
I was in the room once when a family chose to turn off the machine keeping their loved one alive, and they asked me to be there. When everything switched off — the breathing stopped, the alarms went quiet — an unexplainable peace settled over that room. We all knew this person had accepted Jesus and lived a life that honored it. We knew they were free from pain, suffering, and every restraint. Do we still miss them? Every day. But I have peace knowing exactly where they are.
Pastors are bearers of news — the good and the hard. We empower people to face both by showing up, by offering wisdom, understanding, and courage. We show God's love in a tangible way when we truly see someone in their journey — and we help them take the next practical step from where they are to where they need to be.
The hits just keep on coming. So does He…Me too.
