Giving up

And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. 
Revelations 21:4

Of all the things I give up as a christian, these are the things I look forward to giving up the most. Death, sorrow and pain. I give up worrying about my own death, sure, but I also give up worrying about the deaths of those close to me. Sorrow usually comes from being separated from those I love and in eternity, the ones I love are only a thought away. 

I read a story once about a man who died and noticed something felt different. He still felt like himself, but he felt changed in some way. As he wondered what it could be, he realized that all the pains and aches and heaviness of heart were gone!

 Life takes a toll on us and so many things that we learn to live with will vanish and I imagine the relief will be amazing. So, when you think of all the things you give up in this life to grow closer to God, remember all the things you will give up in the next life when you grow closer to God.

At some point, for everyone, this will all become "former things".
Passed away.