Family and friends gathered at California’s Harvest Riverside in Arlington Avenue on Wednesday for a memorial service for the late Pastor Jarrid Wilson. The venue brimmed with love and support as everyone close to the pastor shared their messages of hope and gratitude.
Pastor Greg Laurie, Jarrid’s colleagues and friend, his wife Juli, and his brother Christian were among those who shared powerful messages of hope and about God’s purpose for our lives. Christian reminded everyone about our borrowed life here on Earth and to always give thanks to God for giving us life.
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“The breath in our lungs is a gift, even though it may not seem like it always is. The breath in our lungs is a gift from God. Sometimes this gift feels like a burden and I understand that better than most. But God has given us the gift of life and the gift of his own breath,” Christian said.
“God is closer to us than the very breath that is in our lungs and that will not change because of our own circumstances. That will not change because we are frustrated. That will not change because we are confused, that will not change because we are angry or upset with God,” he continued.
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Christian reminded everyone at Jarrid’s memorial service that God is always there for us in every trial and every hardship that comes to our lives. He never abandons us and he echoed this sentiment in his Instagram post.
“Even when we don’t see Him, He is there. The more heartbroken and dispirited I feel, the more I’ve been able to notice how near God is. There is hope amidst our hopelessness, and His name is Jesus,” he wrote.
Christian said that he will never stop missing his brother and will always remember him as his inspiration and the light in his life. He also promised to continue Jarrid’s mission of helping people struggling through mental health problems through his organization Anthem of Hope.
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Meanwhile, Jarrid’s wife Juli took to her Instagram to show her appreciation and gratitude at the overflowing love and support that she and her two boys have received in the wake of her husband’s death. Despite her grief, Juli remains positive and hopeful that God has better plans in store for them.