In the movie Inside Out, when Riley’s family moves from Minnesota to San Francisco, Riley is miserable. The whole point of the movie is exploring her emotions—and ultimately she learns that her memories are rarely all positive or all negative. 

Adults understand that. The joy of a graduation is tinged with the sadness of goodbyes. The birth of a new baby brings sleep deprivation and worry. The deep love of close friendships means goodbyes cut deeply. The excitement of a wedding is tinged with sadness because Grandma isn’t there. 

You know what gets us through? (It’s pretty much a standard Sunday school answer, so it’s hard to get it wrong.) Jesus.

We know that one of Jesus’ promises is this: “In this world you will have trouble,” so no matter how great our happiest moments are in this world, sin and its effects always leave us yearning for more. Thankfully Jesus ended that statement with, “but take heart! I have overcome the world” (John 16:33).

That’s why we look forward to heaven. Because Jesus suffered the Father’s wrath for us, we are now called children of God. Because we are his kids, we now have a place where our Father “will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away” (Revelation 21:4). 

And then, finally, all will be well with our souls.