Grief is a complex emotion for anyone to tackle. It can be incredibly challenging if you’re dealing with the loss of a child. Christian singer TobyMac recently opened up about the loss of his 21-year-old son, Truett Foster McKeehan, his feelings on eternity, and his journey to seek God through his struggles. In a video published by JOYFM, TobyMac said that before his son’s death, he never thought too much about eternity and all that it entailed. He said, “I spoke about eternity before, but I never really thought deeply about it because I didn’t need to.” TobyMac says he never thought about eternity because he always trusted and walked with God.

However, the loss of his son forced him to start thinking more profoundly about eternity and the next life, imagining what eternity is like and picturing his lost loved ones who are there. Despite the pain and suffering TobyMac and his family endured since Truett died in 2019 from an accidental drug overdose, he says he’s been lifted by the messages from fans worldwide. TobyMac also revealed that his son’s death was the first time he truly experienced grief and pain. He said, “The truth is, I didn’t know grief. I just felt like everything was beautiful and perfect until the last few years.” He shared how everything changed when he lost Truett, and he met grief most fiercely.

He discussed how his sorrow comes in waves and can hit especially hard some days. Unfortunately, it’s not a loss that will disappear overnight, but TobyMac knows that the pain isn’t permanent. According to TobyMac, he doesn’t know if he’ll ever laugh sincerely or smile as big, but he will laugh and smile. He also shared some of the advice he’s received that reminded him of God’s faithfulness and the promise He has given that He’ll always be with us no matter what we go through.

TobyMac says he held on to God’s promise of being right in our struggles with us. He said, “God doesn’t always take away the cold. He promises that He’ll be right there in it with us. That’s what I held on to. And I found Him there, or He found me there.” TobyMac also shared that he didn’t know God stayed close in these times, but he’s learned that He does. Dealing with the loss of a loved one is challenging, especially when it’s your child.

We may never understand why God chooses to take people while they’re young. Truett was only 21-years-old with so much more life to live. However, God decided to call him home to rest in the arms of the angels. In these times of loss, it’s easy to question God or blame Him for your grief and sorrow. However, TobyMac decided to accept God’s decision and cling to Him when he needed Him the most. Although he never felt grief prior, TobyMac allowed God into his heart to show him that dealing with a significant loss can be challenging, but all you have to do is trust in God, and He’ll take care of the rest.