I believe God cries with those who suffer and grieve. Jesus wept, (John 11:35), when he was with the people who loved their friend Lazarus who they believed was dead. Jesus wasn't weeping in grief for Lazarus, right? He had already told his followers earlier that Lazarus would be raised. He was weeping with those who were grieving. When Lazarus was raised, the tears were dried and those around Jesus were more faith-filled.
My brother died of cancer this year. Lung-cancer. No, he wasn't a smoker, never worked in a coal mine or construction with asbestos. He just died of lung cancer for no apparent reason except that we all have to die from something.
Tim had huge faith that he professed, preached and found peace in as he was dying. He wrote a book before he passed, "Lessons from the Back Pew." It is a testimony to his belief in God, Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit. He gave three sermons to his church just four days before he died. You can see his testimony on YouTube, "Lessons from the Back Pew," if you want to see someone who has as Paul says, finished the race well. He left us faith-filled and weeping.
Cancer is awful. I do not know a human being who has not been touched by cancer within their network of family and friends. The people who die from it usually do not go quickly or painlessly. Some people make it through treatments and go into remission. Prayers answered! Many do not, like Tim. What's that mean, prayers ignored?
What solace is there for the pain and suffering of the people we love? Without the love of God and a belief in the gift of salvation through the Cross, I don't know if there is much comfort. God grieves with me in my pain even though he knows the end of the story for His children. He has created for us a paradise in heaven. But He suffers because I suffer, that helps me. I know that God is not sitting by with a wise expression and peering down at us ignorant humans, pitying our lack of understanding of eternity as compared to this brief period of physical existence. He is in pain because I am in pain. He loves me.
We will be together for eternity, God, Jesus, the Holy Spirit, Tim and me and all of Christ's followers. That is the Good News and in believing it I know how the story ends. Only the living grieve, but I'm glad that God grieves for me as I live with my grief for Tim.