In looking over the past three weeks of musings, poems, and reflections, I have learned several things:
I continue to be--in the words of my friend Mike Tant--a blessed but ever grieving father. But I also know the grief moves towards joy and reunion. One day I will embrace Jordan again and we'll never have to say goodbye.
I remember that I am surrounded by good friends--both here in St. Louis and elsewhere--who are a great source of encouragement.
I find peace in the grounding in faith I received from my parents. It could seem like basic wiring some of the time when I was younger, but the roots have gone deep enough that they held on when times were bleakest.
I am overjoyed that God has blessed me with a loving wife and delightful children who are a great fountain of my present happiness.
And I am comforted that God not only understands pain. He experienced more of it than all of us put together. Without the Cross, none of this has a prayer of making sense.
Like I said in chapel this past Wednesday, God knows what it's like to lose a son.
Comfort is real. Peace is lasting.
In this, there is no doubt.
I am comforted. I am at peace.
1 comment:
Luke, I may have told you this before (my Oldtimers is kicking in with greater frequency) but after Andy died, I would see friends at a distance, like at the other end of a grocery aisle, and they would turn and walk in the opposite direction. When I was able to talk to some of them later, I heard two basic explanations. First was "I just didn't know what to say." They were thinking that if they said the wrong think it would make my pain greater. I assured them there was no "greater" for this pain. Second, they were afraid that if we talked I would breakdown in their presence and they would no know how to handle it. It was then that I was able to talk about the peace "which passes all understanding." I know this is the peace you are talking about and so many of our fellow Christians cannot imagine it truly exists. Thanks for all these posts and we look forward to meeting Jordan in heaven. Mike
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