A Day of Celebration – A Day of Tragedy – Days of Healing
The Lord is close to the brokenhearted, and saves those who are crushed in spirit. – Psalm 34:18
Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. – Matthew 5:4
As was often the case, my neighbors were traveling for the Christmas holidays and asked me to watch the house and take care of their parrot. I was happy to oblige as this was going to be a special trip for them. Two days after Christmas, their 34 year old son was going to be married in Texas. It would be a small, family affair to be followed by a grand reception in Michigan in the summer. The day of the wedding I texted good wishes to the family and received a couple pictures of the bride and of the family posed on the courthouse steps. This wedding was a day of great celebration as it was most welcome for their bachelor son.
The day after the wedding the family went out for a lovely dinner and then the unthinkable happened. Their car was involved in a tragic crash that instantly killed the mother and her son. The bride and father were alive and hospitalized. The driver of the vehicle that struck them had run a stop sign. The shock of the news and the uncertainty that lay ahead was hard to process. We were so grateful to hear the bride was able to recover but our hearts sank again when the father also succumbed to his injuries. Now we had a bride without her husband, a set of parents that were gone, a lone family member still living and grieving family and friends.
I went from shock and believing my beloved neighbors could not really be gone to asking how God could let this happen. Then came all the comforting actions of my friends and neighbors. People cried with me, they brought over food, they hugged me, they shared their reactions, they mourned with me and they shared their faith, they sat with me, they sent cards. I came to realize all these actions were the gift of a God who mourns with us when life happens because he allows free will to happen. God has given me comfort and strength to get through these days that initially paralyzed me with grief. He has also allowed me to offer my help and comfort to the family. As the days go on, my tears are not as intense, hope returns, and I have wonderful memories of my dear friends that make me laugh again. I also rest in the assurance that they have been welcomed into God’s everlasting arms because they also were persons of faith. Then I sorrow for a young man whose careless actions caused this tragedy.
My love and appreciation for family and friends have grown more intense as I realize that tomorrow is promised to no one. Let people know you love them and heal those family rifts that may separate you from loved ones. God has promised is that he will be with us through this journey of grief and sorrow because he has promised us eternal life.
Prayer: Heavenly Father, may we see your love and comfort in the faces of those who mourn with us. May we rest assured that our loved ones are in your welcoming arms. Amen
Pat Deck
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