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March 21,
2014
Dear Friends,
In a recent conversation, a wise person of our church said that for him, worship was really about being grateful.
I liked that description, and yet realized that sometimes I struggle to find that gratefulness. This week has been one of those times.
We got back from holidays a week ago to the news that the wonderful pre-teen daughter of good friends had within the previous week been diagnosed with cancer and died. There is no sense to be made of it, no way to justify the giant hole left in this close family, and the deep loss for all the classmates, teammates, friends, and relatives left behind. A young girl on the verge of womanhood, a proud farm girl, a bright student, an active participator in soccer and dance and 4H, a girl whose calm nature attracted the confidence of animals, a loving sister and daughter, is gone. Gone in the same instant are all the treasured hopes and dreams for her future.
Gratefulness isn't the first thing that comes to mind.
If I dig deep enough, there are things to be grateful for. The grieving family has a wide circle of friends and family offering love and support. They have a church community and a faith base that gives them a framework to grapple with their stark new reality. These things can’t erase their pain, but surely they offer comfort, at least some of the time.
I am grateful for God’s love that surrounds us always, at the times we feel grateful, at the times we feel angry, and even the times when we feel most distant from God.
“Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.” May it be so.
Nora
Dear Friends,
In a recent conversation, a wise person of our church said that for him, worship was really about being grateful.
I liked that description, and yet realized that sometimes I struggle to find that gratefulness. This week has been one of those times.
We got back from holidays a week ago to the news that the wonderful pre-teen daughter of good friends had within the previous week been diagnosed with cancer and died. There is no sense to be made of it, no way to justify the giant hole left in this close family, and the deep loss for all the classmates, teammates, friends, and relatives left behind. A young girl on the verge of womanhood, a proud farm girl, a bright student, an active participator in soccer and dance and 4H, a girl whose calm nature attracted the confidence of animals, a loving sister and daughter, is gone. Gone in the same instant are all the treasured hopes and dreams for her future.
Gratefulness isn't the first thing that comes to mind.
If I dig deep enough, there are things to be grateful for. The grieving family has a wide circle of friends and family offering love and support. They have a church community and a faith base that gives them a framework to grapple with their stark new reality. These things can’t erase their pain, but surely they offer comfort, at least some of the time.
I am grateful for God’s love that surrounds us always, at the times we feel grateful, at the times we feel angry, and even the times when we feel most distant from God.
“Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.” May it be so.
Nora
