As a parent who has lost a child I never thought I’d find any goodness in life after the loss of my only daughter. When Melanie ran ahead to heaven I saw my world in only shades of gray and wondered if I’d ever really see the sunshine again.
Although my coat of grief isn’t as heavy as it once was it’s not something I’ve been able to shed. I still wear my coat daily and quite frankly I think that’s OK, too.
The past few weeks I’ve been reminded how quickly life can change. Recently I was on vacation and soon after I found myself in the hospital getting prepped for emergency surgery. All is well now, but it shook me. Life is so fragile, and we never really know when it will turn on its axis. Recovering over the past couple of weeks made me think about something I wrote a few years ago, In the Blink of an Eye. Yes, life sure can change so quickly.
Grief and loss often cover us up in darkness and we need to search for the light. But I know in my heart, because of my faith in Jesus, that I’m never really alone. He is my shelter through every storm and the one who carries me when I am too weak to walk.
There are some who think we are wading in our grief too long. Some tell us it’s time to get over it and move on. Every time I encounter this I choose to give grace and forgive. Clearly those who say this have no idea what it is to be a warrior mom and have never lost a child.
As I continue to look for the light on the dark days I can still say how truly grateful I am for the life God has given me. Even in the middle of the hard times I can see the goodness in my life after loss.
While I have been healing and considering how quickly life can change, I choose to focus on the goodness around me. God has gifted me with a beautiful group of ladies who readily pray for me and lift me up any time of the day or night. They bring meals, send flowers, check-in and are truly the hands and feet of Jesus.
In between the hard moments of grief, I pray you will begin to see the shafts of light no matter how small the sliver. May this week bring you to a place where you can see the goodness of God and His hand touching you in unexpected ways.
Love you Pat. Take all the time you need. I do understand. 🙏 I’ll pray for your healing from your surgery as well.
💜❤️💜
We can all relate to having those unexpected events in life which give us a moment or two of “pause”. Whether we are on the grief journey or not, our Heavenly Father has a way of stopping us in our well planned tracks. He is the potter and we are His clay. As much as I would like to think that His fiery kiln is for occasional visits, it is truly in His molding and shaping that I experience exponential growth. And that banging with the hammer! Only to be put into the cold water bucket to cool me down! Being His clay is not easy. He sees the final vessel and He know how to get me there. We have to lean into Him and trust in His work on & in us.
@Kathleen 💜❤️💜
A friend of mine is dating a man whose wife of over 40 years passed away in February. My friend is impatient for his grief to end so he can fully focus on her. I have shared with her several of your blogs and a few quotes from your book, but she doesn’t get it. I think there will always be people who don’t understand the grief journey and we cannot add frustration or upset with them to the load.
@Leslie I totally agree. Some people will never understand. That’s when we will continue to walk in grace, forgiving them for what they simply don’t know. 💜