Loss and Praise
"The grave itself is but a covered bridge,
Leading from light to light, through a brief darkness!"
. - Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Tomorrow is a day set aside to be with those we love, and who love us, and to eat and to be... thankful. Only, not for everyone. For some this day is a reminder of what was, but is no longer: a day of hurt and loss, and longing for how things "ought to be." Several conversations in my office have come back to this topic of loss, and I know that it is felt more acutely now, while we celebrate what we have - those empty spaces left by people we love seem so big right now.
What hit me the hardest is how much I've forgotten about those I've loved and lost. I think of my grandmothers, how important they were in my life, and how, maybe because of the pain of memory, I cannot recall so many details that should be there. They seem so far, and distant, and not real. There is this missing piece I long for, but cannot connect to.
Yesterday the Lord reminded me that he is the God of empty spaces too. That longing, although it feels sad, is a longing for His promise. That He is the God who speaks into the emptiness and fills it with his love and light and joy.
Thank you Father, for the longing within mourning. You have placed this on our hearts to remind us that we are called to a greater promise. Lift us up from these earthly pains, surround us the peace of your presence and the presence of your people - those whom we are blessed to call brothers and sisters.
Lord, I am thankful for that longing to hear your voice fill these empty spaces.
Amen,
Brian
