Grief Seeps Out and Love Saves the Day
Grief... it is a slippery thing that comes creeping up in unsuspecting moments.
A friend died last week.
Her death reminded me of another friend that died earlier this year. Grief that silently hid itself from me for the last 5 months all of the sudden came rushing forth like a mighty wave. And I remembered...
There was this day in March where I stood beside a drawn curtain in the emergency room at the third-world hospital in this place I call my second home. On the other side of that not-so-clean curtain lay a woman who had spent hours teaching me about this place, La Mosquitia.
Mama Tara.
For me, our relationship had really come to a close much earlier. There was the day I found her outside on a mattress in pain in August of 2012. It was the last time she and I talked as friends... what followed for her were months of testing, treatments, family visits and 'lasts.'
But this day in March of 2013, I stood on the other side of that curtain and listened to voices speaking and crying in Miskito. And then, it ended.
Unbelievable.
She was larger-than-life.
Death?
Through tears, I stepped away and called Alex. As I hung up the phone, I looked out the hospital window.
There on a knoll outside the window was a young woman wearing a bright pink t-shirt. The shirt, like many here, had English words on it.
Love Saves the Day.
Yes, that pink shirt said 'Love Saves the Day.'
Within 5 minutes of my friend leaving one world for another, I saw a t-shirt message that reminded me that Love Wins, Love Rescues, Love Saves ... every single time, even on this day.
That message was for me... me, wallowing in my doubt, despair and sadness.
Right now, I feel overwhelmed and, at times, plain discouraged at some of the things we are facing. Grief is now having its way with me.
And yet, Love is Here. Love Moves. Love Breathes.
Love Saves the Day.... even today.
A friend died last week.
Her death reminded me of another friend that died earlier this year. Grief that silently hid itself from me for the last 5 months all of the sudden came rushing forth like a mighty wave. And I remembered...
There was this day in March where I stood beside a drawn curtain in the emergency room at the third-world hospital in this place I call my second home. On the other side of that not-so-clean curtain lay a woman who had spent hours teaching me about this place, La Mosquitia.
Mama Tara.
For me, our relationship had really come to a close much earlier. There was the day I found her outside on a mattress in pain in August of 2012. It was the last time she and I talked as friends... what followed for her were months of testing, treatments, family visits and 'lasts.'
But this day in March of 2013, I stood on the other side of that curtain and listened to voices speaking and crying in Miskito. And then, it ended.
Unbelievable.
She was larger-than-life.
Death?
Through tears, I stepped away and called Alex. As I hung up the phone, I looked out the hospital window.
There on a knoll outside the window was a young woman wearing a bright pink t-shirt. The shirt, like many here, had English words on it.
Love Saves the Day.
Yes, that pink shirt said 'Love Saves the Day.'
Within 5 minutes of my friend leaving one world for another, I saw a t-shirt message that reminded me that Love Wins, Love Rescues, Love Saves ... every single time, even on this day.
That message was for me... me, wallowing in my doubt, despair and sadness.
Right now, I feel overwhelmed and, at times, plain discouraged at some of the things we are facing. Grief is now having its way with me.
And yet, Love is Here. Love Moves. Love Breathes.
Love Saves the Day.... even today.
Comments
"Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope. 14 For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him." (1 Thes 4:13-14; NIV)