Losing
Them
And whatever you do,
whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks
to God the Father through him. Colossians
3:17
As I sat down to write this devotional
several months ago, two people extremely close to me were on deaths’ door. I had feared for quite some time that they
would both pass close to each other.
I was terrified, drained, lost
and unsure about the future. While I knew what I was supposed to do, it was
difficult to do the right thing. However,
I vowed to still look to God in spite of my pain and remember He is in
control.
My last parental figure, my
Grandma, died on Thanksgiving and one of my dearest and best friends died 11
days later. During a time of loss, we
have to move from being remorseful to being grateful. While we want to scream
about the agony we are in, instead, we should take a step back and realize how
lucky we were to have the person in our life.
If you think about it, that person was never really ours to start with,
he/she belongs to God.
“Life, too, is a gift, and it is to be received
and participated in and handled with gratitude. - The way of gratitude does not
alleviate the pain, but it somehow puts some light around the darkness and
creates strength to begin to move on. - Even though it is very, very hard, I am doing
my best to learn this discipline now. I have two alternatives. I can dwell on the
fact that she has been taken away, and dissolve in remorse that all of this is
gone forever. Or, focusing on the wonder that she was ever given at all, I can
resolve to be grateful that we shared life. There are only two choices here,
but believe me, the best way out for me is the way of gratitude.” Rev. John Claypool, Tracks of a Fellow Struggler.
Dear Lord, thank you for putting these wonderful people in my life and allowing me to grow and learn with and from them. Amen
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| Diane |
 |
| Grandma |
