Trumping Grief follow-up

Yesterday evening unfolded seemingly familiar; the precious pictures, beautiful flowers, a slide show that screams " a child is life no matter how sick they are", and the hundreds of tearful sojourners.  We, the sojourners are all thinking the same heartbroken thoughts for the family of this precious four year old.  How do you bury your child?  How do you find the strength to receive all these heartfelt condolences?   How is it you are not falling apart?  How are you coping?  What are you thinking and feeling?  

While standing  in line waiting to hug mom and dad and grandparents, I reflected on the poem from my last post.  I listened as questions were stirred up within my heart and was reverently fascinated with how hastily my mind wanted to shut them down.  But, I hung in there and in doing so, the poem came alive in the room around me.

There was weeping, grieving and questioning going on all around me.  Silent pictures, carefully placed on tables with little matchbox cars surrounding them,  that spoke gratitude through beaming parent's eyes.   A poem written by the mother so grateful for her son.   Family from nearby and from afar doing what they do best in times like these: LOVE.  Love by stepping in and hugging the hundreds of sojourners when other family members are tired.  Love by capturing pictures of that sacred time.  Love by providing nourishment. Love by sharing stories and smiles of this precious child whose life was all too short.

It was all there....Gratitude and Love pouring out of every body in the room and falling gently onto weary shoulders of those who carry such a heavy heartache.  The only way that kind of gratitude and love can be found in such devastating times is from the heart and mercy of God.  

In the end God does trump grief!