In the past, my times of silence have been due to the busy-ness of life. You know how it is, right? Activities, work, appointments, family events...life.
This period of quiet as had another source, though. Grief. Grief for situations in our personal lives and the lives of those we love. This has been a year of great loss for our family and extended family. Loss of dreams, loss of loved ones, and loss of hope in the midst of seemingly insurmountable tragedy.
In the past five days, it all seems to have escalated:
- a dear family (from our church) lost their home to a fire. A family of 10, including a newborn, suddenly became homeless;
- a family member underwent a scary health situation, which is still not completely resolved;
- a man close to our family is undergoing tests to hopefully reveal the cause of physical symptoms that could be life-threatening;
- my uncle is fighting the last stages of a debilitating brain disease, which has in so many ways taken away the man we loved already;
- someone very close to my family is also battling a similar disease;
- one of my young piano students just found out she is going to lose her grandfather. This young lady has already lost so much, and now this;
- a relative in his 40's suffered a massive stroke;
- our friends' teenage grandson has received news that the cancer has returned for the second time and,
- my cousin lost her husband in a horrific stabbing. She and her sons are facing all the difficulties of losing a spouse and father, in addition to the violence that caused his death.
My heart is so full of grief, it seems it will burst.
"Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows..." Isaiah 53:4
