Today I lost a friend and colleague at the college where I work. We will all miss Larry so much. If you’ve walked this path of loss then you know how I feel. I reached for Sarah Young’s Devotional today entitled, Jesus Calling. It began like this:
“When many things seem to be going wrong, trust Me. When your life feels increasingly out of control, thank Me. These are supernatural responses, and they can lift you above your circumstances. If you do what comes naturally in the face of difficulties, you may fall prey to negativism. Even a few complaints can set you on a path that is a downward spiral, by darkening your perspective and mind-set. With this attitude controlling you, complaints flow more and more readily from your mouth. Each one moves you steadily down the slippery spiral. The lower you go, the faster you slide; but it is still possible to apply brakes. Cry out to Me in My Name! Affirm your trust in Me, regardless of how you feel. Thank Me for everything, though this seems unnatural – even irrational. Gradually you will begin to ascend, recovering your lost ground.”
And ended like this:
When you are back on ground level, you can face your circumstances from a humble perspective. If you choose supernatural responses this time – trusting and thanking Me – you will experience My unfathomable Peace.”
Praying for that supernatural peace for Larry’s immediate family and the extended family at the college. If you are grieving today I hope this helps a bit.
Peace,
Jill
Matthew 5:1-4 (KJV)
5 And seeing the multitudes, he went up into a mountain: and when he was set, his disciples came unto him:
2 And he opened his mouth, and taught them, saying,
3 Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4 Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.
I like looking up quotes from scripture. Here’s another good one.
Ecclesiastes 3:1-14
English Standard Version (ESV)
A Time for Everything
3 For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven:
2 a time to be born, and a time to die;
a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted;
3 a time to kill, and a time to heal;
a time to break down, and a time to build up;
4 a time to weep, and a time to laugh;
a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
5 a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together;
a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
6 a time to seek, and a time to lose;
a time to keep, and a time to cast away;
7 a time to tear, and a time to sew;
a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
8 a time to love, and a time to hate;
a time for war, and a time for peace.
God’s words are so comforting and reasurring. We are truly blessed!
Funeral is tomorrow. I realize that I posted my quill post about how I was feeling over on my regular blog. I wondered why I didn’t see it show up here on my first try. 🙂 I had arranged to bring pet therapy dogs into the college today for the students but they ended up ministering to all of us for different reasons.
Interesting how we all cope differently with death, loss, and grief. I found this over at HistoryExtra.com You might find it interesting how we look at some issues today and how they were dealt with during the Middle Ages.
http://www.historyextra.com/feature/people-middle-ages-coped-better-death-we-do