Wednesday Bookclub: Befriend, Chapter 12

Wednesday Bookclub: Befriend, Chapter 12

We have been reading two chapters at a time, but I cried my way through chapter 12 and guessed many of you might have, too, so I thought we could just discuss this one chapter. Chapter 12 is titled Befriend Those Grieving and Dying. Sauls starts by sharing part of his own story in which his mother is doing poorly and he is witness to his parents suffering together. He not only sees his mother suffer physically, but his father suffer as her husband who loves her deeply and is grieved by this cruel reminder of human mortality. But as Sauls watches his parents brave this suffering together, he is reminded of the things on this earth that really matter—the small, mundane things that communicate love and that are gifts from God given to us to express sorrow and devotion and delight.

Kara’s Collection: I just knowed, Mommy...

Kara’s Collection: I just knowed, Mommy...

from an article originally posted June 16, 2014...

Yesterday, my dear Blythe wrote me a letter. A paper and pencil, put on a stamp, beautiful handwritten letter. It was a gift. A beautiful gift. When I saw the letter in the mailbox, I knew I was holding a treasure. I was tired, deeply tired from my hard week. I quietly took my letter up to my bedroom, hid under the covers, and opened my treasure. I cried. I cried and cried.

A Letter to Those Who Are Wrestling

A Letter to Those Who Are Wrestling

Dear friend,

Is that you I see in the back row of church? Eyes cast down, mouth hardly moving as everyone else seems to sing joyfully, frown turning the corners of your once happy mouth, tears threatening to spill onto your bulletin. I see your big sigh as you sit down, how you glance around the room as if to size everyone else up to see if anyone could possibly feel like you do—disconnected, disenchanted, confused, heart broken, disappointed. You wonder if the people around you actually are as joyful as they appear.

Kara’s Collection: The Mixed Bag

Kara’s Collection: The Mixed Bag

from an article originally posted on June 12, 2014…

Each day presents us all with a mixed bag to carry, to face, to let go of, and to deal with. We all struggle with our bags. Jesus says a lot about letting him carry it for us, but we all stink at that, don’t we? We may pretend to hand it over, but do we really? My bag is my own idea of how I want each moment to be lived; then these horrible life-stealing events happen and mess up my plans.