Today, we grieve.

Let tomorrow come. And then the next day. Today, we grieve.

Most of us know grief. Some, all too well. Our minds wrestle. They fight it. They can’t compute the ‘why.’

Our hearts don’t wrestle, though. They just break. The ache is painful. At times, agonizingly so, especially for those whose love for the one lost knows no boundaries.

I reflected earlier this morning that grief is love’s companion. An unwelcome companion, assuredly, but its companion nonetheless. We cannot grieve for something lost that we did not love.

God loves. God grieves. Why? How does that work? Perhaps another time.

We cannot grieve for Shannon, of course. Could she communicate directly with us, she would certainly say, “Do not grieve, dear brothers and sisters! If you could only see me now. Then you would understand.” She would say, “I knew it would be really good. But, in my wildest imagination, I couldn’t conceive of this. Now, I truly understand.” She would say, “I loved you all so much. And, now, I am breathing love.” And, she would speak to us all, “He is real. Please answer the call. Listen. What is being offered is priceless beyond compare.”

No, we grieve for one another. For ourselves. A piece of us torn away and we know there’s no replacement. We reach out to others dear to us. Our tears flow. Some of us sob. Some stare silently. Most of us just want to be in the presence of others who understand what is happening. We take small steps through the day. Each one painful.

I wrote (was it a day or two ago?) that God shows up in dark places. He does. Even when we shout at him that it’s not fair. It’s not right. She was too young. How could this happen? He shows up. Perhaps right now, his beacon may seem distant and vague. This particular beacon is named Hope.

Thank you to everyone who has been praying for Shannon. Some of you reading these posts have never met her, yet you have joined in her life these past several weeks. You have joined with Diane and me in our life with Shannon and the others who love her. We are grateful. This is how life is meant to be lived.

We love. We hope. We serve. We care. We worship.

Today, we grieve.

Dear Lord, hear the cry of our hearts. Take this grief as only you know how. Thank you for Shannon. We really mean that. Thank you for Shannon. She showed us your face. We hurt so much because our time with her was too short. We hurt so much because she made us better and now we wonder what will happen to fill that hole. Then, we remember that it’s you. All along, it’s you. She is your daughter and we thank you for where she is right now. Please, please, surround her dear family and loving friends with the knowledge that they are loved and can be comforted. We lift all of this up to you. Amen.