We’ve known friends who’ve passed, soldiers who gave their
lives, and even young children who left this world too soon. Our hearts have
ached for them, the magnitude of such a loss, and for their family…their
parents, their spouse, their children. But this time, death was closer.
My mother in law, Pam, passed away on July 1st
after a hard fought battle with cancer days before her 55th
birthday. Pam was a wife, mother, daughter,
sister, aunt, grandmother, niece, and friend. Many have been impacted by her
passing.
Even after laying her to rest, we can’t believe she’s gone.
It doesn’t make sense how someone so full of life, smiles, and witty stories
could simply pass away seven months after a diagnosis. If anyone could beat
cancer, it would’ve been Pam. But now…we have to find a new normal—a life
without Pam, but with the hope of seeing her one day in heaven.
 |
| Pam & My Husband |
This hope is great, and fills us with joy, but does not
diminish the pain we are feeling. Simply put, we hurt. It hurts to watch my husband, a man who’s
known untold loss in his life as a soldier, struggle to deal with the death of his mother.
It hurts to watch my children grasp at the reality that Memaw is no longer with
them.
It’s okay to hurt, to grieve, and cry. There’s permission to
be angry, and to question God. He’s big enough to handle our pain, and our
doubts.
But right now, we’re not doubting. We’re not asking “Why
Pam?” or “Why our family?” as if to push this pain on some other family. We
are, however, asking “What now?” “How do we move on?” “When will we find a new
normal?”
In the quietness of my morning prayers I hear God’s voice
telling me to feel all of it…all of the pain and grief. To embrace it, and push
through it with Him not matter how much it hurts. And that’s when I realized, I
don’t need to know ‘what’, ‘how’, or ‘when,’ but WHO. WHO will show us what’s
next? WHO will show us how to move on? And WHO will place us in a new normal?
It’s God. God is the answer. And if I know who, then the
rest really doesn’t matter. There’s something quite freeing in this
realization.
So here’s to pushing through the pain with the One who knows
all, and mourns even more over the loss of a loved one. And here’s to pushing
through the pain with the One who knows the way to a new normal, and to the One
who gives us hope and eternal life through Jesus Christ for anyone who chooses
to believe.
CLICK TO TWEET:
RELATED POSTS:
This is so true...grieving a lost one leads to a new normal. The "old" normal is gone. My prayers are with you as you let God lead you into this new place.
ReplyDelete