Recently, I shared with the church that my stepfather had tragically shot himself and taken his own life. This brought a shadow of pain and shock that still hovers in our hearts.
In the days that followed, I was overwhelmed by the love I received—many cards, heartfelt condolences, and faithful prayers. David wrote a personal Haiku for me. Sandy gave a flowering plant. Nancy gave chocolates. Too many to name showed love. Thank you, Church.
This outpouring of love was a beautiful example of “weeping with those who weep” (Romans 12:15) and “bearing one another’s burdens, and so fulfilling the law of Christ” (Galatians 6:2). God has given us each other to love and support one another and I felt it.
What stood out to me most, though, was how many people came to me and quietly said, “That happened in my family too.” Ouch. This world is hard, broken, and often full of grief. For every pain and struggle we experience there is frequently a “me too”. We must be kind and merciful to one another, offering compassion. This world can be hard and heavy.
Yet even in the darkest moments, this is not a world without hope. We have each other. And, even more, we have God in our midst, the One who “is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit” (Psalm 34:18).
God is the One who brings beauty out of ashes, joy in place of mourning (Isaiah 61:3). He calls the sun to rise after the darkest night and shines through ominous clouds following stormy days, a gentle reminder that He was always near; He is the Son who rose from the tomb to bring eternal light, dispelling our deepest darkness.
Let us be there for one another, graciously, pointing to this truth: God loves us. He is with us. And because of Jesus, we have a hope and light that nothing can take away.