Somewhere

Somewhere not far from me or you there are grieving parents. There are parents wondering where their child has gone. There is a mama crying herself to sleep. There is a father drowning his sorrow in work or addiction. There are parents building up walls, pushing others away, pushing each other away. There is a marriage crumbling over the loss of a child. There are exhausted parents searching for answers. There is mother on her knees desperately begging God for life, for freedom from guilt, for hope. There is a father crying out for the Lord to have mercy, to let him bear the child's burden. There are hurting parents out there. And let me tell you, you need not look far. 

You just have to look up. You just have to move your eyes away, for a brief moment from your life, your list, your day. You just have to open your eyes to the people in your circle. Or maybe you need to find a circle. Or maybe you need to break open your circle and let the hurting in. 

Or perhaps you are the hurting. You are the lost. You are the angry. You are the grieving parent.

Maybe your grief is raw, real and apparent. Maybe your grief is guilt ridden and hidden from the light. Maybe you have buried it so deep, you have even deceived yourself. You have pushed it so far away, you have ceased to feel. You have let yourself believe you are numb. Maybe you are, but even the numbness hurts. 

You are not alone: 

If your child is spiritually running or consumed with addiction

Or maybe your child was victim to tragedy

or maybe it's something else. But you grieve. You grieve because your hopes and dreams were shattered. Your child is your heart and it's broken.

You are not alone. We are not alone. 

And there is hope. I promise you this is not the end. I promise you there is more. I promise you, in your weakness, the Lord comes through with strength. I promise you in your guilt, God delivers freedom through love and grace and forgiveness. I promise you that although you may not be enough, Jesus is. And he has conquered death. He is making all things new. He is going to right all the wrong of this world.

Hold on, dear mamas. Hold on to his strength and goodness. Hold on to the one who holds us all.  Hold on to Jesus for dear life, for yours and your precious child. 

Sometimes it feels like you must take on the world to protect your child. Sometimes it feels as though you will be defeated in battle. Get on your knees. And stand with the one who wins the war. 

Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God our Father, who loved us and gave us eternal comfort and good hope through grace, comfort your hearts and establish them in every good work and word. 2 Thessalonians 2:16