I was with a couple yesterday graveside as they buried their 9 month old daughter.
Some things I learned that I’ll never forget:
– Both parents reading lists of things they were “thankful” to God for in giving them their daughter for 9 months. It was a paradigm shift for me. I thought of burials as a time when we lose something… hearing the words of the parents made me realize how much is also gained.
– Life is short. We spend a lot of time building sand castles. How can we spend more time focusing on eternal things?
– Love opens you up for loss. Motherhood brings vulnerability. It is impossible to embrace life as God has given it and also avoid suffering. But where in modern culture do we talk about a theology of suffering or speak to this difficult calling?
I often think of how big a risk we all take when we have children. Loving something as much as we all love our kids opens us up to the potential pain of the loss of one of the most precious things we are entrusted with. I can’t fathom how it feels to lose a child, my heart goes out to that couple.