This morning, as I mentioned yesterday, I will be playing the piano at the memorial service of a mom in her 50s who passed away very suddenly on Tuesday morning. It was such a shock to her husband and eight children, three of whom are still living at home.
Just a few hours after the memorial service, I'll be leaving for our church's annual women's retreat. It is held at a conference center about an hour from here. It's always a good time with a guest speaker and discussion groups. There is plenty of time for chatting, some deeper conversations, no cooking, hotel rooms and late-night snacks. There's also time to be alone if you would like as well. This year's speaker is the director of worship at a local church who has experienced great loss in her life. A few years ago, while away on a cruise with her husband, her youngest child drowned in the family pool while under the care of a babysitter. It was a heart-wrenching time and even though I did not know her personally at the time, I remember the incident well. Her topic this weekend is: If God Is So Good, Then Why Do I Hurt So Bad? It's a questions asked by many at some stage of their lives whether they know God or not. I'm sure it will be a tear-jerker weekend (I'm packing tissues) but good for us to learn from someone who has already walked through the valley of the shadow of death personally. The death of a child is the hardest loss I can imagine happening, one that I hope and pray that I never experience.
I'll fill in more detail when I return from the retreat. Click HERE for my notes from the retreat.
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