One Week Later

Has it really been a week? The days have all blended together, and we very seldom leave the house. By house, I mean mom's, because that is where we have decided to make camp. Casey came home, and it's nice to all be together here sharing the load of grief. There has been so much to do, and yet the desire to not do anything at all. I feel like I've relived my childhood over and over again by looking at the vast amount of pictures we have. Scanning and sorting was an arduous task that Grandma Glenda really took care of. Uncle Scott has been in North Carolina trying to take care of as much as he can, and we've been down here trying to plan a service. It seems so unreal. It's still a shock. The tears have come so often, I feel like I will have no more left. Connor is doing so well during all of this. We have tried to keep him to his schedule, but of course his sleeping environment is different. He enjoys the company that comes to visit and he is walking everywhere more and more. His giggles are a highlight to any day, and he helps me focus on the here and now. I'm reminded of how delicate life is. How we take it for granted. How the Lord is so powerful, and how He has a plan whether I can see it or not. A tree, a simple tree changed our lives. They have cut down so many that it was just a normal task for them. Who knew it would end so tragically? I think about this and still think it's wrong. That it was just a close call, a story that dad is going to tell us about later. It seems so unreal to me. This type of thing doesn't happen to us, these are things you only hear about. A week has gone by.

There is hope though. There is a promise that I will see him again. This is where faith swoops in and soothes the hurt, and wraps it's arms around us to ease the pain. Every day gets a little better, every day holds more smiles, every day brings hope.

1 Thessalonions 4:13-18

¹³ Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope. ¹⁴ For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him.¹⁵ According to the Lord’s word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. ¹⁶ For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. ¹⁷ After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. ¹⁸ Therefore encourage one another with these words.