It's Personal

"But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb."

Hello, My Friends,

     I was standing in the bathroom at our home in Brownstown getting ready for the day when the call came from one of my high school friends, "Carol, I just heard that Kathy died." 
     What? What did you say? Kathy? Died? No.  I'm sure you didn't hear right. I just saw her a few months ago when I was visiting in Illinois; we had lunch.  She told me about her 2 wonderful boys, ages 3 and 6. I  had put my hand on her abdomen and felt the kicking of her twin girls.  It cannot be.  We had talked as young women talked, about children, husbands, jobs, homes, dreams, fears.... It cannot be.

It cannot be. It cannot be.

     But it was.  My dear, sweet friend Kathy died just 12 hours after giving birth to 2 healthy baby girls.  A dissecting aortic aneurysm, they said. She was 30 years old. As I drove the 13-14 hours to Central Illinois, there were times I had to pull off of the road to sob.  Arriving at her home, I entered the living room and her dad clung to me and wept-- all of the family was stunned.  Her boys were doing what children do-- playing, not really understanding what had just happened. 

      I began to interact with them, running around outside in the hot summer sun, then lying on the bed with them and reading Dr. Seuss.   "I miss mommy,"  the six year old whimpered."Oh, me too," I whispered, "Me, too." 

     And I wrapped my arms around those dear boys, and we were swallowed by sorrow.  Such loss. Such pain. Such grief. Such heartache. I cried for my own loss.  I cried for her family.  I cried for her husband. I cried for her babies who would never know their amazing mommy, and for her sons whose memories would be dimmed and shadowed by time.

These are the last sentences Kathy wrote in my high school yearbook,  "Carol, always keep close to the Lord.  Someday we'll never have to be separated! :) Praise the Lord!  Well, so long!"


Life!  Hope!  Love!  In the midst of our despair and grief there is a Comforter. Today is "Good Friday" or as some traditions call it, "Great and Holy Friday" which seems to offer a bit more reverence to this day which commemorates the crucifixion of Jesus. I confess to being one of those people who cannot dwell too closely on the events of this day as I feel consumed by the agony;overwhelmed beyond functioning.  Do you ever imagine yourself in historical contexts and wonder what you would have done in those situations?  I hope I would have been one of the faithful women who stayed near our Lord.  This also gives me pause to consider our history in the making; am I being one of the faithful  in today's painful, real life circumstances where Jesus is asking me to be present? Jeff will be leading a service at 7pm here at the church tonight commemorating this Great and Holy Friday.


At 8:30am on Sunday the senior high youth will lead us in worship starting out by the cemetery and parading into the recreation room.  We celebrate life and love!  The jubilation will move to the 1990 hall with a breakfast. At 10:15 we'll gather in the sanctuary for further corporate worship.  Brother Mick's homily on Sunday is entitled, "It's Personal" drawing from John's account of the resurrection story. "Amid the glories and hallelujahs, we also hear our names being called by the risen Lord, and we also are sent to tell the message that he lives and reigns forever."  I hope you can join us!

I know finals are fast approaching for those of you in college.  Know that I will be praying for you and remember to soup breathe!  Slowly breathe in the scent of the delicious soup.  Cool the soup through pursed lips blowing gently so as not to splatter the broth... and again... slowly breathe.... 
(I'll bet if one of my daughters is reading this in your presence, you'd see her rolling her eyes!) :)


My prayer for you today: Creator God, in your love you created us, and with your love embodied in Jesus, you restored us. Thank you!!   I pray that each of these young people will rest secure in knowing that you will never leave us nor forsake us.  You have shown us the path of life, and you journey with us and care about our losses, our struggles, our suffering.  You call us to you so that we will be comforted, but also that we will become comforters.  You call us to you that we will be healed, but also that we will become healers.  You call us to you  that we will have hope, but also that we will share hope.     
     For our students, studying and working as finals approach, grant them clear minds, great recall, and calmness.  Come Kingdom of God.  Be done will of God; here on earth as it is in heaven. AMEN.  

You are loved by God, and I love you too!  Contact me if you need me!  

Love and Light, Carol

PS-- Kathy would have been 49 years old next week.

http://www.ridgeviewmennonite.net/

"Always remember who you are, whose you are, where you are going, and what you believe, because it does make a difference!  Oh, and don't forget to attend a church of your choice this weekend. " jd