Death Can Be So Inconvenient.

You try to live and love - it comes and interrupts.

This has been a week of sorrow and hardship in my life. My dear friend, coworker and 'grandmother' passed away suddenly on Christmas Eve. She lived a full life, and was a blessing to so many, more than she probably knew. We celebrated her life Friday evening in a memorial service, and it was a comfort to have so many people together sharing their memories of such a wonderful woman of God.

The return to work on Wednesday to find Michelle at her desk was hard. Answering all of the phone calls and having to be the one to break the news to so many people over and over again was hard. Planning for an entirely different funeral that took place on Thursday and then for her service on Friday was hard.

My prayers right now lie with Michelle - she has taken on so much responsibility at such short notice. And the week has not been easy for her, and so consequently for us as well - her father fell and hit his head on Wednesday, and after a lot of hardship and pain, passed away Friday evening as well due to complications from a brain hemmorage.

There is so much pain and sadness and shock running through so many of the people I know and love very dearly, and at this point, all I am coming back to is - why? Why Jean? Why Michelle? Why us? Why now?

I know that there is a much bigger picture that I can't see, and I know that it will be so beautiful when I finally do see it. And I know that to be absent from this body is to be present with the Lord, and that from what I know of Him, that must be very good. But that doesn't lessen the pain or the confusion or the sadness I'm feeling right now.

It does, however, give me reason to hope, and reason to go on.