As promised in my last blog entry (Lightening My Load), here is the blog that I almost didn't post. Praying it provides continued encouragement to others struggling to continue walking through grief.
I sit here tonight doing what I’ve done often since Kraig
died. I’m listening to songs that remind me of truths I know at the core of my
very being. Tonight it’s Nicole Nordeman’s version of Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus and Steven Curtis Chapman with Glorious Unfolding. Since the day after
Kraig died I’ve turned to music when I’m struggling. When I’m feeling lost I’m
careful to choose ones with words solid in their declarations of God’s promises
and beautiful in their poetry. I rock out to other stuff on the good days.
Tonight the thread of hope seems thinner somehow. My friend,
Chelsea, today reminded me it’s OK that grief seemed to grip my heart for no
reason. It snuck up on me this weekend mowing the lawn as I was hit by the vast
number of dandelions populating my yard. Realization that Kraig took care of
them each year dawned on me. As I started to wonder how I’d figure out what he
used the sob rose in my chest as my heart protested, “But I don’t want to have
to take care of this…this one more thing I must figure out.” I was glad the
mower was loud and the kids couldn’t hear me sobbing as I hurried to finish the
yard ahead of a storm.
Both Saturday and Sunday had some hard moments in the midst of
really good stuff. I think that might be why I feel lost—nothing other than
dandelions seemed to cause this. Maybe stress of trying to prepare to move
played in there as well. That’s stressful under the best of circumstances. And
the best of circumstances these are not.
Tonight as I struggled to make it to bedtime, I had to deal
with not one but three kids coming up between 9:30 and 10. One sobbing as the
reality that Dad would not be here to share in the fun we have planned this
summer. One looking for the bathroom and not knowing why she was
crying—probably because her brother was. One asking for prayer because scary
thoughts were plaguing him as he tried to fall asleep.
“Oh weary mind, Oh troubled soul, all the broken pieces that
you hold, turn them over, give them up, and then watch what Jesus does. Oh
heavy heart, Oh heavy load, lay it down and let it go, leave your broken
yesterday in the open arms of grace….” Nicole sings these words and I reach for
them like a salve for a wound. Not once has my faith wavered but this journey
is long and exhausting and just when I think I’m emerging from it, another wave
crashes on my shore.
“You will walk on waves again, when you have set your gaze
on him.” Promise, Nicole? Walking on the
waves seems so beyond the possible right at this very moment. “So look up,
look up, this is a song about the morning after a long night. So look up, look
up, this is a song about believing it’s gonna be alright, when you turn your
eyes upon Jesus….” I long for the morning after this long night. I’m tired, so
very tired.
As my exhausted body begs for sleep I turn to another song,
a newer song. I hope to be able to meet Mr. Chapman at this summer’s Hills
Alive music festival when I work it. As a DJ sometimes I get to do that. I want
to thank him for the first verse of his newest song, Glorious Unfolding.
Lay your head
down tonight
Take a rest from the fight
Don’t try to figure it out
Just listen to what I’m whispering to your heart
‘Cause I know this is not
Anything like you thought
The story of your life was gonna be
And it feels like the end has started closing in on you
But it’s just not true
There’s so much of the story that’s still yet to unfold
And this is going to be a glorious unfolding
Just you wait and see and you will be amazed
You’ve just got to believe the story is so far from over
So hold on to every promise God has made to us
And watch this glorious unfolding
Take a rest from the fight
Don’t try to figure it out
Just listen to what I’m whispering to your heart
‘Cause I know this is not
Anything like you thought
The story of your life was gonna be
And it feels like the end has started closing in on you
But it’s just not true
There’s so much of the story that’s still yet to unfold
And this is going to be a glorious unfolding
Just you wait and see and you will be amazed
You’ve just got to believe the story is so far from over
So hold on to every promise God has made to us
And watch this glorious unfolding
Those words speak to my heart with clarity. I need to lay my
head down tonight trusting that God is unfolding something beyond what I could
ask or even imagine. How do people without Jesus cope with loss? I cannot
fathom the despair that must be magnified without an anchor in the promises
that I am not alone and I am not directionless. “Let us remember, this life
we’re living is just the beginning of the beginning…” The eternal perspective
Steven sings about is truth, is life, is hope.
So tonight I will finish writing and head to bed, trusting
once more that tomorrow God will help me care for my kids and direct my paths
because I trust Him. He has never failed me and He won’t start now. He will
bring the joy and help these wounds continue to heal. He will continue to send
me friends and family to offer support and help. He will continue to direct my
path because I have asked Him to. Where He leads, I will follow no matter where
that path leads.
One day I will look back and see the gloriously unfolding
story He walked me through because I kept my eyes on Jesus. For tonight all I
need to do is trust Him and get some sleep.
No comments:
Post a Comment