20 January 2012

A Time for Mourning

Life is fragile. I think we all know that, somewhere under the surface. I think that if you asked the random person on the street, they would agree, to some degree or another, that the statement "Life is fragile" is true. Sometimes, it just becomes blindingly clear.

In recent days, I've become more and more aware of this somewhat basic thought. Life is, indeed, fragile. Some recent losses: my friend's 30-year-old son, my sister-in-law's 30-year-old friend, my best friend's unborn child, and just last night, my aunt. Some recent fragile circumstances: a friend who is starting dialysis for kidney failure at the age of 29, a co-worker who fell and broke both her elbows, my boss's dad's heart disease, my own dad's pulmonary emboli, my husband's neck pain, and on and on and on. Life is indeed fragile, all around me.

My life is fragile. Just a change in my step can break my ankle. Just a change in eating habits can change my health, for better or for worse. Just a change in my personal hygiene can create health or death. It's very fragile. There's something beautiful there, though. Something beautiful in the fragility, and even the brokenness.

Can you imagine that the God of the universe entrusted us with something so precious and so fragile? Can you imagine that His heart is all tied up in our lives, to the point that He would join into this fragile humanity and do it with us, even through a brutal death? How beautiful it is, that we can share that with the Author of it all!

Perhaps the fragility is there so that we aren't blinded to eternity. If it wasn't so temporary, perhaps we would forget that there's more than just this life.

Just a thought. Hug your loved ones. Make sure they know you care. Pray for others.

Much love.
LL~