God Stopped for Her The closest communion with God comes, I believe, through the sacrament of tears. Just as grapes are crushed to make wine and grain to make bread, so the elements of this sacrament come from the crushing experiences of life. ~ Ken Gire, Windows of the Soul Aaron was Gail’s only son,…
Living in Tension
This morning I made coffee, as I do every morning, and then fetched the morning paper, which tells you that I have not entirely adapted to the paperless internet. It was still dark outside. Walking toward the mailbox, I glanced at the eastern sky to catch a glimpse of the first morning light. I spotted…
God Isn’t Uncomfortable With Your Grief
Grief is uncomfortable. Not just for the griever, but for those next to or in the general vicinity of the griever. Of course, I knew nothing about this until what had begun as a season of gratitude quickly and unexpectedly transitioned to one of deep grief. On a cold January night, I arrived at the…
God Nods and Tree Stands: Where Is God
As for me, I would seek God, and to God would I commit my cause, who does great things and unsearchable, marvelous things without number. — Job 5:8-9 When fundamental parts of our lives are lost, when people and things we thought we’d never lose are suddenly gone, it’s natural to want answers. Why did…
I Wanted to Pray But Had No Idea What to Say
Darkness Closes In Die before you die. There is no chance after. — C. S. Lewis, Till We Have Faces Sudden and tragic loss leads to terrible darkness. It is as inescapable as nightmares during a high fever. The darkness comes, no matter how hard we try to hold it off. However threatening, we must…
Grief: Heads Up, Hands Off
Grief doesn’t come with a handbook. There are guidelines, of course — clinical scales that help determine phases of denial, anger, acceptance, and a few others. And while a useful tool, serving in some ways as an emotional mile marker, these scales follow anything but a linear order. Grief invokes chaos, shuffling these “steps” and…
Journey into the Fire of Surrender
For He will be like a refiner’s fire or a launderer’s soap. He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver; He will purify the Levites and refine them like gold and silver. — Malachi 3:2-3 The embers glowed as the blacksmith stoked the fire. One callused hand held a piece of metal to…
Go Ahead and Cry
Growing Tears I waited patiently for God to help me; then He listened and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the pit of despair, out from the bog and the mire, and set my feet on a hard, firm path, and steadied me as I walked along. — Psalm 40:1-2 TLB As a…
Relentless: A Prison
A God who is with you in your doubt ~ John Flavel, Late minister of the Gospel at Dartmouth It was my third trip to the airport in four days. And I had at least a half dozen more coming up in the days to follow. The day after traveling home from a conference and…
One Plot or Two
Editor’s note: Kayla Stoecklein is a voice of compassion and hope for those oppressed with the mostly-taboo topic of suicide. It’s a delicate issue, one haunted by shame and fear, and one that needs to be brought into the light of God’s grace. In Fear Gone Wild, Kayla shares her and Andrew’s story but above…
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