A Life Interrupted

This weekend I attended an event for International Overdose Awareness Day. There were more parents there this year than in previous years. This got me thinking about how so many of our loved one’s lives were cut short. When it comes to child loss, there is no question that it was a life interrupted.

As the day moved forward I found myself thinking about all the “coulda/shoulda/woulda’s.” Although that’s not a positive path to venture down, as a mom who misses her child, I allow myself to occasionally walk down that road.

How many of us, in this shared grief journey, have experienced these thoughts? Perhaps you’ve had a child, parents, or a spouse taken from you too soon? Many, I’m sure. It’s a fact of life, as we navigate this broken world together.

The struggle is real. Life is often a fight, but I also believe that God meets us when we are honest and real.

We may not understand why our loved one had to experience a life interrupted, but we do have a powerful choice to believe and trust in God and His promises. Our hearts were made to long for hope. I choose to believe, and because of that, His promises give me hope.

I’m in the middle of reading, Divine Disruptions by the family of Dr. Lois Evans. In it, her daughter, Priscilla Shirer writes, “the God who allows sorrow is also the God of sweet new seasons in life.” So very true. “The passage of time gives us perspective. We discover that life moves on and that our hearts can heal if we allow them to. Our strength lies in quiet trust.“

Even though I will forever miss my girl, I am determined to look for the good in each day God gives me. One day, when Jesus returns, we will be reunited with our loved ones. We will meet again in heaven where there is no more sadness, loss, or pain. Keeping this in the forefront of my mind is why I can grieve with hope – the hope of seeing all those who I love once again.