Grief is funny.
Not "ha ha" funny. It's unpredictable and annoying. It's necessary. It's messy.
If someone had sat me down on November 2nd last year and said, "Here's what you've got to look forward to in the next year. Here are the losses, challenges, and CRAP that await you," I don't think I would have necessarily welcomed that news with open arms. "Bring it on! Let's see what we can handle!" No. Please just let me keep living my normal, easy life. Please.
However, looking BACK at this past year from here, having survived it, I'd do it again. What? Yes. I'd do it all again because we've not only lost this year. We have gained. We have been gifted with so much. Amidst the pain, there has been life. There has been hope. We have felt God near us in ways that we never have before.
Rather than get into this more in writing, I will share the video from this weekend's services. I was honored to share our story during our annual "Novembering" services. It was a very sweet, humbling time.
My portion starts around 14:20 and runs roughly 9 minutes. But if you can spare the half hour, I think Steve's intro and closing are really poignant, and Wayne's story is very sweet as well. And the video ends with the scrolling list of names that our community has lost over the past year. Even when you don't know someone on the list, it's always such an emotional part of the service. Both Charlie's and Hannah's names are on the list, which Elizabeth Hunnicutt accompanied with her amazing song, "Grows Hope."
https://vimeo.com/52875936
(Sorry you'll have to deal with following a link. My non-premiere vimeo account won't let me embed) :)
3 comments:
What an amazing testimony...grateful for all of your children, and remembering Hannah with you today... <3
I think you did a really, really great job in your sharing! Well done.
Just watched the video. Thanks for sharing the link for those of who didn't get to hear you in person. Well done friend.
Post a Comment