It is an ominous thing, to see your daughter standing rain-drenched on the side of the road next to her mangled car. How in a moment of carelessness, the actions of one can inflict pain on many, detour the course of a life in a blink. Standing in soggy grass, arms wrapped around my girl, she weeps tears in tandem with raindrops dripping from the blue and yellow canopy I hold above us.
I whisper, I’m so sorry and I am so thankful you are okay more times than she needs to hear. Because this kind of pain that comes from disappointment when we have done everything right, been responsible, it roots deep like a tree growing years.
Just two weeks ago, under a halo of drizzle, we transfer keys into to her capable hands. This new season, it’s like popping the cork off a bottle. It unleashes what lies deep, bubbles to the surface joy.
And like a bird flying from the nest into freedom, her wings suddenly clip in collision.
So she mourns the loss of what gives joy. Grieves the bewilderment of injustice laying in the arms of her Daddy. And even though this is just a car, something replaceable, I know He sheds tears with her, feels her pain. Because what happened to Him on the cross, that was unjust.
Are you disappointed, perplexed, puzzled, bewildered, misunderstood? There isn’t anything we experience that lies outside of His understanding and redemption.
In the promise of redemption, we wait in hope for the end of this story. Because sometimes life becomes clear while looking in the rear view mirror . . . even if the mirror is a bit marred.
. . .and he sends rain on the just and the unjust alike (Matthew 5:45)
Dear friends, can you share a time when God redeemed what you grieved as loss? Share it here and encourage.
Linking with her today with Soli Deo Gloria Sisterhood.
Shelly, this reminds me of when my grandmother died. She was taken so suddenly, in a car accident that was not her fault. She had never even had a traffic ticket! I felt a loss that I had never experienced, and with that came fear. I never wanted to feel that way again.
Slowly, as we planned her memorial service, God gave me unspeakable peace in so many ways. We first found a note she had written to us in her strong box, reminding us that she was happy, and in heaven. As we organized that day, we carried out her wishes exactly, and two witnesses from the accident came to the funeral just to tell us that her death had been instant. They just needed us to know she did not suffer, and then they left.
I can say without a shadow of doubt, God gave my heart a glimpse of the happiness and rest found only in Him.
Jennifer, thanks so much for this! What a beautiful story of God loving you, speaking to you in just the ways He knew you needed.
First off, your pictures alone tell such a story.
Yes, the loss of my stepsister in a car accident when she was only eighteen, life-changing.
Amy, thanks for visiting. I read your post on growing up Catholic and wanted to comment but for some reason, my comments don’t always make it on blogger. Trying to figure that one out! Maybe you can clue me in.
This post spoke to me. I see wrecks everyday going and coming from work and I often ponder the same things.
So glad to know this spoke to you. God is good. Thanks for visiting!
I deeply grieved the loss of my grandmother, but I see how God honored her, even in the midst of great pain.
And, I’ve grieved my own hearing loss, but I see, time and time again, how God uses it for His glory.
Jen, I still miss my grandparents. Think about them almost every day and it has been over 15 years since they both passed. So sorry about your hearing loss. Thanks so much for visiting and for leaving a comment!