I mentioned in my last post that March was full of mixed emotions… but I
didn’t really share why. I have spent a lot of time praying for other people in
March… praying for lives to be saved, for miracles, for people to find
healing. Life is short and we never know
when it will be the last day on earth for a loved one.
There were two big losses in March… women who passes away but in very different times of their lives. Both of them were fairly unexpected and heart-breaking. Both were dearly loved by many friends and family members and left a loss in the lives of so many people.
The first tremendous loss was Ella Bauer.
When I received the news that she was in the hospital fighting for her
life, my heart broke. The Bauer family
has been through so much as they navigate their blended family that God
hand-picked and put together. Aaron and Heather adopted 6 wonderful children,
each with their own unique stories. So many people were praying for a miracle
for Ella but in the end God chose to take her home. While we rejoice that she was able to donate
her organs to save so many others we also grieve the loss of her life here on
earth.
Losing a child is not easy. While we may have not lost Shane to death, we
still feel the loss just as deeply. We
have lost so many years and memories with him that we will never get back, even
if by the grace of God there is a miracle of reconciliation. My heart grieves alongside
the Bauers as they navigate this new normal without Ella… every Holiday where
her absence tugs at their heart… every memory that passes through their mind. I
pray that God will bring peace into their lives and walk with them as the
grieve. May they find their strength and hope in Him.
The other death was Barbara Lewis.
She was the mother and grandmother to some of my dear friends. Even though she lived a long-life, her death
is still hard. She left a hole in the
life of her family that cannot be replaced.
I went to her memorial so that I could be a support to Christina, one of
the girls I discipled 20+ years ago. I
love how I still connect with women who were part of the youth group when I
started out in youth ministry.
This Easter season, I am reminded that we were not created to die. It was brought on by the fall of
mankind. It was part of consequence that
came because of our sin. Death is not
easy, because it was never supposed to be.
Jesus understood the pain we felt when a loved one dies. Even knowing that one day we would live
eternally with Him, he still cried when Lazarus died because of the pain his
sisters were experiencing (John 11:35).
I am so thankful for the cross that he died upon, so that our earthly
death does not end there. We can have
hope of life eternally with Him. We can
have hope of seeing our loved ones again one day. Ella and Barbara may have left us here on
earth but there is hope of seeing them again in Heaven. I’m not sure how people survive so much loss
here on earth without that hope to hold onto.
I cannot imagine living life without the hope of Jesus… and because of that
I am praying more. Praying more for my friends and loved ones that don’t know
Jesus!
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