Yes, why indeed does my heart still ache? Missy is in Heaven, safe now in the eternal loving arms of God. We, left behind, are tormented. We, left behind, are in despair. How, indeed, do we understand? We, made in the image of God, suffering so? But could that be the point? We, made in the image of God, suffer as He suffered for us?

Yet isn’t it also the depth of love for Missy that has led to this depth of suffering? And the capacity for love also comes from our being made in the image of God, who loves.

Love and suffering, part of the human condition, inter-related and intertwined in our lives. The one leads to the other, and each are a reflection of our God-breathed nature. Neither answers the why question; neither allows us to understand the reason behind Missy’s shortened life. That we accept.

Our moving on is perhaps made easier in knowing, though, that this suffering, this grief, is a corollary of love, and that both have brought us closer to God. As Job rightly concluded, “My ears had heard of you, but now my eyes have seen you.”

In the depth of this suffering, and seeing the depth of this love, we are brought face to face in a more intimate way with the living God.

This grief will be carried forward in our lives and will never leave us. It will mark each of us in a special way, giving each of us a new understanding of God and His ways, and will heighten our sensitivity to others' grief and sorrow, yes, but also their joy.

Lord, thank you for Missy. Thank you for the gift of your Son. Quicken each of us to the days ahead. Help us keep our eyes on You.

Missy, you are missed. You are loved. And I look forward, in the Lord’s timing, to our glorious reunion. XXXOOO