Why am I discouraged? Why is my heart so sad? I will put my hope in God! I will praise him again-my Savior and my God! Psalm 42:11 NLT
More tears. Sorrow. I couldn’t shake the sadness of the past few days. Grief grabbed and wouldn’t let go.
Lunch, with members of my upcoming trip, seemed a burden. How could I face new people with a smile when my heart ached so badly?
I opened the refrigerator. A shiny watermelon mocked me. With no enthusiasm, I put it on the counter and sliced it in half.
For years, Alan cut up our watermelons. We joked. He cut juicy fruit. We sampled and laughed. I cleaned up sticky juice. I missed my team member.
A far away memory returned. The first time he invited me to his home, he fixed a brunch of bagels and fruit. Watermelon and cantaloupe balls filled a large bowl. As we ate, we looked out over the lake behind his house.
His culinary skills impressed me. Later, I learned how limited they were. We laughed about that too. He had already captured my heart.
The memory of that day prodded me to rummage through my kitchen drawers. Finally, I found the melon ball maker. With each swipe across the melon, memories swept across my mind. The bowl filled and so did the empty places in my heart.
With my bowl of fruit, I headed out to the lunch. I met new friends. Some also grieved recent losses. We bonded in our sadness.
Prayers enfolded us. By the time I left, my heart felt lighter. Grief lessened a bit. New adventures awaited.
Dear God, thank you for memories and new opportunities during times of grief. Amen
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