Hurting, Helping, Healing

In three months I will be sixty-one years old. I have learned more about life and death and sorrow and survival in the past five years than in all the years that preceded them. HURTING....Jerry's illness and Jason's death have taken me to places of hurt and sorrow that I did not know were possible. They have also opened my eyes the the hurt and sorrow I see in others. I now see pain in the eyes of complete strangers, I see sorrow in the eyes of my loved ones, even when they are trying so hard to hide it. I see sadness in the eyes of my husband every time he watches others do for him the simplest things that he used to do for himself. I understand hurting, both mine and that of others.. is has been.one of the more difficult parts of this journey. HELPING...In the past five years, I have learned that there is great joy in helping someone who is hurting and great humility in accepting help when I am hurting. The latter, was a difficult lesson for me to learn. I have also learned that helping someone else who is hurting or grieving, at least momentarily eases your pain and accepting the loving help of others in the middle of your pain, at least momentarily, also eases your pain. It is God's plan, His purpose, His example, and it is without flaw. HEALING..there is no healing apart from feeling the hurt, accepting the help and surrendering it all back to the God who is the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. There is no part of this journey that is unknown to Him, no tear goes unnoticed, no sorrow hidden from His loving eye. And it is the belief that He has the sovereign right to direct the path of our feet, to write the story that is our life....that frees us to heal. And everyday I am hurting less, looking for ways to help others more, and allowing the love and mercy of God to heal my broken heart. The journey continues and I accept that healing is a very long process. I thank God for his faithfulness, the promise of eternity, and the assurance that I am His and He is mine.....for truly God is Good...ALL THE TIME.