Losing several beloved family members in a short period made me start questioning the experience of loss. What is it? There is almost a physical sensation of the person (or thing, animal, place, etc.) slipping away from under your fingertips. You can no longer hold them. The tangible fades and you are left longing for what you once could hold. What does not fade is the God-given spirit. We rejoice in the beauty left behind. The colors, personalities and gifts that graced their lives and blessed the world. What comes from God does not die. Loss creates a void, a seemingly gaping hole in our lives, but the beautiful residue of the eternal remains. For this reason loss is pain and joy, grief and hope mixed up together in love.
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Take some time to think about the losses in your own life. What are the tangible elements that you miss? Where can you see the beautiful residue of the eternal?
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