Tonight my eyes are burning and my heart is breaking for people I care about. I received some terrible news about a friend earlier today. A 20 year old son, gone in an instant. A mother receiving that phone call and in that instant her world seems to just stop. What caught my attention later, after I cried, fell on my knees and face and prayed and cried some more, was that my life kept going. Part of me did not want to keep going about my daily life, because it just didn't seem fair for my life to continue as normal when a friend and a family member is sitting hours away totally devestated.

But my day did go on, I got dressed, ate lunch, worked on school, ran my errands, did my shopping, fixed our dinner, and took care of online business, all the while, thinking and wondering how sweet "Liddy" was holding up and praying for her.

Then almost 12 hours later it happens again, another dear friend in pain, suffering a different kind of tragedy, my tears flow ever harder this time. My heart even heavier this time. It's late in the night, so there's more time to think about it this time, to think about both friends. I want to sit and cry and pray and beg GOD to 'fix everything' and yet I know, I must sleep and tomorrow I must get up and go about my daily life as normal.

But these two friends won't be normal, not today, not tomorrow, not ever again. Loss has that affect on you. It it something that stays somewhere inside you for the rest of your life. The dates never go away, the names never fade, the memories linger....

BUT by the grace of GOD, we have HOPE! My friends have HOPE...both of them have had their family, their friends, their pastor, and their church family crying out to the LORD on their behalf. They have the one true GOD. They have a friend that sticks closer than a brother, JESUS CHRIST. They have the very ONE who fully and absolutely understands their pain, their heartache, and everything feeling, emotion, tear, and thought that comes with LOSS. GOD's heart must have broke to have to let go of HIS SON while HE was on that Cross. GOD must have felt more anguish than most could imagine.

So, I sit and cry tears that burn and sting, but I also praise my Heavenly Father for hearing the cries of my dear friends as they walk through something that really is too much for them....but not for GOD.

Lord, thank you that you do bring beauty from ashes. You do work all things togther for good to them who love GOD. Lord, thank you for being completely trustworthy even when we cannot see WHY? this happened or HOW? this will work towards some good. We know that our lives are yours and whatever you ask us to walk through, You've already been ahead of us and You will hold our hand or carry us, as long as we will let you.

I love you LORD, and I'm believing You will wrap your loving arms around my dear friends right now, as I've felt Your arms around me. Pull them up into Your comforting lap, and hold them, as You've done for me. Pour out Your peace, Your love, Your grace, Your wisdom on my friends and all those involved in these difficults situations. I've known Your comfort and I ask You to give sweet sleep to all of them. The days ahead would be unbearable without You...I thank you that these families don't have to go through any of the coming hours and days without You.

Thank you Father. Thank you~