Hope Through Pain and Loss

No matter how old you are, or what time of life you find yourself in, we're all moving toward pain and loss. This family picture was taken during an incredibly happy celebration. In my head, it doesn't seem like it was all that long ago. But aside from the fact that I had more hair on my head and fewer pounds around the middle, more than half of them are dead. All the people on the front row and the couple on the left in the second row are gone.

We can argue if they were taken before their time, or how COVID influenced two of their deaths. But no matter how much we complain, protest that it's not fair, or blame God, pain and loss are inevitable. Or, as they say in sports, "Father Time is undefeated. He's gonna win every time."

I'm not trying to depress anyone. I'm not trying to sell anything. All I'm saying is that Dr. Paul Brand was right. Americans, listen up.

The good doctor's observations are spot-on. As a culture, the pandemic, political unrest, economic uncertainty, and a host of other things have eaten our lunch. Within ourselves, we have come up short on all fronts. Perhaps it's time to listen to someone else.

I can't see a single reason that we wouldn't at least listen to these words and the one who spoke them.