Sunset on the Grief Journey

I’m beginning to think that the journey of grief never really has an end while we’re on this earth.

The sun rises and sets on each day, but grief never fully passes.

Each day that passes brings me closer to eternity with my Savior and reunion with my daughter and any other babies He calls Home before I am blessed to meet them. But each day also brings a bitter-sweetness.

Day 31 of Capture Your Grief: Sunset

I chose to share a picture of the sunset on our last night in FL for a few reasons…

This was our first real vacation as a family. An incomplete family. It brought me the realization that no matter what happens in the future, we will never be a complete family until we are in Heaven.

No matter how many of us there are and how full our room, van, or home may be, we will never ever be complete here on earth.

I also hared this picture as a reminder of the unpredictability of our lives here. I wasn’t able to capture a sunset picture on the 31st.

We returned home a few days after I captured this sunset, to preparations and predictions of Hurricane Sandy.

Our home was thankfully spared any damage… but my family and hometown were not.

Just two days after we remembered the anniversary of Miranda’s death, my parents would face the devastating flooding and damage of my childhood home.

The home that they have spent over 30 years building was destroyed in moments as Sandy’s tidal surge battered Staten Island.

In the hours and days since their loss I’ve been placed into the uncomfortable position of being the person on the outside of loss, helpless to a situation that no one could prepare for. I am here watching what’s going on, wondering what the right things to say and do are, when I can’t be right by their side.

And once again the rawness of grief surfaces…

Each day that we’re blessed to witness sunrise and sunset means we’ve been blessed with one more day of life. But each day brings with it not only opportunity for blessing and joy, but also for more hurt in this fallen world. Clinging to the promise of eternity is what makes looking forward to ‘tomorrow’ possible.

I do look forward to tomorrow, and I pray the Lord will continue to go ahead of us, meeting us in our greatest times of need, even when we have a hard time reaching for Him with our broken hearts.

This journey doesn’t have a clear end, until we are each called home to Heaven.

 

 

**Capture Your Grief is a 31 day photo challenge created by CarlyMarie. For each day of the month during October (Pregnancy/Infant Loss Awareness) bereaved parents are encouraged to share their journey through photographs as a way to share the healing process. I am participating in this series and will resume sharing our homeschool journey, recipes, and life in general in November. Thank you for your thoughtful understanding while I share my heart this month.**