Rising from tears

I sobbed as I read accounts of the recent flooding of the Guadalupe River in Texas. Though I felt touched by the courage displayed by individuals who helped others survive, such as a 19-year-old counselor at Camp Mystic who helped lead her cabin of campers to safety, I also felt great sorrow at the lives lost.

And then I prayed, because I knew that praying for all those affected by the flood would be more helpful than my weeping over the situation. I knew that God loves each of His precious children (which we all are) and was comforting everyone involved in the disaster.

I thought about the prophet Elijah, who discovered that God was not in the wind, earthquake, or fire, but spoke in a “still small voice” (see I Kings 19:11, 12 ). Elijah’s revelation reminded me that God was not the cause of the camp disaster, but would provide the way forward.

When we are confronted with the passing of a loved one or with deaths in the news, the biblical promise of eternal life is very reassuring. Although those individuals are no longer with us, we can trust that they live on, because as God’s children they are in truth entirely spiritual.

When my beloved husband of almost 50 years passed away, I knew that I could and must turn away from the grief I felt, so that I could feel God’s great love. Nobody had ever loved me more than my husband, but I knew that the source of his love was God, who is divine Love, and that God was guiding both my husband and me forward.

I knew that nothing could separate either of us from the love of God. Although my husband is no longer with me, I continue to cherish him.

God is always present, and as we humbly reach out to Him, His loving care is there to comfort us. God fills every void in our lives. More and more I find that I receive everything I need from God, and I know and feel my completeness as God’s loved child.

In “Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures,” Mary Baker Eddy writes, “The sharp experiences of belief in the supposititious life of matter, as well as our disappointments and ceaseless woes, turn us like tired children to the arms of divine Love” ( p. 322 ). As a good Parent, God embraces us in His great love and gives us strength to move forward. He lovingly counsels us, “Keep leaning on Me, and never give up!”

When confronted by loss, there is a tendency to turn inward, focusing on our grief and sadness. However, turning outward and obeying the two great commandments Jesus pointed to enables us to move forward more easily. As we obey the first of them – “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind” – we feel support from God to fulfill the second – “Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself” (see Matthew 22:36-39 ).

As we love God, we feel more of God’s great love for us, and we’re able to share it with the world. Our love becomes more diffusive and unshakable. As I have striven to include all mankind in my prayers, I have found greater peace and joy.

Soon after my husband passed away, a friend asked me how I thought I had changed since my husband passed away. I said, “I don’t know. How do you think I have changed?” They replied, “I think you are more chill.” They perceived the peace I was finding as I felt the embrace of our loving Father-Mother God.

Even in the face of devastating events, we can all feel God’s loving embrace and find the peace and courage to move forward.