hard things.

I'm not sure if the world is experiencing more pain in general as time goes by, or if it's simply because I'm growing older and knowing more people and therefore hearing about and feeling and experiencing a greater deal of hurt and hardships -- most likely the latter. It's a part of being a future pastor's wife I hadn't really considered. We're getting to know a fair amount of people in many different communities, and Wayne has only been in seminary for one year -- I can't imagine how many people we'll know after 20-30-40 years in the business. Accompanied with knowing a greater number of people is the fact that we'll be sharing a greater amount of grief and suffering with those people.

We got our first taste of tragedy within our new communities this past summer. Our next door neighbours lost their baby girl at 38 weeks -- a seemingly healthy baby girl with a strong heartbeat who just faded away for no apparent reason.

We grieved and prayed with Charity's parents and struggled to understand the reason for such a short life when everything seemed so promising.

We have no answers for why these things happen, and probably won't for a very long time. Through the grief and pain that I've experienced I've learned that there aren't answers, only time to heal, rest in Jesus, and look to the day when the Lamb who is seated on the throne will come and make all things new (Rev. 21:5).