The Reeds

I shared this story on Sunday but here it is for those of you who might have missed.

My friend Brad died when his car jumped the median on I-5 south of Portland. He was young.

This loss struck me differently than others. I am poor at dealing with loss. I keep it all inside until it comes out as anger or fear. In I way I wish I was better at dealing with loss...in a way I'm not. I kept the loss bottled up inside of me all summer while working at camp.

One night when the sky was clear and the moon was nearly full, I walked down to this little wood bridge that went over a stream. Looking at the water flowing below me I just had this sense of how quickly life just rushes past. I began to cry for Brad, for everyone I had lost, for all the past hurt in my life.

Through my tears I noticed these reeds right near the water. Just barely moving in the wind. I felt like God was trying to show me something. Here was this reed, just being, just peaceful as the stream continued to flow by. It was though God was there, just in the whisper, letting me know that everything would be ok.

Will you see the reeds?
Or loose yourself in the tears?