Back Seat Rider

Somehow I managed a trip upstate and back without ever getting behind the wheel of a car! Thanks to Long Island Railroad, The Air Train and Jet Blue I made it safely there. My sister, Cheryl's family shuttled me around all weekend. Yesterday morning I headed back, in the backseat of my son-in-law and daughter's van.

The ride home was great, not just because I did not have to drive but because of the view I had. Besides the kids playing several movies on the two screens that came down from the ceiling I saw the interaction between my daughters and their husbands. It was wonderful. We laughed and had fun all the way home.
It brought me back to the road trips of years ago, when they were the ages of my grandkids. I love the way they enjoy life.

They also checked on dear old dad from time to time. I actually requested the back seat. I am so glad I did. I felt a kind of success in my far from perfect parenting days. I saw them as I was 25 years ago. I saw my dad who loved to make family trips fun. The 300 mile trip seemed to fly by. Home now the memory of yesterday lingers with me. My blessings even abound in the back seat of my kids' van.

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10200925692838753&set=a.1781932822290.94505.1058525670&type=1&theater

http://www.newsday.com/long-island/suffolk/li-school-bus-driver-still-shaky-after-helping-save-lives-1.6106506


God bless Mary!!

Pain Beyond Words

Psalm 42:3 My tears have been my food day and night, while people say to me all day long,“Where is your God?”

Psalm 57:1 Have mercy on me, my God, have mercy on me, for in you I take refuge.I will take refuge in the shadow of your wings until the disaster has passed.

I have a number of friends going through unspeakable loss right now.

We all have experienced loss. Some of us have gone through crushing loss. Unspeakable loss is the kind where one is not able to put the pain into words. It is excruciating. It numbs the soul and mind. You feel so helpless.

Then the world goes on. It seems almost profane, disrespectful for it to do so. Your world has crashed. The feelings of devastation are all around.

There is a longing for the pain to end, to go to heaven where there is no more pain. Like the little 5 year old girl who said after her Dad had died, "I want to die." "What?!!!," everyone exclaimed. To which she gently replied, "My Dad died and is in heaven. I want to die so I can be with him."

Somewhere in this dark valley of the shadow of death, the LORD comes with songs in the night. We must wait for Him, but if we stay open He will come.

Psalm 27:14 Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.

He will come with comfort deep within your soul.

Psalm 34:18 The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.

Psalm 147:3 He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.