First baseball practice of the season. Bryce has moved up from tee ball to pitching machine league. As I watched him take infield with the team, I was struck by the absence of Jill. She should have been there with me to cheer him on. It should have been a moment where together we enjoyed watching our son hit another milestone in life.
For those who have experienced the loss of a loved one, these sudden reminders occur periodically –but that doesn’t make them any less difficult.
Sometimes hearing a song over the loudspeakers at the grocery store is all it takes to prompt a memory. Other times, seeing other couples enjoy time together triggers emotions.
On the one hand, every one of these moments reminds me that there are more to come. It is hard to imagine the emotions awaiting me when Bryce graduates college, marries his bride, and becomes a dad.
On the other hand, each of these moments also reminds me that Bryce is closer than ever before to being reunited with his mom forever.
In this way, losing a loved one means that the most cherished moments in life are also the most difficult. Of course, that’s not surprising is it? All Scripture points to this reality when, at the cross, God the Father turned His face from God the Son. Crying, “Why have you forsaken me?,” Christ expressed the most excruciating pain. And then, proclaiming, “It is finished,” He declared the most worthy victory!