Take off your sandals.....

Am sitting in the garden at the start of a new day reflecting on the events of the last two... The weekend I have been on was entitled "A Different Journey" and intended for young bereaved people who have lost their husband or wife. I arrived on Friday night with zero expectation after sorting out the children, the dog, the cats and the chickens......

There were about 20 or so people all united by one thing-grief. Each person with a different gut-wrenching story of a loved one who had died, some with young children, some with older children, some with none at all - but everyone laden by hurt and pain. Tissues were in ample supply as tears flowed, memories and emotional pain were discussed, unfulfilled dreams were mourned and much much more.
The thing that totally undid me more that anything was answering the question "What lives on in you that you received from your loved one?".....and I relived the days afresh back in 1992 when Karena introduced me to Jesus, and my life was to be forever transformed by Him. She's not here now but Jesus still is, and unmistakeably in the weekend through all the tears, through brokenness, I also had an overwhelming sense of the Comforter's presence and a sense that I was in so many ways '...standing on holy ground.'

Driving home at midnight last night I listened (very loudly) to my latest favourite song, this one is by Third Day - check it out here
So it's off to the sea for a long swim now....no idea why really.....