This news weighs heavy on my soul. The Psalms are God's gift to us to teach us how to pray when we cannot find the words.
Here is my meditation for Troy and Sarah Duble as they grieve the loss of Noah, their four year old son.
Psalms 91
1
Those who live in the shelter of the Most High
will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
2
This I declare of the LORD:
He alone is my refuge, my place of safety;
he is my God, and I am trusting him.
3
For he will rescue you from every trap
and protect you from the fatal plague.
4
He will shield you with his wings.
He will shelter you with his feathers.
His faithful promises are your armor and protection.
5
Do not be afraid of the terrors of the night,
nor fear the dangers of the day
God, surround the Dubles with your people. Raise up tender warriors who will bravely walk with them, cry with them, and hold them. Let them feel your love in a deep and abiding way, like a young eagle nestled safely within the wings of his mother. Remind them of your faithful promises. Redeem their pain, O Lord. Renew their trust. Deepen their faith. Give their souls peace and rest as they lean into You.
Amen.
Details about the funeral can be found here.
I will add my poem written for another family who had lost a son of similar age. I have tweeked it over the years but the essence still remains.
A Grief Observed
Copyright 1993-2005
William G. Meisheid
Underneath the pain of death
Beyond the shock of loss
For those left to stay behind
Lie boundaries yet uncrossed
We sit in empty corridors
With hearts severely broken
Hearing echoes within our mind
Of the words left unspoken
To bar the ache of our distress
We wall around the pain
Woven within our very soul
The anguish yet remains
Can anyone heal the hurt within
And remove the deadly thorn?
Impotent, themselves not whole
Are the efforts of Adam born
The answer some say is close at hand
Within the sacred rhyme
Able to touch the suffering core
Across the span of time
God does see the needful things
And feels our deep distress
Granting from his bounteous store
The love that offers rest
From the tools of cross and blood
God makes for us a way
To drain the gulf of pain that hurts
To the core of our every day
The only thing required of us
Is to let our struggles cease
And He will fill the place that waits
With life and love and peace
Posted by: William Meisheid | August 16, 2005 at 16:02
Beautiful poem. I wish I could write poetry like that. Thank you.
Posted by: Dawn Treader | August 16, 2005 at 18:21