No Words

Some days there are no words, just heavy sighs,

The unthinkable happens.

Without warning or explanation, the landscape of a life is drastically changed forever.

And like watching a movie in slow motion, there is nothing that those watching can do to stop the devastation that is about to occur.

Slowly, painfully the next moments unravel.

An ending has been rewritten for what was supposed to be a beautiful story.

It rocks us to our foundation and leaves us feeling vulnerable.

Because deep in our spirits, at any given moment, we know that the main character in the story could be us.

In the scene that is unfolding, those surrounding the main character have few lines.

But the scene does not work without the supporting cast.

In moments when life is unbearably hard, we become unsure of our lines.

We are not scripted with what to say.

We are not called to have all the answers.

We are simply called to be present.

“Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up the other; but woe to one who is alone and falls and does not have another to help.” Ecclesiastes 4:9-10

When we read the story of Lazarus, Jesus approaches Mary his sister as she is grieving for her brother.

Jesus, moved with compassion, weeps with her.

The briefest line in the Bible is one of the most powerful.

“Jesus wept.” John 11: 35

No speeches or sermons.

Jesus stays present with Mary as she mourns.

He stays with her in the hard places.

His presence was a gift far greater than any words He could have offered.

A model of how to be part of the supporting cast for those we love facing unspeakable grief.

Some days there are no words, just heavy sighs.

Be present in the hard places.

Because two are better than one.