Peace that passeth understanding

Look at me, I am your Friend
on the night when you leave the house of your body
I will be with you in the grave.
You will hear my voice and know that
we were never separated.
I am the lucid core of your being
I've been by your side in joy and suffering.
On that fateful night you will hear my familiar voice,
see the lit candles and smell the sweet incense.
I will bring you food and wine.
On that night you will hear the blast of the trumpet
that will rip open the shrouds of the dead.
On that night the dust of all ages will be stirred
by the glory of the resurrection.
Don't look for me in human shape for
the soul is subtle and love is jealous.
There is no place for form in love.
-Rumi

Our hearts feel broken with pending loss in our family and community. Grief does not begin when a person dies but in the moment you realize that you are losing someone. Right now for my small family, there is a lot of grieving.

My Aunt Valerie who is 54 years old was diagnosed with cancer in April. Valerie is a wonderful, intelligent, kind woman. And she is a fighter but cancer has put up an even greater fight and we learned tonight that she will begin hospice care later this week. My prayer for my aunt is that she feels peace, that she is able to have meaningful time with people that she loves and that she is not in pain. My Uncle Dale also needs prayer as he watches Valerie fight. They love each other so much, it's very evident.

A close family friend, Linnea Johnson, has been battling cancer for many years. She has been in incredible pain and has endured, along side her family, an incredible fight. We pray that Linnea is relieved of her pain, that she feel peace and that her family feels incredibly cared for and supported.

My grandma has had a really hard 6 months. She is 91 years old and broke her hip in April. She has had an incredibly wonderful attitude to gain strength and become independent. This is completely characteristic of my grandma, she is a vivacious and giving woman. Last week she received an upper endoscopy and a large tumor was found and the tumor is cancerous. Ma continues to have a strong faith that God is taking care of her. Our prayer for Ma is that she continues to have rich time with our family and that her cancer does not take the wonderful spirit that she always has.

I know that a lot of people read our blog. I am asking that if you choose to pray for these three wonderful women, that you please post a comment to let me know. While I never doubt the power of prayer, I do desire the knowledge of support and just knowning that each of you are praying for them would mean a lot to us. Please pray for our little family too as we anticipate great loss in our lives and try to find the wisdom in God's amazing love, provision and resurrection.