It Wasn't Goodbye
a poem in memoriam
My extraordinary mother, Joyce Cole Dow, passed away on June 20, 2020. At her funeral, I was blessed to be able to share this poem inspired by many summer vacations in Maine spent at my grandmother’s cottage. This quaint retreat is nestled along the bank of a beautiful spring-fed lake. Behind the cottage is a steep, tree-covered . . .
Posted in: #assurance#grief#hope
I'd Never Forget You - Never
I am blessed to have awesome siblings by blood and by marriage. Being the rebel who moved south 20 years ago, I missed out on the laborious tasks they all undertook as our mom transitioned from Pennsylvania to Maine, back to PA, then back to Maine, to now residing in a beautiful care facility on an oceanic waterway. Going through the . . .
Posted in: #assurance#grief#healing
The Closure of No Closure
One recent Sunday, our pastor preached from Deuteronomy 34. Preparing us for impending pastoral change, he invited us to embrace the journey to the Promised Land knowing that God's unwavering faithfulness will carry us through the pervasive uncertainty of leadership transition. As he read the passage, my heart became snagged . . .
Posted in: #assurance#grief#healing#peace
Divine First Aid
A hymn, a promise, and an invitation
In his hymn, "Sweet Hour of Prayer," William W. Walford poetically testified, "In seasons of distress and grief, my soul has often found relief." I am mindful that for many of us, those "seasons of distress and grief" often come without warning. A middle-of-the-night phone call, a sudden health crisis, an unforeseen large expense, a . . .
Grace to Grieve with Hope
Discovering God's Grace in the Midst of Loss
Not too long ago, I had the distinct privilege of being interviewed by the extraordinary Rev. John Arnold. Battling cancer and living beyond what he calls his "Expiration Date," John selflessly recorded conversations desiring to "encourage people going through the difficult experience of a terminal medical diagnosis or the loss of a loved . . .
Posted in: #characterdevelopment#grief#healing#hope
Go Ahead, 'Bother' the Teacher
A Not-So-Tongue-in-Cheek Invitation
“Don’t bother the teacher any longer.” That was the rebuke that derailed my focus from the sermon one recent Sunday morning. Abandoning the preacher's train of thought (sorry, pastor), I lingered in that Luke 8 passage, trying to understand the context for such a harsh statement.
Jesus, returning to the shore . . .
Posted in: #assurance#grief#healing#peace
Hurt and Profit
An Unexpected Highway Incident
Recently while traveling on an interstate, a vehicle zoomed by me that lassoed my meandering thoughts. Having been on the road for 7 hours, I was a bit tired. While some of the weariness was indeed physical, there was more to it. My heart was numb with murky melancholy thinking about the anniversary of my sister’s untimely death, saying . . .
Posted in: #characterdevelopment#grief#healing#hope
