I'm thinking of Maria today, one of sisters from the Spanish speaking service. Tonight our building will house the wake for her son, Ariel. He died last week in a tragic accident. Though Ariel was an adult, it is still terribly tragic to me when a parent has to bury their child. In my mind, it's one of those things that clearly and painfully evidences the reality that our world is broken. I find my body literally shudders at the thought of experiencing the grief Maria has encountered.
I hope that many of us in the DC area will take the time to stop by this evening and join Maria and her family in their mourning. There are no perfect answers or healing words any of us could offer in the midst of this kind of grief, but we can offer the small comfort of compassionate presence. The other resource we have to offer our grieving sister is prayer. This afternoon, I'd like to plead with each of you to be in prayer continuously for Maria and her family. I'll close with the prayer
Father,
There is no one greater than you. Your power, wisdom, holiness and love are beyond comprehension to us. In your greatness, we beg you to see our brokenness and be merciful with us.
For our sister Maria and her family, Father we beg for your grace to flow freely in their lives. Hold them close while they grieve. Fill their hearts with loving, hopeful memories of Ariel. Father, you know all too well how painful the death of a son is for a parent. I pray that you will surround Maria with your children as she mourns the loss of her own. May their presence and your Holy Spirit give her strength to endure the pain of this difficult day, and those that will follow. In time, please lift Maria up into the marvelous, heartwarming rays of your glory, and fill her heart with hope and peace in the assurance she has of the future life after death you have promised to those who put their trust in you. Thank you for hearing my prayer, which is offered in the name of your son, Jesus. Amen.
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