A lady in my church passed away yesterday. She had been sick for a long time. Our church had been praying for healing, but it didn’t happen the way we had hoped. I feel sad. There are so many things I wish I understood about how God works. I wish it wasn’t such a struggle to ‘know’ how we are to approach life… and death.
I receive daily meditations from the Henri Nouwen society. This is what I received today. It speaks very deeply to the thoughts in my heart this morning.
“Some people live long lives, some die very young. Is a long life better than a short life? What truly counts is not the length of our lives but their quality. Jesus was in his early thirties when he was killed. Thérése de Lisieux was in her twenties when she died. Anne Frank was a teenager when she lost her life. But their short lives continue to bear fruit long after their deaths. A long life is a blessing when it is well lived and leads to gratitude, wisdom, and sanctity. But some people can live truly full lives even when their years are few. As we see so many young people die of cancer and AIDS let us do everything possible to show our friends that, though their lives may be short, they are of infinite value.” – Henri Nouwen