What do you see when looking at this picture? The easy
answers would be snow, a person, lights & a fence. But I’d like you to
change your perception for a moment and see it thru the eyes of grief. For a
grieving person…this is how we often feel. Are you wondering what I mean by
this statement? Allow me to explain.
Like everything in our lives there is a season, grief is a
season; a period of time where those who are grieving feel like it is winter. A
dark, cold time; where we feel as if we are alone on our travels.
But if you look closely at the picture you will see some
other things that may have been overlooked. Yes it is dark and cold but you see
there are other footprints, fencing and lights. All those things remind us that
others have travelled this path before us. The footprints remind us that
although we may feel as though we are the only ones who have experienced this
pain- if we look around we will see that there are others who have walked it
before us. Like little beacons, the lights only illuminate a small spot and
encourage us to move forward towards the next one. There will be areas that are
dim- but that is ok- these are the areas where one light is ending and another
is beginning. The fence was put there to guide and protect us along the path
and our travels. The last thing one may notice is how bundled up the person is
against the cold. I would like to think that this is very much like God’s love;
it does not immediately take away the winter but it does provide warmth,
protection and act as a buffer against the harsh reality that is ours to
experience.
You many have also noticed that this path is not perfectly
straight but rather it twists and winds along. As I continue to travel along
this path, if I could I would add some things. Perhaps I would add a bench to
rest upon when we become weary, or a gate where someone could enter and walk
alongside us. There are times when I look forward to the time when Spring will
arrive and I can see our lives starting to show life again.
