Reflections
Thoughts & Poetry
Words written from the heart — prayers, poems, and meditations from those who have walked the path of grief and survival.
Prayer of hope
O Lord and Giver of Life, may we all recognize the great value of the life you have given to each one of us. But look in a special way on those who no longer find any meaning in the life they are leading. You can see every movement of the human heart and you know what depths of despair, discouragement, frustration, loneliness, or self-hate have led them to the edge they are standing on. Have mercy on them and open their eyes to see that the road has not ended. Fill their hearts with new hope. Place people in their lives who will love them with your own love, and who will give them a reason to live again. Make them know they are worthwhile and needed. And Lord, if you wish to use me as your instrument touching someone, feel free to do so. Amen.
Grief Is ….
Grief is like peeling an onion. It comes off one layer at a time and you cry a lot. Grief comes in one size …. extra large. It hurts as much as it can hurt. There is no way to rate the experience or compare it with another. There are, however, some heightened dimensions in the different kinds of grief. These dimensions are found in each grieving experience but the dimensions can be particularly strong in one type of grief. Suicide has a shattered dimension. It is like the onion has been shattered and we must put in back together before we can peel it.
—Doug Manning
Lifekeeper Promise
Someone we love
Did not keep their life
In pain and anguish
They ended their strife
In this lifetime on Earth
We'll see them no more
Yet we carry them always
In our soul, in our core
Now we're left here
And we must stay
We have Life to live
To the fullest each day
For we are the Lifekeepers
A promise we make
To celebrate their Lives
Our own not to take
We are the Lifekeepers
Truth Bearers, Peace Seekers
We are the Wounded
We are the Healed
We are the Lifekeepers
Our commitment now sealed
written by Sandy Martin
Poem from a Friend
Hey, Mary, it's me…Jesus, with whom you walk the walk,
I thought I would write you, because right now you cannot talk.
I'm standing right beside you now, as I have been all these years,
But I know you can't quite see me with your eyes so full of tears.
When I got Nicole's note, like you, I dropped to one knee and wept,
Knowing all about her trials while her faith in me she kept
I just took her in my arms, like a shepherd with his sheep,
And I will always hold her close to me, so don't worry, there is no love so deep.
They call me, "The Good Shepherd", because I will at any cost,
Leave the ninety-nine behind and seek the one lamb that is lost.
And now that I have found Nicole, there is joy in heaven above!
For she's safely back within my flock and wrapped in arms of love.
On earth they called me, "The Man of Sorrows", for I lived through lots of grief,
So I know your heartache and your pain and how much you seek relief.
I know your loving heart, Mary, and I know what you are going through,
So let's just take it day by day, and my peace I will give unto you.
I promise I will give you strength, though you might not feel it yet,
Going through this traumatic time—is as difficult as life can get.
So take my hand, dear Mary, and hold onto it really tight
and focus on my presence all day long through the dark of night.
Love, Jesus
Note: Mary lost her daughter Nicole and this is a poem written by a friend to Mary. The author wishes to remain anonymous.
What GOD Hath Promised
God hath not promised skies always blue
Flower-strewn pathways, all our lives through
God hath not promised sun without rain,
Joy without sorrow, Peace without pain.
God hath not promised we shall not know
Toil and temptation, trouble and woe
He hath not told us we shall not bear
Many a burden, many a care
God hath not promised smooth roads and wide,
Swift, easy travel, needing no guide
Never a mountain, rocky and steep
Never a river turbid and deep
But God hath promised strength for the day
Rest for the labor, light for the way
Grace for the trials, help from above
Unfailing sympathy, undying love.
~ Annie Johnson Flint ~
Ed Said,
Ed SOS Highway
Ed