All I Can Offer...

Don't fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God's wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It's wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life.
Philippians 4:6-7

All I can offer is this verse above. I don't know what to say. Some bad news, devastating news, was given to us via a voice-mail tonight while we were enjoying the company of some friends. Our friends had stopped by to give Sarala some Christmas presents. Life tends to happen that way. There are ups...then immediate "dives" that can occur. Do I expect these things? Not necessarily...I'm not a pessimist. We were talking and watching Sarala play with her Christmas gifts when we heard Crystal's cell phone ring. We usually let the voice-mail or machine pick up if we have visitors. Crystal checked it out as we continued to talk and found some terrible news from a family we're close to. The husband, Ron, has a grade 4 brain tumor. How does one digest something like this? It seems like one moment all was well, he was fine...the last time we saw them, now...the world around them is completely different.

As I thought about this news...I went back through my old blog posts and began reading. I came upon a post from April 2008, a result of similar circumstances...not knowing what to say to those you love who are hurting. Here's an excerpt of all I could offer and I'm in the same frame of mind again...what to say...how to say it....

Caedmon's Call has this song on their new album called "Hold the Light." It's a pretty amazing song that describes how a life with relationships goes. There will be times of celebration and times of loss...along with all the stuff in between. We are supposed to hold the light for each other in times of darkness. We need to allow the "silent peace of God" reflect in our actions and words.

Hold the Light
Caedmon's Call (Andrew Osenga/Randall Goodgame)

It's been a long year
Like a long sleepless night.
Jacob wrestled the angel,
but I'm too tired to fight.
Every wednesday
for two years we've met.
I've showed you all my anger
my doubts and bitterness.

There was no judgement in your eyes
just the silent peace of God,
that felt so real in you.
Will you hold the light for me?
Will you hold the light for me?

And I stay up late
because I cannot sleep.
I don't want to face the quiet
where its just God and me.
I'm waiting for the gavel
handing me the sentence down,
because I don't believe forgiveness
or even repentance now.

There was no judgement in your eyes
Just the silent peace of God,
that felt so real in you.
Will you hold the light for me?
Will you hold the light for me?

I want to feel redemption
flowing through my veins.
I want to see with clear eyes
beyond lust and hate.
I want the war to be over,
and know the good guys won,
and I want love to hold me
to know I'm not alone.

Standing around a willow weeping,
we were praying in the backyard.
In the chill of the night
the friendship light reminded me who we are
...who we are, who we are

Will you hold the light?
Will you hold the light for me?