Sad

I am sad today. I am emotionally spent. Drained. The friend that I referred to in my previous post will never have the opportunity to put the pieces of her "fairy tale" life back together again. She will never get to try to "work things out." They found her husband yesterday. He had taken his life. And left behind a beautiful wife, two daughters, and a son.

My relationship with this family goes back about 12 years. When Cassie started kindergarten, their oldest daughter was the first friend she made. And they have remained close through all these years, through the ebb and flows of friendship, they still call out to each other when one is in need. She and I were pregnant at the same time with our youngest children. I taught the middle child several years ago, and am teaching the youngest child now. While I can not say that I have ever been especially close with this friend, she was always someone to turn to for daughterly advice, someone to count on for help at school, or with social plans for our girls.

This just makes me sad. How desperate must someone get to see no way out? To feel no hope for forgiveness? To see this as the best option for their family? How can you choose to leave your kids without a father? I don't how to help with this heartache. All I know to do is to say that I will forgive. I will not stand in judgement. I will not condemn. I will love. That's all I know to do for this family right now - to love. I loved on sad children all day long. Every hug, every "Will you pray with me, Mrs. Nobles?", every sad face was precious to me. I'd like the chance to love on you, too, if you need it. Or maybe even if you don't. And someday, I may need you to love on me too. After all, isn't that what Jesus would do?

Please pray for my friend, her family, and all of their friends who are hurting and loving on them.