Life is full of moments, of times. As Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 reminds us, there is a time for every purpose under heaven. We live from moment to moment experiencing the myriad facets of our lives in plenty. We experience joy. Pain. Tears. Laughter. Normalcy. Regret. Sorrow. Pride. It is the human condition to live and love, to be broken and made whole anew. To be born.
And to die.
Nathan Grill amazed me. His kindness and sarcasm were equally matched; a hard fete to manage. He held a winning smile in reserve, unleashing it at any moment, infecting and injecting the people around him with warmth. I met him last year. My step-sister’s fiancé, he started coming to family events. He was there for a few holidays long before I met him, and he treated my mother with the utmost respect. He had me at that point. But when I met him and saw the love he showed to Bailey, I was completely won over. He not only loved her. He cherished her. The two of them were beautiful to behold; they walked through life together over these last years and enjoyed every moment of it. When Duane (my step father) died, Nathan was there as always, helping Bailey pick up the pieces and grieve. He was a good man. A smart man. A loving man. And he was going to be my brother. He was my brother.
Yesterday, unexpectedly and tragically, he died.
They, whoever they are, say that God gives and God takes away. I refuse to believe that God takes people from us—rather that God receives them when they die. But I know the God I love gives. And gives abundantly without fault. God gives us grace to face pain and grief, and God gives us love and joy to overcome sorrow. Again, there is a time for everything. Even in the midst of death yesterday, God still gave.
A baby was born to a beautiful couple. My Admin and friend, Trina Jones, became a grandmother. In the throes of grief, I received a photo of a beaming mimi and her newest love. The contrast of joy and sorrow was stark, and shocked me back to life. I had been sitting silently for hours, staring at the wall and wondering ‘why’. I’m still wondering, but that grief-filled wondering has been tempered by the arrival of someone who will bring joy to a newly parented young couple.
A time to be born. A time to die.
In every moment of this life, we are subject to the goings-on around us. No amount of prayer will save us from every trial, and no amount of faith will keep us from dying. But every moment of prayer will save us from despair, and every ounce of faith will keep us going. Nathan left the world far too early, and my sadness is deep. I grieve for Bailey, for his parents, for his friends…and for myself. Yet, I am overjoyed for the Krase family, for the Jones family, and for the new life that entered the world.
God is in both of these moments. I look to my faith to heal, but also to rejoice and be glad. I hope you will, and do, too. When tragedy strikes, turn to God. When joy abounds, turn to God. When the normalcy of life keeps the trains on time, turn to God. Be in your grief in those moments, but remember that God loves you. Be in your joy in those moments, and remember that God blesses you. Be in every moment with God.
In every time.
Faithfully,
Fr. Sean+