Flashbacks

It has been a year now since my dad died. This week was the first anniversary. It's hard to believe he's really been gone a year. Sometimes it seems like it was just yesterday. I've been having flashbacks of late, mostly to childhood Christmases. One morning recently I was walking the dogs and caught the scent of pine in the air, which instantly brought memories of the annual Christmas tree. More recently, I found myself frozen in the grocery store near tears as some sappy Christmas song drifted over the sound system. Grief has been such a strange experience, coming and going in waves that were initially overwhelming, but have slowly become more bearable, something like the ocean as a storm roars past first bringing enormous waves that gradually become smaller as the storm fades. Mostly I have found that the unpleasant memories have begun to fade, while the positive ones remain. Maybe that's God's way of helping me cope. I preached a sermon this past Sunday about trusting God in difficult times. Now I'm working on one on the topic of power. The world's view of power seems to generally involve force or violence. But I think the most powerful force in the universe is love. I remember my dad closed every phone call by saying, "Remember I love you." That memory has been a gift to hold close.

Grace and Peace,
Donna Sue