Heart ache

Sunday when we were outside Josh our 4 year old neighbor was over and said, "my sister Tamia died." My mouth dropped open and I asked if he was sure. I asked another neighbor girl if it was true and she said it was. My heart sank. I sat the baskets of flowers down that I was watering and walked right over to their house. As I approached the porch tears of children filled the walk way up to the house. As I walked I bent down hugging so many of the kids that have spent hours at our house playing and laughing together, for the past 7 years we have lived here this was the first time I had seen some of them cry. My heart hurt, and my eyes welled up with tears as I embraced their weary souls.
That evening as I sat outside watching all of the family and friends fill the street, I felt so helpless, so empty for them. What could I do? A few kids at a time would come down and sit with me as I held them and cried with them, until my heart could not take the beating any longer. I went inside wanting to dull the pain or somehow get my mind on something else, but I didn't think that would be fair to do. I felt like I needed to somehow share that pain.
What I really needed to do is to rely on God to fill my aching heart, and although my heart was still heavy with sadness, God gave me the peace I needed for the moment.

Please pray for Tamia's family and friends, and for my family to be able to minister to them in the ways they are needing.