Together Strong

            This has been a hard couple of weeks in the communities that make up the Wheatland Parish.  We have had several deaths.  Some of them were people who died before what we think of as their time, and some of them died in terrible accidents, and that seems even more tragic.  But even when someone lives a long time and dies what we think of as a natural death, it is still a very sad thing, and it is very hard on the people who knew and loved that person.

            Everyone, in all of these communities, has been affected by these deaths in some ways.  Those of you who knew and loved the people involved were obviously affected much more strongly and much more deeply.  But all of us have been affected in some way.  Even those of us who did not personally know some of the people involved are affected, because we see our friends and our neighbors hurting so much.

I hope those of you who have lost loves ones know that our hearts go out to you.  I hope you know you are in our thoughts and prayers, and will be for some time to come.

            We wish we could do more.  We wish there was something we could do that would make things better.  We wish we could do something that would take away your pain, or at least make it easier.  We wish we could do something that would make the hurting stop.

            And I know many people are making efforts.  People are doing the best they can.  But it never seems like it’s enough.  Because we know that, no matter what we do, it doesn’t change anything.  Maybe we can distract you from things for a few minutes, maybe we can do something that lightens the mood for a brief period of time.  But we know that, in the end, you still have to deal with what you have to deal with.  And we cannot change that.

            But we hope it helps, at least a little, to know that you are not alone.  We hope it helps you to know that people love you.  We hope it helps you to know people care about you.  We hope it helps you to know that, while there is very little that we can do, we still want to do the little that we can.

            We’ll never know why things like this happen.  It’s okay to ask the questions--God never minds when we ask questions--but we’re not likely to get an answer.  And even if we did, the answer would probably not satisfy us.  What answer could?  When we lose someone we love, especially when we lose them prematurely, there is no answer that could make us say, “Oh, well, that’s all right, then.”  Even if we knew why, it would not really make things any easier.

            But we do know a few things.  We know that God loves us.  And we know that God does not want us to get through these things alone.  That’s why God puts us in families.  That’s why God puts us in communities.  That’s why God puts other people into our lives in the first place--so we’ll have people there for us when we’re hurting.  So that, when things seem to go terribly wrong and there’s no way to make them seem right, we have each other to lean on for help and support.  So we’ll have each other to help us get through those terribly wrong times.

            Please know that the churches of these communities want to be there for you.  And I’m sure that I’m not just speaking for the United Methodist churches.  I’m sure that every church and every pastor in every community affected by these deaths wants to help.  And if you don’t have a church, don’t be afraid to reach out to one.  If it’s a United Methodist church that’s fine--we want to help--but if it’s another church, that’s fine, too.  We all want to help.  We want to be there for you.  We want to do whatever we can to get you through such a sad and difficult time.

            No one can change the things that have happened, and no one can explain why they happened.  But we can be there for you.  We want to be there for you.  No one can take away your pain.  But we can keep you from having to go through it alone.

            My wife, Wanda, wrote a poem she wants to share with you:

I shall not walk alone

Heaven is my home

Wrapped in arms of love

Free from sorrow above

Shining through the sun

Or stars one by one

Reaching palm to palm

Everlasting calm

A promise sent to God’s flock

Not understanding his every thought

Faith can explain

Unanswered questions in vain

Hope can be measured

In memories treasured

Within the heart’s a song

Love is strong

Lamb of God held near

Sweet hour of prayer forever here.

            BY:  Wanda Adel