Hebrews 13:14 “For this world is not our permanent home; we are looking forward to a home yet to come.”
Chuck Swindoll tells a story when he met Corrie ten Boom at his church. Corrie ten Boom survived the German concentration camp in Ravensbruck. She lost her father and sister who also were arrested. Their crime was trying to save as many Jews as they could from being incarcerated.
Pastor Swindoll introduced her to his family. As she looked at his beautiful family, she grabbed his hand. He said that she opened my hand and said these words to me, “Pastor Swindoll, be careful to not hold too tightly to those you love. You must learn to hold everything loosely…everything. Even your dear family. Why? Because the Father may wish to take them back to Himself and when He does it will hurt you if He must pry your fingers loose.” She then let go of his hand and said, “Remember, hold everything loosely.” Corrie was speaking from a heart that had been broken many times. She knew what she was speaking of.
To walk through the loss of a child is one of life’s hardest journeys. Yet it is a journey worth taking. God did have to pry my fingers loose and boy, did it hurt. The pain is indescribable. Yet from the moment I held Katie in my arms, it was pure love; it also came with the realization that in the back of my mind there was a fear of loss. As Katie’s mom, my instinct was to hold her tightly and protect her. At the young age of seventeen, I had to surrender her to the Lord. I loved her so much, but I had to recognize that ultimately she belonged to God. As I have aged, I realize many people around me are leaving this earth before me. It is hard to let go. Yet they are headed to a new life that we can’t imagine. To hold our loved ones loosely is not because we don’t care, but because we trust the One who does.
– Michele
