A Coat of Many Colors of Grief

 

Dear Friends,

 

Have you ever watched a movie, thought it was sweet but then just moved on?  It did not inspire you.  It did not make you emotional.  It did not cause heartache.  It just was…

 

Until you had a year where you lived through your baby getting critically ill.  Until held her in your arms as she took her last breath.  Until you have survived the last 7 months grieving as a family.  Until you sat through church once again with tears streaming down your face, with empty arms, but a heart crying out to the Lord for comfort.  Until you listened to the song “Amazing Grace how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me…” played on the piano by a beautiful older lady that reminds me of my sweet gramma.

 

Today after morning service we had a simple lunch together with just David, I, SJ, and Little Man.  We are at the odd time in our lives where all the other children are busy…ALL.THE.TIME!  It is precious to have so much time to spend with these two, but oh so strange to think I have 9 children but only two eat with me most of the time.  Little Man remarked last week that he did not like it that his whole family does not eat together anymore…one of the many things that cancer stole from our family. 

 

After our meal we gathered on the couch to watch the movie Dolly Parton's “Coat of Many Colors”.  This movie is sat back in the mountains of Tennessee, showing Dolly as a young girl growing up in a family of 8 children.  Her family was extremely poor but had a mama whose faith was strong.  The mama became pregnant with her 9^th child, but the baby only lived minutes.  The grief almost tore the family apart until the daddy eventually came to understand and know Jesus.  I do not know how much of the movie follows Dolly’s true life, but regardless a movie that once only sweetly touched our heart, now caused the tears to roll down not only my face, but Millie’s daddy’s face also.  The raw emotions of this movie were all too familiar with our own emotions.  Even our children were very subdued with Little Man coming to sit on my lap and asking hard questions about why they were reacting to death in that manner. 

 

I think the reality that other families have had to walk this same painful path brings my heart to great compassion.  I am so sorry that anyone knows the pain of losing a child, no matter the age.  I am sorry that anybody knows the pain of death and separation.  I am however so very grateful that God is still God even in the pain.  He offers us comfort and compassion even with he does not offer us understanding. He listens to our cry for comfort, even as he gathers our tears up and credits them in his book.

 

Psalms 56:8 “You have taken account of my miseries; Put my tears in Your bottle. Are they not in Your book?”

 

If you have not seen this movie, grab your tissues.  You might not cry for Dolly’s family taking it as just a movie, but you might tear up if you think of Millie and so many other children gone before their parents.  Everywhere you look there are hurting people who need the comfort of the Lord Jesus.  How will they find it if we do not know HIM?  How will they know him if we do not tell them about him?

 

Romans 10:17 “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.”

 

Blessings sweet friends…

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆　｡･:*:･ﾟ★｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

I still believe in Millie’s Miracle

｡･:*:･ﾟ☆ Hebrews 11:1 ｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

︵‿︵‿୨☆୧‿︵‿︵

 

#MilliesMiracle

 

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