His grace is strength and life, and peace is God's own smile

Today is a very hard day for a lot of people very close to my heart. I feel like being far away from a tragedy reminds you of how full of them the world is. Something very real that my family is feeling today is half a world a way from me...and yet I realize through this just how many tragedies happen every day. With real people. Everywhere. Today, tomorrow, here and back at home...

One of the first things that I heard when I moved here was a poem by a girl that I go to school with. I hope to get to know her, and right now can't remember her name. But her poem was beautiful. Full of anguish, frustrated with the world we live in and the life she finds herself navigating through...her main request was the no one try to "put a band-aide" on the hurts in her life.

That phrase has really stuck with me. I think we can all relate to some degree. When something happens that sucks, we put a band-aide on it. Or say something to try to make it better. Or try to explain it away. Are there good things that come out of the bad? Yes. But that doesn't make them less hard, or terrible even. It's just not good enough to explain things away.

The only thing that makes sense to me when people are hurting is to hug them. Wrap them up and hold them, for a long time and without letting go. Hoping that in that, they may feel some comfort, some love, some relief from their sadness...some peace, some hope, some warmth. I think God does that for us.

I am praying for everyone in Texas today, and hope that you will find comfort in this, which I think reflects so well God's desire to comfort us daily:

"Dear restless heart, be still, for peace is God's own smile,
His love can every wrong and sorrow reconcile;
Just love, and love, and love, and calmly wait awhile.

Dear restless heart, be brave; don't moan and sorrow so,
He hath a meaning kind in chilly winds that blow;
Just hope, and hope, and hope, until you braver grow.

Dear restless heart, repose upon His breast this hour,
His grace is strength and life, His love is bloom and flower;
Just rest, and rest, and rest, within His tender power.

Dear restless heart, be still! Don't struggle to be free;
God's life is in your life, from Him you may not flee;
Just pray, and pray, and pray, till you have faith to see.
--Edith Willis Linn