Where have I been...

Well, it's not where have I been in the physical sense but where have I been otherwise.

Several things, rather several life changing events have caused me to reflect on life and try to understand where my faith is.

My niece went missing last June. She was 19 and she was treated as a runaway by the authorities, though at the time that did not make much sense. There are reasons it did not add up but I wont discuss here or now.

Her remains were found. She was found in the woods not too far from her home. There wasn’t anything left, just a skeleton and a few strands of hair and tattered clothing. Her bones were scattered over an area, indicating she was there on the surface for quite some time. Small animals most likely moved her bones around.

My brother is beside himself with grief. Writing this right now I struggle. She was murdered, stabbed to death they say and it happened most likely the same night she disappeared. They know this because of markings on her ribs I guess, at least that’s the theory right now.

No suspects, nothing. No one seems to know what happened. She lived with her mother as my brother and her have been separated for many many years now.

This is an agonizing thing to see my brother in such a place. His pain is raw and he has anger that I know only God can sooth.

This forces me to ask why, but I know I cannot ask why, but i must ask who. Who do we turn to in this time of grief? God is who.

This post took many weeks to write, and still I agonize over it. I know it is a time when Jesus has risen and I know my sins went with him. But what about the sins of the person who murdered my niece? Can I let them go as well.

My dear dear friend lost her triplets. She asked that I carry one of the coffins, and have to say it was the hardest thing to do. Again I have to ask why? Why did those three die, and why does my friend have to suffer so.

This seems to be a time of great sorrow right now. it is hard to see joy in the world at this time.