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I got a phone call yesterday from my cousin in Key Largo. My uncle Jim passed away. Sadly, I was not sad about the news. He is my dad's oldest brother and abandoned his brothers and sister many years ago for a girl. I don't understand that mentality at all. I only ever met the man 2 times in my life, when I was an infant and when my father died 16 years later. The only other time he resurfaced was when his other brother died, the father of my cousin in Key Largo and my dad's youngest brother. So I called my mom to let her know because I knew she would want to know. She actually knew him before the girl stole him away. After hearing the news and letting my mom know, I went back to work and didn't think about it anymore, work was too busy to think about it.

When I got home from work and checked my email, I also learned that me dear friend Nena's mother passed away. I asked the Lord why people we know seem to die in groups of three? Because, if you recall, our homeless friend Bubba was killed last week too. I went to bed after this and thanked the Lord for a wonderful day and for all the help He provided me and I confess and forgive me Lord didn't give anymore thought to the folks who passed on. My mind works this way - when confronted with too much bad news or too much stress, it shuts those things out and I always end up going to sleep. I think it is a way to regroup and be able to grasp the things that have happened. I wonder if it's just the way my mind works or if others have the same working?

This morning, I got up, took the little dogs out and came back in to pray. I prayed for all the people who passed away. I prayed for their families. I prayed for my uncle's wife, that she knows the Lord and can be strengthened by His love and mercy and peace. I prayed for my uncle, hoping he is in heaven with his brothers, that they are indeed all there. And then, I cried. I had a sudden vision of them in my head. They were small boys again and they were swimming and playing together in the Delaware river in Easton, Pa, almost like a memory, only of course it can't be my memory. As I write this I am crying again, not exactly tears of sadness, I think they are more tears of joy in the hope of how good and awesome our God is, hoping this vision is a gift from Him to show me that the people I love are, in fact, in heaven rejoicing and praising God as we speak. In the end, it doesn't matter to me that I don't understand why my uncle abandoned his family because Jesus Christ lives in me and through Him, I am able to love a man I don't really even know and pray for his family and his soul. That is a true gift from God through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Be still, my soul!
the Lord is on thy side;
Bear patiently the cross
of grief or pain;
Leave to thy God to order
and provide;
In every change He faithful
will remain.
Be still, my soul! thy best,
thy heavenly Friend
Through thorny ways leads
to a joyful end.

Be still, my soul! the hour is
hastening on
When we shall be forever
with the Lord,
When disappointment, grief,
and fear are gone,
Sorrow forgot, love's purest
joys restored.
Be still, my soul! when change
and tears are past,
All safe and blessed we shall
meet at last.

- Katharina Amalia von Schlegel
(1697 - ?)