Gone in a Moment
by Tamara Wanner
Bold
Sassy
Adventurous
Led down a regretful path.
Critiqued
Undervalued
Uncherished
Lost in a night of rage
Fashionable
Brass
Mischievous
Longed for by her family.
Interested
Engaged
Curious
Left out by whose choice?
Blue
Grey-striped
Dressed shell
Laid to rest, but always loved.
By Tamara J Wanner
Maybe you have been impacted by the sudden disappearance of a loved one due to domestic violence, abuse or harm resulting in loss of life. You have more questions than answers. You carry more guilt over the 'what-if's' than grief. You muddle through the maze of the court system and when the sentence is pronounced, it seems inadequate to account for the loss. At times you re-visit your bewilderment during parole hearings.
This grief is difficult to carry. Anger carves pathes through it, making it difficult to balance. Psalm 18 gives my emotions words and God's response is epic. It's carried me through many dark nights.
Psalm 18:4 begins:
"The cords of death entangled me; the torrents of destruction overwhelmed me. The cords of the grave coiled around me; the snares of death confronted me. In my distress I called to the Lord; I cried to my God for help. From his temple he heard my voice; my cry came before him into his ears. The earth trembled and quaked, and the foundations of the mountains shook; they trembled because he was angry. Smoke rose from his nostrils; consuming fire came from his mouth, burning coals blazed out of it. He parted the heavens and came down; dark clouds were under his feet. He mounted the cherubim and flew; he soared on the wings of the wind. He made darkness his covering, his canopy around him--the dark rain clouds of the sky. Out of the brightness of his presence clouds advanced, with hailstones and bolts of lightning. The Lord thundered from heaven; the voice of the Most High resounded. He shot his arrows and scattered the enemies, great bolts of lightning and routed them. The valleys of the sea were exposed and the foundations of the earth laid bare at your rebuke, O Lord, at the blast of breath from your nostrils. He reached down from on high and took hold of me; he drew me out of deep waters. He rescued me from my powerful enemy, from my foes, who were too strong for me. They confronted me in the day of my disaster, but the Lord was my support. He brought me out into a spacious place; he rescued me because he delighted in me." (Psalm 18:4-19)
Losing a loved one because of violence is difficult. Please reach out to someone or find a Christian support group who have journeyed this path. The Lord sees you. Your loved one's blood cries out to Him for justice. He hears. Lean on Him.