On the way to pickup my daughter from school, traffic stood still.
“Man, this is gonna make me late”.
I couldn’t really see what was going on ahead of me, only red tail lights of 3 lanes of traffic. So, I lifted myself from my driver’s seat just enough to see flashing lights of a few police cars who blocked off the road.
“What in the world, in the middle of the day”, I sighed.
I wondered how long this would take and if I should take another route. Then maybe I could still make it to the school car line in time.
After I sat for a few moments, staring at the cars in front of me, I saw another police car rolling into the intersection. Car after car after car proceeded the police car, all with their headlights and flashers on.
“Oh wow, that’s why traffic was stopped”
I knew the drill all too well. With that thought, I shifted in my seat, my body temperature rose and I felt my face tense up.
Big tears swelled in my eyes. “It’s a funeral, I so hate that for this family”. I hate that this family experienced loss during the holiday season. I know what that felt like, it hurt.
Immediately, my need to be where I needed to be subsided, as my heart and thoughts turned towards a family that was hurting.
“Lord, I pray that you will comfort their hearts and give them peace”.
I remember being in that funeral procession, unable to see clearly through tears, or sometimes sitting there with a calm reserve. Nevertheless, with a hurt that only God could touch and heal.
You see, most often we walk or drive through life with our agenda but oblivious to those who are hurting around us. But I pray that this story will make us more aware, when we see someone hurting, may we be nudged to pray, may we be nudged to compassion, to show empathy and to extend grace.
May we be more like Jesus and love others especially the hurting, the way He loves us.
And if by chance, traffic is standing still for you today, know that God sees you, He knows and He cares. I pray for His healing in your life, I pray His comfort and peace for this time and beyond. Know that you are not alone and you are loved.
Get my free resource “Grief During the Season of Joy” when you connect with me via my monthly newsletter here.
