Further up and further in....

I have always loved C. S. Lewis' Narnia series.  Parts of the stories have stayed with me for years.  Some of them I've really taken to heart.  In "The Horse and His Boy", there was a part where one of the characters was whining to Aslan about someone else.  Aslan wisely said, 'That's not your story.'  I have always remembered that when the girls were prone to tattle on their sisters.

And in the Last Battle, all of the faithful friends of Narnia enter into Aslan's country, where they are reunited with old friends.  But it's not the end.  Aslan's guests are invited by Reepicheep to go 'further up and further in' to glorious adventures too beautiful to describe.

That's how I think of heaven, a place where things will be more real than we can ever imagine.

One of Kylene's high school friends, Miranda, died today.  She had leukemia and her body simply couldn't fight it any longer.  Her husband was one of Kylene's friends too and I cannot even fathom what he went through making the decision to take her off the respirator.

Miranda died surrounded by family so her parents had to watch their daughter breathe her last breath.  They were there for her first breath and then for her last.  I cannot even fathom that pain.  My heart just aches for them.

I am so thankful that Miranda knew Jesus so that she leaves behind hope and peace.  Peace, knowing that she is free from pain, and hope, knowing that she will be reunited with those she loves.  Without that peace and hope, this loss would be unbearable.

There is something unnatural about burying your child.  It's like it goes against nature.

Time to hug my girls a little longer today and weep with those who weep.