MORRISVILLE – A few weeks ago, in the space of 24 hours, I received both the joyous news that my first granddaughter was born and later the heartbreaking word that my father had died. Having both of these life-changing events happen so close to each other has been an incredibly powerful experience for me.
The profound love and joy I felt for my granddaughter’s birth was matched only by the profound love and grief I felt at my dad’s passing. Life and death, joy and grief, gain and loss, it has been a lot to process. As I have continued to reflect on these experiences, I have yet to find enough words to explain everything that I have felt and thought over the last few weeks. The one word that I seem to come back to when talking about either event, is love.
Loving and caring for my dad at the end of his life was similar to loving and caring for my granddaughter at the beginning of hers in many ways.
Neither person could get around by themselves or take care of their basic needs.
Neither one could communicate clearly or be reasoned with when caregivers couldn’t understand what they wanted.
And neither my dad nor my granddaughter, at these vulnerable times of their lives, could consciously give us anything in return for the love and care we showed them. And yet, the time I spent caring for my dad and my granddaughter was such a precious time to me. Why? Perhaps because it allowed me to personally experience the kind of love that God has for us.
Ephesians 2:4-5 says, “But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions. It is by grace you have been saved.” Before we could worship Him, before we could give Him our time or money, before we could go to church or say a prayer, God chose to love us by making a way for us to be with Him. The most well-known Bible verse of all time, John 3:16, says just that: “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”
Most people reading this article will not have gone through the exact same experience that I have just had, but I would bet that everyone I know can relate to it in some way. The beautiful moments in nature or with family and friends fill our hearts with joy and wonder. The uncertainty, loss and suffering in our own lives, or what we see on the news every day, brings us such sorrow and heartache. What if the secret to walking through both types of moments is to do so in love?
When life is easy and beautiful, can we express love and gratitude to God for the blessings He has given us?
When the days are hard or scary, can we hold tightly to the love that God has for us and trust that He will see us through?
And when we see suffering or injustice in the world, rather than be discouraged or let it rob us of our joy, can we bravely speak out against evil and serve others in love?
Paraphrasing Jesus’ words in John 15:35, love is the hallmark of a Christian life, and everyone will know who his true disciples are when they see the love we have for each other.
I can no longer take care of my father, and it won’t be long before my granddaughter will be able to take care of herself, but there will always be people around me who are hurting or lonely or in need of love.
As long as I am able, may I continue to show God’s love every day.
Virginia Lapierre is a deaconess at the Lamoille Valley Grace Brethren Church, Morrisville.
