The Face of Grief

On Sunday morning during Sunday School class I got some very sad and shocking news.  My sweet friend, Tracy's, mama died of a sudden stroke.  Her funeral was that day.  I gave no second thought about going.  She is my friend and that is just what you do.  You do funerals, weddings, bridal showers, baby showers...all the events of each others lives.  Friends do down times, up times, depression, joy.  I thank God for my friends in recent years.  Thank God...they helped me through some very dark days.  My friend Kelley and I went to the funeral that was at a very old and beautiful church.  It was standing room only and we were placed against the wall facing the family.  I don't really remember much about the service.  The lady that sang was really good though.  But what I do remember are the faces of grief.  The waves of tears  Watching Tracy's big ole 27 year old son's shoulders shaking with sobs.  Her beautiful daughters constant wiping of tears.  Tracy's little sister's face crumble over and over.  My sweet Tracy...so strong.  Going between smiling with tears on her face to brief glimpses of grief.  She and I are a lot alike.  We are strong.  Probably too strong, bordering on hard.  We are realists.  Not a lot of room for nonsense.  It is what it is kind of people.  I just stood there mesmerized by their faces.  I truly do not want to be in that position again.  I gained a whole new respect for people who stand in front of grief.  It is a hard place to stand.  In the days to come I am sure that waves of grief will wash over this family.  Over her two grown daughter who now feel like orphans.  The pure beauty of God.  Tracy's mom had cancer many years ago and had said of she got cancer again she would do kind of treatment.  She was an organ donor and when they opened her up to harvest the organs the doctors found that she had a large abdominal cancerous tumor.  God just took Judy home.  No suffering.  No long, drawn out death.  How precious of God to spare the family that kind of suffering.  They will miss their mother tremendously.  I cannot imagine losing my mama yet.  But one day they will be reunited....no face of grief in heaven.