Passage through Grief with Hope

Passage: the act or process of moving through, under, over, or past something on the way from one place to another.

A few weeks ago, my mother died. Although she had been chronically ill for a number of years, I was not ready. I was not ready for the void she would leave behind. During this same period of time, my daughter Vanessa was preparing to graduate from medical school and move to Maryland for her residency. Honestly, I struggled to summon the appropriate emotion(s) for the events our family had planned and attended. My tear ducts stopped working. My normally extra energetic, energy level slowed down to a crawl. I asked myself, “What is happening to you?”

I asked God, “How long is this going to last?”

The only answer I received was: “Slow down, you are passing through.”

I guess that’s an ok answer if you know where you are passing through to. But I don’t. It’s a new, uncharted course.

This week, my husband and I drove with Vanessa from Miami to Bethesda, Maryland to help her move into her new apartment. She begins her residency in psychiatry in a few days at Walter Reed Military Medical Center. She is passing through too. It’s a new, uncharted course.

In the midst of all the changes, here is my hope: I believe we are moving in a good direction.

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.”
Proverbs‬ ‭3:5-6‬ ‭NLT‬‬

(Photo credits: Vanessa Freeman, Selfie with Grandma, January 2017; Vanessa’s graduation day, April 2017; Vanessa Freeman, Keukenhof Garden, The Netherlands, May 2017)

About Linda Freeman

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Linda Pulley Freeman combines her specialized training in environmental and chemical engineering with her deep ministerial commitment as she serves mission fields at home and abroad.

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