random thoughts on a funeral day.

I attended a funeral today - a Catholic ceremony - so rather lengthy. I also had a 30 minute drive one way to get there. Needless to say, I had plenty of time to think. I didn't know the woman - only her daughter but any time I'm at a funeral I find myself questioning why..... She had battled cancer for quite some time and suffered quite a bit in her last days. In my mind her children are still so young to be without her and her grandchildren may not remember her. I also thought of a family who is struggling right now because the father has lost his job. When I arrived home and checked email, there was a prayer request for a couple whose unborn baby was found to have no heartbeat. So much pain and heartache - and all in the life of others while I remain in the status quo. Not to say I haven't had my share of difficulty. It just pales in comparison to what others seem to go through.

So why does life seem to give some a double whammy of misfortune while others just glide through with very little effort? Why has God blessed me as much as He has while others struggle so hard for very little. I wish I understood. I wish at times, that I could give up some of my abundance to help ease the burden of others. I realize I can do this financially of course, but sometimes it's so very hard to know how to help someone emotionally or physically. It's not really enough to offer your assistance in my opinion because rarely do people ask for what they need. Sometimes it's because they don't even know what they need. I can empathize but really what does that do? I can be there - just like I was at the funeral today and I suppose that is a comfort but it just doesn't seem like enough.

And then - though we think of others, we pray for them, we hurt for them - our lives go on and we get distracted and we forget. We go about our work and our family life and regrettably become too busy to remember those who may still be hurting. We think about how we should send a card, then don't do it. Such a shame. I hope that I can change that about myself. I love my people...... I need to do a better job of showing it.