One would think after the past few years that I’d stop being surprised by the curveballs that God routinely throws my way and yet for reasons unknown to me that never seems to be the case. In the past year alone my life has been turned upside down no fewer than 3 times both positive and negative. Why should I figure that the process of writing this blog post would be any different? Tonight we held our Nooma Bible Study at College Place UMC. The video this week was on Loss. Having just lost my Uncle a little over a month ago on September 1st, needless to say this hit a really raw nerve. After crying my eyes out in front everyone I was reminded of a phrase that is engraved on a cross that hangs from the rearview mirror in my car. It reads “You Are Never Alone.” I purchased it at a restaurant in Lancaster, PA this summer while on vacation with my family. While hearing stories of others suffering with loss of people they love, I was reminded that I don’t have to deal with the struggle alone, others around me know what I’m going through.
I think that’s what excites me so much about Fall Retreat this weekend. This time last year I had just joined WL and the vast majority of the people in the van on the way up didn’t even know my name yet. I left UNCG that weekend hoping just to relax and get away for a little while, but what I came back with was friends that I knew I’d have for the rest of my life.
Losing a loved one is something that will never be easy, ever. There’s no way to prepare yourself for the loss no matter how long you may have known it was going to happen. Reaching out to those you love doesn’t make it go away but it does, little by little, make it just a bit easier.

“And surely I am with you always, even to the end of the Age” -Matthew 28:20