In the past couple of days, I feel like I have heard of so much death. My aunt passed away the other night as did a good friend’s husband and recently another friend’s father. On TV and internet, the sight of the Egyptian Christians led to their murder is everywhere. And there was the young American girl who was also killed. While I don’t want to dwell on death, it is difficult not to think about when it seems to be so prevalent. One can easily wonder where God is in all of this.

There were moving tributes written for the loved ones that I knew. And people come together to support one another, to cry with one another. In the case of the American girl, I have read articles of her bravery, honesty, and faith. She stayed in constant prayer. There was the story of the Christian men praying until the end and at least one of them saying the name, “Jesus”. Pope Francis responded by saying, “the blood of Christians is a testimony that cries out to be heard. It makes no difference whether they be Catholic, Orthodox or Protestant. They are Christians! Their blood is one and the same. Their blood confesses Christ.”

I came across a beautiful blog written by a young woman I know who recently buried her grandmother. “Nature has a way of allowing us to feel closer to those we love and miss. It’s as if the natural surroundings are so beautiful that we believe they must be shared between the two worlds. It feels natural to turn to when there is no clearer answer, it’s unexplainable, physically beautiful, and calming.” http://livehowyoulovetolive.blogspot.com/2015/02/sunsets-clear-skies.html     I think this is a wonderful way of trying to capture the tangible love of God reaching out to us.

I Found God today in the way He reaches out to us through death – in showing of our own love for people, in the examples of faith and bravery that we observe, in the ways He tries to reach out to us and can fill us with peace if only we reach back.