Art in times of Grief

Grief: Remembering Delia
A child given no medical hope was instead given love.

Her mother gave her life, what she was allowed of it, and she filled all of our hearts until they broke open.

And now, under the crushing weight of God's NO, under the severe power of God's sovereignty over life and death, we stand.  With unanswered questions, and heart-rending complaints, with trembling lips and tears, we thank God for her short life, and we persist with this wild notion that our God loves us, that He is good.

That awful "NO" is still ringing in our ears, but it is not the only thing we hear. 

It cuts through the noise and the pain, sometimes only faintly, but God's children hear it: Do not fear.  I am making all things new.

We cling to God's YES in Jesus.

Rather, His YES clings to us, 

and Jesus Himself holds us fast 

when our hearts are broken open with sorrow.

Still remembering

In grief, we remember. We replay moments, we miss and we ache. A heart loving a person who is absent cannot help but love, ache, and remember.

Delia's mom, Shel, is gifted with words and photography. She used those gifts to bless her family during their time of sorrow.

She made a little book. It helps them remember.

you can see the proof here.

This family grieves, but not as those who have no hope.  Their hearts ache for their dear daughter, her smell and her giggles and her little fingers and toes.  Yet, they do not grieve as those who have no hope.  Her tiny body received the love of God along with the love of her family, through water on her head and His Spirit in her heart.  His love is a love stronger than death. 

As they read and ache, they remember her, and they remember Him.  He is making all things new.

from the book:

It was Delia's birthday and she was baptized.

Everyone cried, but they were also happy.

Soon after she left to be with Jesus.

One day we will all get to be together again.

--- Shel Rockhill

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Have you ever worked through grief by making a creative memory?

(Want to make a book? Shel did it here.)