"Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for Thou art with me."

Psalm 23:4

It's been more than a month since the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11th. I have felt profound sadness because of those events, sadness that people died in such horrible ways, sadness for lonely families who are now missing members, sadness that being an ocean away from most of the world is no longer enough to insulate us from hatred.

Two weeks ago, my partner's youngest brother suffered a fatal heart attack while hiking on the Appalachian Trail. The resultant grief was different. There was grace abounding. Bob died, not in an inferno, not surrounded by crashing concrete, but out in the beauty of nature. He died knowing Jesus, the Christ, as his Lord and Savior. No one cheered in the streets at his death.

Yes, there has been much sadness. The family misses this gentle man. But we aren't left with visions of a horrible transition from this life to the next. That is a grace for those of us left behind. Our only regret is that we didn't take the time to get to know Bob better. Although many people loved him, he was for the most part misunderstood. Only when going through his effects did we realize that there were sides of Bob which he had kept hidden from those who claimed to love him. Did he fear our censure? Could we have communicated our unconditional love for him in a such a way that he could have accepted it? We'll never know.

But there is a lesson here. Life can end suddenly, unexpectedly. We need to be sure that those we love know that we love them. We need to give them the gift of our time, a listening ear, a supportive hug, and an understanding heart.

Oh God, use this time of tragedy to increase my appreciation for the wonderful people you have seen fit to place in my life. Help me to see them through your eyes, to love them with your unconditional love. Remind me to communicate that... remind me to do it TODAY. Amen.