'Til the Blue
John 13:34 (NIV)
“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.
[This is the second devotion in a series of twelve songs that have impacted us during our grief journey]
It was an amazing night at the Steven Curtis Chapman concert. A night of much needed hope and comfort. We knew we have a difficult and emotional week ahead and this night was just what we needed. We were able to attend the Stephen Curtis Chapman concert in the days leading up to what should have been our son’s graduation. I had the opportunity to request a song for him to sing. I asked him to sing ‘Til the Blue. It is the song I have loved when I thought about standing by my wife through this loss. It was a powerful moment to have the opportunity to ask him to sing it. God continued to provide comfort in amazing and unexpected ways in our lowest moments.
There are no words
No answers for questions like these
And even the right ones wouldn't change anything
Or fix anything
Even if we knew the reasons it's still gonna hurt
And they say it's just gonna take time
But right now, there's just too much time
And no way to find
The secret to speed up the changing of seasons
One of the most difficult struggles for me after the loss of my son was knowing how his loss impacted the ones that I loved. There were no words that could remove their pain or fix anything. I felt myself waking up each day wishing that I could remove not only my pain but even more so to remove their pain. As a father who was struggling with his own loss, I was grieved also by knowing that there was nothing I could do to fix it. There was no way to protect my family from the pain.
'Til the blue returns to your sky
'Til the laughter returns to your eyes
I'll be here to cry with you
And right here to give you a song
To help you go on
Until you are strong
'Til the blue returns
'Til the blue returns to your sky
The song was a reminder of the importance of presence. I could not fix the problem but I knew I needed to be present with them. Grief can tempt you to seek isolation but true love pushes you toward presence. Where can I find an example of how a father should respond when his loved ones are grieving? My example came from my Heavenly Father. God did not fix my pain but He was present with me in the midst of my pain. Throughout my grief, I have felt God’s presence. When I see others in grief that is an example I can follow. I can love others the way my Heavenly Father has loved me. ‘Til the blue returns, I will be here.
