Hold On

There has been a lot of tragedy in our lovely state this week. Several families were altered forever. Lives were changed. Futures suddenly uncertain and dark. The story of the Bear Lake accident was all over the media, both locally and nationally. It broke our hearts and made us all hold our loved ones closer.

Thing is, tragedies happen everyday--quietly, without any fanfare or notice, except by those affected. Whether public or private, one thing remains the same--we all experience heartache.

As a member of the human race we all go through trying times. We try to avoid it, but Heartache is the master at hide-and-seek. It finds us. It squeezes our hearts, wringing them out till we feel drained and lifeless. But, it isn't so. It is the pain that reveals how very alive we are. It is the intense, immense love in our lives that allows for the ache, fosters it.

It is hard. It is hurtful. It is meant to be.

Grief and sadness, trials of all kinds, are the things that make us who we are. Because we love, we hurt. Because our lives are full, we feel the emptiness when it comes. We must taste to bitter to appreciate the sweet.

And, these things, this agony, link us to each other. We may not all have the same experience, but we all experience suffering. We can hold hands and hold each other. We can show up, give hugs, pray.

These are also the things that link us to the Savior, the One who bowed below all. He who knows the most about love and pain has paved the way for us. He is the One who understands. He is the source of our Hope.

The hope He offers is a shining beacon of light. It is a life preserver thrown just within our reach. Grab on. Hold on. He will keep us afloat. He will pull us to safety.

He alone understands the tears and the heaviness. He has experienced the lonely hours and endless nights. He will share our burdens and lift up the hands that hang down. He is the light of a new day.

So hold on, the Light will come.