Crying

It's not just a "rainy day" Monday today.

It's a tragic Monday.

This past week a friend of ours had a work accident.  Fell off some scaffolding.  Crushed his lower back.  We found out yesterday in church that he's paralyzed from the waist down.

He runs his own construction business, a craftsman at his trade.  He and his wife are young(er) grandparents.  He likes to hunt and fish and smile.

He's been a leader in their church for decades.  His laid-back leadership and guidance helped it sail through some bad storms, fly fast before the Spirit's wind, and rest steady during the calm.

And now this.

I have the same question as everyone else: "Why?".

Job wanted to know the "why".  His friends thought they knew the "why".  But it was really about the One who knows the "why".

Job's story talks to us and to angels 3,000 years later.  But the lofty idea of posterity takes a back seat to the present pain that rasps across each slowly passing minute.

So what do I do?  How do I help my friends when life just...sucks?

There's a story that just came to mind.

And the more I think about it, the more it makes sense.

"A guy pulls into his driveway, glad to be home from work.  He walks up to the front porch and sees his four-year old daughter sitting next to the little girl from next door.  They're both crying.  Not sniffling or frowning.  But crying.  Almost heartbroken.

Concerned, the guy crouches down and asks what's wrong.  His daughter looks at him with reddened eyes and sobs out:

"Amy's favorite doll broke and I'm helping her cry.""

I think that's it.

Cry, love, and pray.  It's all any of us can do.

He promised it'd all work together for good, that the "why" will someday be answered.

Just not right now.

Right now it's time to cry.