Advent Leads to Lenten Journey

Is it possible that I actually posted about my own elementary school just  few days before the tragic events of Sandy Hook?  Thrilled to be blogging again, with actual time carved into my schedule for writing, I looked forward to posting a few times a week.  Then another tragedy with the name Sandy, unleashed its wrath on the recovering Northeast.  

Right during the season of Advent.

Many shut down,

 many cried out, 

many went inside

 and many came forth:

 all in the act of  grieving children, 

many children.

Most of the world was scarred by the events of 12/14/13; the numbers of that day do not even sound logical when you say them out loud and the stories of the children's lives are completely out of logical order.  

Tragic grief has no answers for those who remain physically unharmed but emotionally scarred;

for those who  are left behind.  

Trying to pick up the pieces of the events is emotionally exhausting.

There will ALWAYS be a piece missing.  

Somehow  and  some way,

  with  resolve, 

the missing piece will be filled with a brand new piece:

forgiveness:

 a piece that will never be an exact fit but

 will be shaped and molded and reshaped  and will 

eventually

with  prayer and support and love

be a good fit.

Remember, however, there will still remain, grief.
Maybe it will not be  as astronomical as time goes on, but if there is a hole in the family's lives, a tragic hole; there will always be various amounts of grief.
Their hearts will never be happy that their children are gone; so there remains:
grief and forgiveness.

Which together can almost make the puzzle of life complete.

Can we, during this Lenten journey forgive what  happened that dreadful day?

I' m still working on it.

He was after all only human, not perfect.