There is only One who truly knows us, both inside and out. One who knows us from the beginning of time until the end of eternity, and everything in between. The One above who knows All. The Creator, the Author of our life. He has written loved ones into our life, and he has written their departure. He has also written every chapter of our life from beginning to end, and now, it is up to us to turn the page and enter the next chapter of this awesome book that He has written.

Now, this doesn’t mean we will forget our loved ones who are gone, for we never will. But it does mean that we are still here and our story is meant to continue on, at least for a time. We know this is true because we are still here. Our loved ones are still here … inside our heart, our thoughts and within our spirit. They will continue to follow us into this new adventure. Although the Author may never mention them again by name in our current book, we know they will always be a part of us. We are who we are because of them, and for that we are truly blessed. But until our grand reunion in that most Glorious Place, their name has temporarily been omitted from the rest of this book by an Author whose reasons are known only to Him.

For now, their names are emblazoned only on our heart, no longer on our pages. At times, we’re angry because we can’t comprehend the plot, and we can’t imagine the outcome of the final story. Sometimes it feels as if the Author is using up too much of his eraser and not enough of his pencil. But we must TRUST the Author with all of our heart and all of our being, and that’s the most important thing of all, no matter how the rest our story goes.

May God grant each of us the strength to get past the grief-filled pages and to walk through the pages of our new journey, letting new chapters unfold with new characters and new adventures. May He give us each the peace and mercy to continue as He continues to unfold the adventures ahead of us. May we understand that we are created in His image; He placed us within these pages and His pen has the final edit.

We may have many chapters left before our book is finished, or we may have only a sentence or two. Only our Author truly knows.  May we always keep our focus on Him, and keep His words always in our heart. For His love is perfect. His timing is perfect. And even though we may not fully understand it right now, His ending is going to be truly awesome, and beyond anything our minds can now conceive!

Enjoy your adventure, but along the way, spend some time falling deeply in love with the Author:  an awesome, loving, compassionate God.  

 ~ Ferna