Prayers . . . on ending

 

PRAYER FOLLOWING THE DEATH OF A CHILD

 

 

How can I bear this, O LORD?  My beloved child, the joy of my life, is gone.  I feel as though someone reached into the center of my being and ripped everything out, leaving a hollow, weeping wound.  Will the aching emptiness ever heal?  Sometimes I wonder if I want it to.  I think I'm afraid my beloved child might be erased along with the pain, and I couldn't endure that.  If the grief is all that remains of my child, I prefer the grief to losing them completely.

 

Help me accept the reality that my precious child is gone, LORD, even though I don't understand why.  Heal me so I can be whole and able to meet the needs of the rest of my family.  Help me loosen my grip on the pain and hold onto memories instead.  Please keep the image of my child's face vivid in my memory, God!  Don't let it fade from my sight.  Imprint the smell of my child, the feel of my child, and the sound of my child's laughter on my brain.

 

And help me reach out for hope.  Though I long to be with my precious child, I will wait patiently until you choose to reunite us.  Until that time, help me feel your peace.  Keep reminding me that my child in heaven, waiting for me; we will spend eternity together, never again separated by death.  Thank you for the glorious hope we have in you, through Christ.

 

 

Amen

 

 

"I am torn between the two:

I desire to depart and be with Christ,

which is better by far;

but it is more necessary for you

that I remain in the body."

 

Phil. 1:23-24

 

 

 

 

 

 

Date this page was last edited:  July 24, 2004