The Longest Day

Yesterday was hard:
pain,
suffering,
shock.
Today is harder,
a remembering of it all.
Yesterday was death.
Today is the new reality
of life without
his laughter,
his friendship,
his promise.
Yesterday he was here.
Today he will never be again.
Yesterday, there was hope.
Today, hope is gone.


Today, we have a memorial for the little boy that passed away three weeks ago. We will celebrate his short life on this longest day in history. This day, where two thousand years ago, things seemed the darkest. It really did happen, he really is dead. The moment when you wake up and realize, it wasn't a dream. All the pain and noise and blood, yes blood, was real. The deed is done, you are no longer in it, you are able to look back on it and remember. And feel the loss, the hurt, again and again and again. A new reality has begun.

Except
Tomorrow, the tears are wiped away.
Tomorrow, there is new life.
Tomorrow, He is alive.
Tomorrow, Hope comes.

We know how this story ends. This may be the longest day, but tomorrow is the Best Day.

And this little boy is already realizing his tomorrow. He has Hope. He has new life, a whole and complete body to fully praise his Creator, his Healer.

So, we can mourn. We can weep. We can long for and miss. But we can also rejoice. We can rest assured that this is not the end. We can celebrate a new life, a new beginning for this little boy.

And for us.