Written In Tears

After spending years on the mission field telling others about the love of God the Veldt family suddenly felt like everything was caving in.  Luke and his wife couldn't understand why God would allow their thirteen-year-old daughter, Allison, to  died of a massive brain hemorrhage. 

Despite his doubts, Luke turned to the Bible for answers to his questions and comfort for his grief. In Psalm 103 Luke discovered a kindred spirit in King David, who knew what it was like to suffer. 

"This book is not about how I got through grief, or how I got over the loss of Allison and went on leading a normal life. Sorrow is my normal life now. We still grieve; two years after Allison’s death, we still don't sleep well. You don't get over the lose of a child- ever! Nor would I want to. My grief reminds me that Allison was important, and losing her and irreplaceable loss.

This book is about how I came to know God better, not just despite my loss, but because of it. It's written in the hope that the things I learned and the comfort I experienced will be of help in your life as well.”

This book has taken me almost 3 months of off and on reading to finnish, but it was not because of dryness, it was because every time I picked it up my eyes immediately started to 'water'. As child number five of thirteen I know what it is like to anticipate the birth of another sibling. I can remember holding their chubby fingers and cooing to them. I just about cried a few days ago when my 2 year old sister out of the blue said "I love you Becca." It was so precious!

I love seeing my siblings faces light up when I throw them in the air or dance with them across the room. Every day is full of my little sister's giggles and funny saying, and my brothers loud romping. 

This book made me think about what life might be like if God chose to take one of my siblings home to Him. I can only start to imagine how much it would hurt. The pain of seeing their favorite toy, or the lack of their voice around the diner table. But to be a parent must intensify that pain a hundred fold. 

This is a quote from Page 109.

"Tragedy sharpens our thinking about God; it demants that we think things through it forcese us to evaluate what we had previously accepted withour examination. Its a refinging fire that burns away the dross, a time of drought that obliges us to extend our roots deeper and in new directions. It can become a rich time as we find and confirm truths and jetsam erronious assumptions Allision's death forced me into fresh thinking about life, about suffering, about God.

I would'nt go so far as to say that because of allison's death I know more about God than you do, but I won't hesitate to afferm that because of her death I know more about God that I did."

I would recommend this book to anyone.