Being here in Italy for the last week and a half has been surreal. The flight here was so tough, there were so many tears and vacant stares that the people around us could only conclude that there had been some sort of death in our family. Even then though, we were grieving as people with a Hope. In the midst of uncontrollable tears my dad's voice could be heard reading the Psalms, in a low and comforting voice.
My sister-in-law's brothers landed just before us on Saturday November 10, and as soon as we saw them we were all very emotional, but it was so good that we were all here. For a week there was 11 of us all together which at times intensified the loss and at others it helped to lessen the pain. Our families have knit together in a new way because of this loss. Since meeting each other, our families have grown closer and closer, but in the face of this tragedy I feel as if the bond has been forged even stronger. We each knew Christian in a bit of a unique way and will each keep memories in different ways. It is good to remember and rejoice in the person that Christian was and now IS.
We have seen so much in the past week and a half. I saw my brothers body loaded, along with five others, into the back of a plane, draped with an American flag and treated with the utmost respect. I saw each one of the Skoglund and Nordberg families weeping in grief. I saw faces that were smiling with the memories of the man that Christian was. I saw hundreds of soldiers standing in a hangar because they too were grieving the loss of these men. I saw my sister-in-law singing "It is Well With My Soul" with her hand raised to the Lord. The emotions of the past two weeks have been up and down and back and forth, but I am confident that the Lord is bearing us all up and underneath are the Everlasting Arms.
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2 comments:
Oh Maja - I am so glad that you have written. We have not stopped praying for you - I mean, HAVE NOT STOPPED. Trying to wrap ourselves around this grief has been strange from so far away -- and I can't imagine the added stress for you and your family of all the travel and the logistics -- Liz and her mom have helped us all to pray, and to worship, by keeping us up to date, and I hope that you know that the words you share here will do the same. I am anxious to see you - you know that we live in Racine now, right? Come over. Bring your violin. We will worship in the way WE know to do - at the piano, in songs of worship and adoration. We WILL see the goodness of God in the land of the living. We WILL choose to exalt Him. Thanks for doing so for all of us. I am grateful.
Love,
Steph
stephseefeldt at yahoo dot com
Thank you Maja. Thanks for letting us in to this private, yet so public, grief. Love you all.
Katie Weidner Doolen
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