March 17, 2010
Dear Friend,
It’s been only just five months since Paul died. The motorcycle accident, how it happened and why is still a mystery. We will probably never know what caused it but the end result is still the same. My beloved husband of 28 years got a better offer – he went home, to be with the Lord he loved. Getting over the untimely, unfair and unexpected loss of Paul has been the most difficult thing I’ve ever done.
I am grieving and it will take years to recover, especially from the trauma of seeing Paul’s injuries right after the accident. I still cry from time to time, tears are a gift, not a sign of weakness. Tears express the depth of the loss I feel and are a sign that I am recovering. I might sometimes seem angry for no reason; I am not sure why other than that my emotions are intense because of my grief. Please be forgiving and patient with me.
If I forget things or repeat myself, please accept this as normal. Your presence and understanding means so much. You don’t have to say anything. Even sending me a card means a lot. Please don’t wait for me to call you, since most of the time I am too tired to do so. When I withdraw, please don’t let me do that for too long. I need you to reach out to me. If you have suffered a similar loss, please share it with me. It will help rather than cause me to feel worse. I want to talk about Paul, I think about him all the time; I would love to hear your memories of him.
This loss is so painful right now; it feels like the worst thing that could ever happen to me. But I will survive and will eventually recover. Please pray that God will use this time of grieving to grow me and equip me to minister to others with greater compassion than ever before.
Thank you for your love, care and concern. Thank you for your prayers, knowing you are praying comforts me and your prayers are a gift for which I will always be thankful.
In Jesus’ Unfailing Love,
Sheryl
“The righteous perish, and no one ponders it in his heart; devout men are taken away, and no one understands that the righteous are taken away to be spared from evil. Those who walk uprightly enter into peace; they find rest as they lie in death.” Isaiah 57:1, 2
3 comments:
Meeting Paul...
My daughters and I met Sheryl for the first time at an Operation Christmas Child shoe box drop off. My daughters wanted pictures with her and we talked and became instant friends which is not uncommon for anyone who meets Sheryl. We found her on facebook and she accepted our friend requests. We were all excited! :)
Shortly after adding us on facebook she sent us an invite to a luncheon at her church. We were under the impression that she was going to be the only one speaking and we just couldn't wait to hear about Africa! We walked in and were greeted by Sheryl and Paul both who were dressed in African clothing. I was in awe at how the two of them complimented each other.
At first I was bummed when I heard Paul was going to speak because I really just wanted to hear Sheryl(lol). That changed as soon as he opened his mouth. The love of Jesus poured out of him as he presented a slide show and talked about the missions there.
His love for God, his wife and Africa were who he was. Although I only met him once I knew him and what he was about. He wore his faith on the outside.
God bless you Sheryl and thank you for also wearing your faith on the outside! You are a shining star and we love you! <3
~Judi
Love you & pray for you daily Sheryl! Sending hugs to you from us, especially BIG hugs from Christian! :)
We love you Mom~~~ Dad would be so proud of you :)
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