by Lois Evans
I read of a woman named Sarah who went on a missions trip to Ukraine. During her time there, she befriended a 12-year-old orphan girl named Bogdana, who proved to be a wild child. Yet Sarah kept investing in Bogdana, introducing her to things she had never known: love, gentleness, and even quietness. But as summer ended, Sarah returned home, heartbroken that she had to leave Bogdana in such a dangerous place. Sarah wrote, “There’s a reason why I can’t smile or tell you all the marvelous things God did. It’s because I am grieving. I miss my wild girl, and I can’t believe I had to give her up.”
Such grief can be awful. Words do little to ease the pain; time proves to be the better healer. Perhaps that is why the Bible says there is “a time to mourn and a time to dance” (Ecclesiastes 3:4).
Maybe today, you feel the weight of grief. Whether the loss of a loved one or the pain of leaving a little girl in a dangerous place, let me offer a word of encouragement. God wants to be your Comforter, helping you through the sorrow. Surrender it to Him so that He can lead you through such darkness and into His light.
