Healing Journey ~ Jesus Wept

For Timothy’s birthday (Jan 10, he would have been 29), we visited the crash site for the first time - in the Arkansas mountains where his plane went down 9 months ago. Herb had made a cross in his shop out of scrap lumber (just like Timothy would want) to mark the spot where Timothy’s spirit left this world. It’s small, but it’s something Herb

wanted to do for his son on his birthday.

Herb isn’t on Facebook, and doesn’t blog; but I hear him crying as he prays over his breakfast. Then he tearfully tells me something he misses about Timothy.

Timothy had told Herb not long ago, “Dad, I’m with you more than I am with any other person, and when we’re together, we’re always working!”

From the time Timothy bought his first fixer-upper, he was always setting his dad up with construction projects; and ever since Herb retired, Timothy volunteered him for projects for others, as well! “Dad, I need you to help me [fill in the blank].” Herb would groan and grumble, and Timothy would laugh, because he knew his dad would cave in, even if he had sworn he would never do … tiling, or roofing, or flooring… ever again! On project days, Timothy would sleep till Herb got to his house to wake him up (No wasted time that way!). They had a system: Timothy would measure and call out the numbers, and Herb would cut the boards. When one of them messed up, they would trade places. Everything is fun with Tim involved. They were going to start "remodeling" Timothy’s shed/shop after Herb got back from turkey hunting and Timothy got back from Florida last April. But Timothy didn't come back. The last text from Timothy on Herb's phone says, “I’ll be right there.”

Herb still does handyman projects, but he measures and cuts by himself. The projects take longer, and it's quiet. There's no laughter. Most days, he comes home and says he doesn’t think he can do it anymore. But the next day, he does. Because that’s life.

Herb teaches Sunday School. He knows God. He knows all about Heaven and how happy Timothy is; but today – if we’re honest - he just wants his son back. But he carries a little wooden cross up a hill, and he cries.

“Jesus wept.”

He wept even though He knew he would raise Lazarus from the dead that very day. He wept for Mary and Martha’s broken hearts. He cried with them. He felt their pain. He shared their grief.

Jesus knows, and He cries with us. He hurts with us. Then He shows us a glimpse of Timothy laughing in that Other Place, or He gives us a word of Comfort and Peace. And we get up the next day, take up our cross, and follow Him.

~“Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him.” Job 13:15

~“Weeping may lodge for the night, but shouts of joy will come in the morning.” Psalm 30:5