A Loved One's Loss

This is Mutuyimana Clarisse, my Compassion child from Rwanda. I just received a very sad letter from her, but to give it proper context you need to know that her father was killed during the slaying between the Hutus and Tutsis. I can't remember which tribe she is from right now. Her mother remarried and she has two younger brothers. The letter I received from her told me that her mother had just passed away. I was shocked when I heard it. In the last letter, she mentioned that her mother was sick, but I figured it was only a cold or the flu. But no, her mother is dead. What shocked me even more was my own reaction. It really shook me up. I even cried a bit. Not out of fear of losing my mother. Not because I distrusted God. Just because... she's my sister and she has just lost her mother. I really experienced compassion with her.

If anyone thinks of it, please pray for her, her step-father and two brothers. I don't have detailed info about her family's economy, but letters I've received make me think that her mother earned quite a bit of money for the family and so life will not only be lonlier, but also have less financial support.

I started reading CS Lewis' The Problem of Pain a few weeks ago. I still haven't gotten past the second chapter, but I remember a point he made, though I won't quote it. He said that if God were to make sure that no bad thing ever happened again then He would effectually eliminate free will. He would also elminate any product of the fall which is a boon our flesh will bear until all things are renewed. I like what Lewis pointed out. It seems true to me. It basically takes the problem of pain away from God in the sense that He might be the source of it. It's by His gift to us of free will, rather, that we endure pain and malady. It may not work for everyone or every situation, but it brings me peace about my sister's loss. It helps me understand that God can fully love us all but not be bound to remove every source of discouragement or discomfort from our lives. In some cases, we might not fully blossom into a full-grown child of God without it, although I don't suppose you could tell that to a child who has just lost their parents, huh? ~Michael