Thoughts on Job and His Children

I hate trigger warnings but I feel this may need one. Child loss is discussed, although you should probably realize that by the title.

I've been pondering Job lately. Just to recap, Job is the guy from the book of Job in Old Testament of the Bible. He lost everything. Well, everything but his wife who told him to curse God and die (Job 2:9). But he remained faithful, although he may have had a bit of a pride issue. In the end, God richly blesses him with double what he had before (Job 42:10).

But that's where I get to thinking. I think most people think that's where the story ends. That everything was honkey dorey, a-ok after that. I mean, that's how I used to think. But maybe I'm the only one that didn't give any thought to "the after" of that.

And then I had my own "after".

My own loss. The type of loss that leaves you changed and scarred forever.

And I'm left wondering about Job...... And his kids from "before".

I know he thought about them. A parent never forgets their child(ren). They can't. They are a part of them....Embedded in their hearts, etched on their hands.

The loss of a child is not something a parent ever fully recovers from.

You can have other children. Lots of them even (I mean, I have had seven more). And still, your heart aches for that one (or in Job's case, many) that is missing.

You get to where you no longer cry at holidays and their birthday and the day you lost them (well, usually don't) but there's still always that shadow there.

You smile and laugh and no one looking in would know any better. You have seven beautiful children. Your heart must be so full. And it is. But they don't know that, despite being full, a piece will forever be missing.

I bet Job understood this. I know he did. He experienced that loss. He knew that pain.

And yet, he still didn't turn his back on God.

"The Lord gives and the Lord takes away. Blessed be the name of the Lord".

May I too be able to say that. Even on the hard days when I'm barely holding it together.

Maybe you're there too.

Know that God is there. He hasn't turned His back on you.

Or them.

He loves you more than you could ever imagine.

And, as hard as it is to believe at times, He loves them more than you can ever imagine.

Even more than you do.

And He's with outstretched arms waiting for you to run into the shelter of His love and comfort.

May we all get to where we can say "The Lord gives, and the Lord takes away. Blessed be the name of the Lord".

....and truly mean it.