Noel

“Forgiveness means that I continually am willing to forgive the other person for not being God — for not fulfilling all my needs. I, too, must ask forgiveness for not being able to fulfill other people's needs. … The interesting thing is that when you can forgive people for not being God, then you can celebrate that they are a reflection of God.”
― Henri Nouwen

“I don’t find comfort in knowing Max is waiting for us in heaven—it just isn’t tangible for me. I loved him on earth, and I want him on earth. Heaven is too abstract when it comes to addressing gaping wounds in the soul.”
― Kristen LaValley, Even If He Doesn't: What We Believe about God When Life Doesn't Make Sense

“God of the void, I don’t know how to go on. This void is cruel and relentless, and I don’t want to figure out how to exist with it haunting every room I enter. And I blame you. I won’t apologize for that. But if you’re real, have mercy on me. Hold me up because I can’t. Or lay me down to sleep so I can wake up from the nightmare of emptiness. I know I’ll never be myself again, but whoever this is—this hidden grief that now occupies my selfhood—help me to meet them. I’m a stranger to myself. Ground me. Steady me. And whatever mystery the one I love met on the other side of breathing, let it be kind and safe and loving. Amen.”
― Cole Arthur Riley, Black Liturgies: Prayers, Poems, and Meditations for Staying Human