After 38 chapters of poetry the Book of Job ends with a prose passage that basically says, “And he lived happily ever after.” Does that ring true to you? In my experience after a tremendous loss you are never the same. You can replace the sheep and the camels and the she-asses (!) but you can never replace a child. I am sure that Job rejoiced in his new family but I suspect that he continued to grieve over the children he had lost. A loss that profound is like getting your leg cut off. You might learn to walk again but you will always limp. In our prayer today let us grieve over the loved ones we have lost always confident that God is with us.
