The Gathering

This past week, the daughter of our friends Terri and Dennis Rine lost her life in a senseless tragedy. Micah, having just turned 26 this past week, was an amazing young woman, and a wonderful OB/GYN nurse. She touched the lives of so many with her kindnesses and the joy by which she lived her life.There is much we do not know at this time. There was a shooting, her husband says accidental, but what we do know is that she is gone from our midst.And it is such a great loss. It makes all around us feel fleeting. It makes life seem insecure. This could be our daughter, our friend. Those could be our broken lives.So last night, as one by one each of our children and grandchildren migrated into the small upstairs schoolroom where Terry was attempting to grade papers, I had to smile.It started with a conversation between Terry and Justin.Brandon joined in.Then Jon with the guitar.Katie joins in singing along. They're all singing, Gabriel is playing a game in the midst of all the feet, baby Julia is kicking her feet.Tim and Maria come looking for Katie. Chelsea and I hear the commotion and go to check what is going on.Here come Jordan and Christian. The room is small. Like 10X10 small. But love was there. And security. For that night, we were all together. We loved one another. We would always be there for each other. Conversations have drifted this past week to family compounds, big rooms with built in library shelves, land for gardening and flowers and all of us together-- three generations, maybe four.But Micah taught us one very valuable last lesson.We only have today. And for today, God has brought us together, and for this we rejoice.We don't need a family compound. We can find each other, even in a little 10X10 room.