Such a Sad Day

Our hen, Eisenhower, was killed this evening by a red-tailed hawk.

My children are taking the loss pretty hard.

It’s hard to know how to comfort them over the loss of a chicken.

Sounds silly in the whole scheme of life, but they are very mournful.

It breaks my heart that they are so sad and 

tomorrow will be a rough day.  

Ours is only a minor loss, especially after reading

my friend Kristin’s post this evening.  Please pray for her

family at the time of their loss.

My heart is heavy for Kristin and her family

and also for my children and their broken hearts.

These are hard eucharisteos.

I’ve read of these in One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp

What is  Eucharisteo? Ann writes,

“The root word of eucharisteo is charis, meaning “grace.” Jesus took the bread and saw it as grace and gave thanks. He took the bread and knew it to be gift and gave thanks.

But there is more, and I read it. Eucharisteo, thanksgiving, envelopes the Greek word for grace, charis. But it also holds its derivative, the Greek word chara, meaning “joy.” Joy. Ah…yes. I might be needing me some of that. That might be what the quest for more is all about–that which Augustine claimed, “Without exception…all try their hardest to reach the same goal, that is joy.”

May we learn this joy through these rough times.

Joy in loss.