By Norman Ridenhour
Baptist layman and retired journalist
There are subjects no one wants to deal with but are a reality. One such reality is death. Most Christians respond to death with either acceptance or anger. I’ve seen some who become witnesses to others while some want answers that are not forthcoming.
Truth is, it’s a subject I didn’t want to deal with or write about until a former co-worker by the name of Jeff Hoffman said “Death can create wounded healers who are a comfort to others.” Had to think about that statement before I understood what he meant.
My memory was jolted by a story of a friend who, at the birth of his first child, was told “She won’t live more than two weeks.” His first reaction was, why me? When you seek these answers, it becomes personal, and his grief made him a bitter man.
With time and the understanding that these things happen, he accepted his loss and later became a “wounded healer.” Other couples facing the same outcome came to him and asked “How did you deal with it?” His answer was always the same: “Not very well!” [Read more…]
