The Five Minute Friday writing prompts challenge a different writing muscle… to write off the cuff, no editing, on a different prompt each week. Give it a try… I’ve enjoyed them. You can find them at the Gypsy Mama. Today’s prompt is “Loss”, and Lisa-Jo has written a poignant post about a loss she experienced in her own life at the young age of sixteen– losing her mother to cancer. Her post today happens to be more than five minutes (as she explains), because of her subject matter. But the Five Minute linky is up and running, if you’d like to try.

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GO

I’ve never lost a loved one, so I know it will be a difficult  journey for me, with new growth amidst the pain. I can’t say I’m looking forward to it, but I know it will happen.

But loss isn’t just this. Losing jobs, opportunities, friends… these are all losses we will all experience at one point or another– if not all of these, at least some of them.

Loss can be felt a deeper level, with a loneliness that people don’t often talk about. It’s a deeper pain of knowing that something is missing. Finding Christ can fulfill that vacuum at a deep level.

But there is more, after this, such as losses of a childhood or painful memories that need healing. This is a loss as well, because if these areas aren’t healed, it leaves holes in adults. Parts of the grown-up man or woman that not dealt with is a loss in that adult person’s life, because that person cannot give herself or himself fully and completely — to Christ, and to the world around her or him, and to other people. That is a supreme loss… of parts of a life, or whole lives even, that have not faced the healing that is needed, and not just that person suffers— the world around suffers, for the loss of that person’s gifts that were meant to be are not given.

Saddest of all… is not knowing that such a loss exists, living in the ignorance of the need.

Knowing Christ is the biggest gain of all, says Paul… he counts all as loss except knowing Christ. And knowing Christ means walking through all the doors of the past, the doors of pride, sin, and all the stuff no one wants to face… to know Christ fully and to be known by him… so that we can know others and be known by them… share of ourselves, and receive from others… and knowing Christ — fully– completely– is the first step in knowing ourselves and others… and then being a light in the world, serving, loving.

Perhaps… it all starts with loss. Loss of life– Jesus’ life. And then our own life… only to be reborn and more fully alive, after the death.

Loss. If it’s what gives me life, I’ll take it.

STOP

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This is a thought-provoking topic. I feel I need more time to process it. And… I think it would be an interesting exercise to take some of these prompts and rewrite thoughts on them a year from now, five years, and so on… to see what changes and growth have occurred. Blessings on your weekend.

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