But perhaps God's purpose in the world (I am only thinking aloud here) is to draw his creatures to him. And you have to admit that tragedies like this one at Virginia Tech help to do that!

If he didn't love so deeply, he couldn't grieve so deeply. But he's drowning in it.

You need time for the grief to heal, for the memories to fade in sharpness, time to adjust your expectation for the future. Be gentle with yourself, you'll make it.

The sun appeared over the hillside. "I'm tired, Tom." "It's okay to go home,' he choked. "Hold my hand?" His arms tightened around her and his fingers interlaced with hers. She closed her eyes against the brightness. "I love you." "I love you too," he whispered. Jennifer died feeling the warmth of the rising sun

Pain is not the same as suffering. Left to itself, the body discharges pain spontaneously, letting go of it the moment that the underlying cause is healed. Suffering is pain that we hold on to. It comes from the mind's mysterious instinct to believe that pain is good, or that it cannot be escaped, or that the person deserves it.

The conclusion of this little package of insight is that there are no victims. Wise people often say this, but when they declare that all is wisely and justly ordered, their listeners remain baffled. What about wars, fires, random murders, aircraft disasters, despotism, gangsters, and on and on? All of these imply victims and often cruel victimizers, too.

When Nehemiah's heart was broken he paid attention to his broken heart.

Surely there was something taught her by this experience of great need; and she must be learning a secret of human tenderness and long-suffering, that the less erring could hardly know?

Existence, after losing her, would be hell.

There was such anguish in the gush of grief that accompanied this raving, that my compassion made me overlook its folly.

The entire world is a dreadful collection of memoranda that she did exist, and that I have lost her!

If I were you, I'd go stretch myself over her grave and die like a faithful dog.