Mike & Robin

We have lost a dear man of this world and heaven has surely gained an angel that smiles continuously!  Mike Reaves will be missed greatly.  I can't fathom the number of lives this one man has touched over the course of his life.  The smiles and welcoming gestures he has given is too numerous to count.  He will be missed and there are many hearts that are broken today.


This leads me to pray for his dear wife Robin.  They have been together since she was in 7th grade!  A lifetime.  There are no words to describe how she must be feeling.  Angry, upset, heartbroken, alone, emotionally overwhelmed.....the list can go on and on.


Over the next few days, Robin will go through the motions, still experienced disbelief that this could happen to Mike, that this could happen to her.  Questions of why will come forth and questions of what if's will overshadow her days in the next week.  Even though we have no control over our death, we still feel the need to question it.  Even though we know where the person will spend eternity, we still need to ponder it.  Even though we know the person is no longer suffering, we still need to search for answers of why, why this person and why now.  Mike had so much more life to live.  So many more milestones to experience.  Why now and why Mike?  This is a question that we will never have answered here on this earth.


As Robin goes through the next few days, weeks and months, she will have an emotional roller coaster following her.  When she smiles, she may feel guilt, and when she laughs out loud, she may think, "how can I laugh when the man I love has just died?"  I pray she knows it is okay to smile, it is okay to laugh.  Just for that brief moment, life will see normal.  At the same time, she will experience anger.  Anger so deep that she won't know what to do with it.  She will experience heartache.  An ache that nothing can ease.  


For Robin, I pray that God gives her peace.  You can experience peace, and still have all of those emotions and not know what to do with them.  Peace in knowing Mike is not suffering.  Peace in knowing she did all she could for the man she loved.  Peace in knowing she was able to spend his last days by his side.  Peace in knowing a love many will never experience.  Peace in knowing that Mike is and will be smiling down on her for all of her days.


Lord, you know the situation, you know the pain, you know the questions.  Above all else, I ask for Peace for Robin and her children.