Certainly the faithful love of the Lord hasn’t ended; certainly God’s compassion isn’t through! They are renewed every morning. Great is your faithfulness. I think: The Lord is my portion! Therefore, I’ll wait for him. – Lamentations 3:22-24

I skipped yesterday’s post for obvious reasons. We were in Virginia Beach to finally – after six months – lay Rebekah’s sister Rachel to rest. The day started early.

Rebekah and I, along with Naomi and the children, drove over Sunday afternoon for a family dinner at Outback. There must have been over thirty people in the “keep those noisy people in there” section we occupied, and it was the kind of animated, loud, loving, fun, deeply connected, hilarious occasion that has always defined our family gatherings. McMahan relatives from Tom’s side, plus the overpowering force of nature that is classic Alexander modus operandi.

We gathered together to make a strong statement. Namely that nothing in all of creation, especially not death, has the power to separate us from the all-encompassing love of God. And also that family ties are powerful and enduring, that we do not forget so long as we continue to tell the stories, and that there is a cumulative legacy to faithful love and commitment.

We are blessed to be a family that is rooted and sustained in the personal experience and family practice of faith that is systemic. Our relationship to God’s providence is real, it is historical, it is chosen, and it is lived out.

In such a context, this memorial, this remembering, and the grief too, was overflowing with joy and gratitude and love.

Because how we complete this portion of eternity has everything to do with where we are rooted, and how we respond to God’s invitation to real and abundant life.

In love, and because love always wins – DEREK

• most of the photos are labeled…