I always thought my dad was an only child. I had no uncles or aunts on his side so it came as a big surprise when, as a teen, I found out the truth.
My grandparents had had another son named Charles and I can only imagine their excitement as they waited for his birth. Grandma carried him almost full term but when the time came he was stillborn. Their joy and anticipation turned to a deep grief.
Several months passed and my grandmother continued in deep depression. Her anxiety and grief would not subside and so she went to her family doctor and asked him to prescribe some drug to ease "her nerves".
This is what her doctor said, "Vera, have you ever tried reading the Psalms? A lot of people have received great comfort from the words of Scripture"
She went home and followed his advice and began to read the Scriptures. There she found peace and comfort in its pages. And eventually she came to know and trust the central figure of Scripture, Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace.
And now, so many years later, she is in heaven reunited with both her children. She is there with my dad, Walter, whom she taught to know Jesus, and my uncle Charles who went on ahead into eternity.
I am so thankful for the words of Scripture that point us to the Savior and for a doctor who prescribed the most powerful medicine of all.
"He carried our griefs and our sorrows"