Dear Father,<\/p>\n
I think I should have made “Write in a timelier fashion” one of my resolutions.\u00a0 But I think I needed some time to think about West Hollow, maybe even needed to completely finish the assignment first.<\/p>\n
My assignment in West Hollow was difficult for two different reasons: what I don’t understand and what I understand far too well.\u00a0 Father, no matter how many assignments You give me, no matter how many eons pass… I still don’t understand how some human beings can be so cruel.\u00a0 During one of my visits back, Erica asked me to go with her when she had to testify.\u00a0 I saw Ted.\u00a0 And I saw that he still had absolutely no regard for her and not any regret for the pain he caused her and Ruby, April, Molly, Laura,\u00a0 Brigid, Taryn, and the townspeople, especially Jonah.\u00a0 I have seen terror.\u00a0 And I have seen shame… shame felt by victims who did absolutely nothing wrong.\u00a0 I’ve seen grief and desperation and it breaks my heart.\u00a0 When Erica was on the stand and crying as she recalled the rape, I wanted to hug her and tell her how proud I was of her and how loved she is. \u00a0 And Ted just sat there and glared and leered.<\/p>\n
I believe with all my heart that those women will continue to be the strong, caring women they’ve always been.\u00a0 I know You’re with them.\u00a0 I know You’re with Ted, too.\u00a0 And maybe that makes it even more difficult for me to understand why there are men like him.\u00a0 I’m very grateful that I was able to help Erica, Jonah, and others in West Hollow but I dread ever having another assignment like that.\u00a0 Please help me, Father, when I do.\u00a0 I just want to do Your will and share Your love always.\u00a0 No matter how hard it is at times.<\/p>\n
Thank You for allowing the girls to come.\u00a0 You and I both know that I wasn’t happy about it at first but I know they were right and You were right.\u00a0 But knowing that doesn’t make what I felt go away.\u00a0 Father, I feel like in some way You’ve entrusted them to me.\u00a0 And it doesn’t feel the same as when You give me an assignment.\u00a0 This is different and deeper.\u00a0 I want to protect them.\u00a0 But I know that I can’t always.\u00a0 Laja assured me that I protect the parts of her that are most important: her soul and her spirit.\u00a0 I hope I do for the others, too, when they need me to.\u00a0 But sometimes it’s very, very difficult to know that I might not always be able to protect them physically.\u00a0 You know that one of the most difficult parts of being an angel of death is the inability to intervene.\u00a0 Sometimes it’s nearly unbearable with assignments I haven’t even met.\u00a0 But for it to be a friend… please, Father, help us if it ever came to that.\u00a0 I know You would never cause something like that to happen but free will… it can change things.\u00a0 I remember after I got promoted, You told me that sometimes it would be difficult to understand how people abuse that gift.\u00a0 It is.\u00a0 But You also said that there would be no love, no friendship without it.\u00a0 I hope I always remember that.<\/p>\n
I know I might not see Jonah, Erica, and the others for a long time.\u00a0 I hope when I do that they’re in even better places than they are now and I hope they still recognize that You are always with them and always loving them.\u00a0 From early October until Christmas Eve, You let me have a place in their lives.\u00a0 I feel really blessed that I was able to spend time with them.\u00a0 I’ll miss them but I know they’re still in Your hands.<\/p>\n
Love,<\/p>\n
Andrew<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Dear Father, I think I should have made “Write in a timelier fashion” one of my resolutions.\u00a0 But I think I needed some time to think about West Hollow, maybe even needed to completely finish the assignment first. My assignment … Continue reading