Cry of the Broken-Hearted

by Arlene Finocchiaro

The Lord is close to the broken-hearted, saves those whose spirit is crushed.     Psalm 34:19

No human could console her grief.  A wolf at the Shy Wolf Sanctuary had lost her wolf companion.  As I was visiting the refuge, the guide told our group that her companion had recently died from cancer.  I don’t know where the companion wolf is in God’s plan, but for lonely wolf there was only painful loss.  There was no understanding of what happened to him.  He was just gone.  As the guide was relating the story, the wolf started to howl out the sorrow from her heart.  All the other wolves in the refuge joined in letting her know she was not alone in her grief.  I was so touched by the shared emotion of God’s creatures.

The five of us writing With God’s Grace…experienced loss of loved ones in our stories.  But we had the advantage of comfort from our God, family and friends.  However painful the loss was for us, in our minds we knew there was a new beginning for our loved ones.

Having each other as spiritual companions has been a comfort through all our trials.  During our time writing our stories, Barbara’s mother and Elisa’s sister died.  Sister Janice McGrane, SSJ, lost her battle with cancer just as our book was published.  Starting as strangers, God had given us to each other as cherished gifts, gifts of grace to not carry our burdens alone.

We had come to call ourselves the “grace sisters” because our spiritual lives became united and entwined.  Every time I told my husband we were going to meet, I referred to us as the grace book ladies or the grace project.  But eventually we melded into the “grace sisters.”  We were to stretch our arms out to each other as Christ stretched his arms on the cross to extend love and mercy.

Cherish your friends who feed your inner spirit.  If you don’t have any now, look for opportunities in church groups or events to find someone with whom you can feel comfortable talking about your faith.  The five of us started as strangers.  The wolves at the refuge started as strangers.  Although many of them could not see each other from their designated areas, they learned to howl together.

Some people come in our life as blessings.

Some come in your life as lessons.

Saint Mother Teresa of Calcutta

For more information about Shy Wolf Sanctuary see:  www.shywolfsanctuary.com