A Liturgy for Lola
Elohim (Creator),
here lie the ashes of your good creation.
A reflection of your heart for me, on four legs.
Here lie the earthly remains of your gift to me, O Lord,
designed and called to life by you;
your compassion and love on display to all who would see.
Her life was a beautiful display of your love for me,
the spaces and days I shared with her,
the communion of our hearts
with each other and you, El Roi (the God who sees).
I made room in my life, home, and heart
to welcome your gift of creation to us;
a huge personality wrapped up in a tiny package.
And we called her, Lola.
Entering this new season where our
shared lives of service to each other have ended by death,
my heart is unprepared for the immense loss.
I feel deeply the hole she left behind in my heart.
I grieve the shift of day-to-day life that does not focus on her.
You meet us in our grief, O Lord.
We are filled with your love,
with grateful hearts;
we cry out to you in our loss and sorrow.
We delight in your ways.
My heart cries holy, holy, holy
is the Lord God Almighty,
as my eyes well up with tears.
My breaking heart seeks you in grief,
grateful for all of your many blessings,
especially little Lola, and the legacy she leaves behind.
Immanuel (God with us),
in our sorrow, we delight in your presence.
We bring our attention and our hearts to you,
cherishing the sweet memories of Lola's life well-lived.
I am grateful, O God, for the happiness that was,
even as I mourn the sorrow that is.
I sit in the sadness of the empty spaces in my heart and home, empty spaces that echo my loss.
Now I say my goodbye.
Inhabit my sadness, Jehova-Rapha (the Lord our healer),
in my woundings,
I know you weep for my hurting heart.
Be near me, O Lord,
as I embrace the sorrow of death and the sting of separation.
The loss I feel is nothing less than the groan of all creation.
O Lord,
you are merciful and loving, gentle and compassionate,
caring tenderly for all that you have made.
We praise you.
Even in my sorrow at the loss of little Lola's life with me here on Earth,
I know that in your immense love for me, Alpha and Omega (beginning and the end),
this is not goodbye forever,
this is see you soon.
We will all be together once more in the arms of Jesus.
I will see you again soon, dear Lola. Well done, good and faithful servant, well done.
Praise God,
from whom all blessings flow;
Praise Him,
all creatures here below.
Praise Him above,
ye heav'nly hosts;
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.
Amen.
