After two weeks of wondering about, and praying for, the folks aboard Malaysia Airlines Flight 370, the news has come that all 239 of the people on-board the plane were lost.  The presumption is that the plane went down in the Indian Ocean.  It is believed that pieces of the wreckage are the items showing up on satellite imagery.

The mystery of why the plane went down remains unsolved.  Even if the black box is retrieved, it could be a very long time until we learn more.  Indeed, we may never know the whole story of what happened.

Here is what we do know, those 239 people who perished have family and friends who are now mourning their loss.  These are people who have been holding on with all they had to the most tenuous hope that the plane was parked somewhere on an island after being hijacked.  They wanted to believe, against all probabilities, that without the discovery of wreckage the passengers and flight crew were alive.

What a tragic situation. All we can do now is shift our prayers to those who will have to come to terms with the loss of their loved ones that were aboard the fated flight.  They are the ones suffering now.

For those who are mourning I share one of Abby Willowroots’ prayers:

Show me the path to comfort, the way to acceptance,
loss has visited my life, and I have been devastated,
my hopes and beliefs have been challenged
sadness waits for me at every turn.

May I see beyond the pain, beyond loss,
moving beyond the sadness that now engulfs me,
I am beginning to heal and accept that the loss is real.

Bless my spirit with hope and understanding,
help me to know that all lives contain sorrow,
accepting that my life is blessed, even in loss.

Comfort comes to me now, as I begin to accept,
time is beginning to heal me, slowly and gently,
a soft smile is preparing to cross my lips.

Bless me now, as I accept, grieve, and heal.