Sunday, January 25, 2015

Joy comes in the morning

Five funerals and a graveside in four months.  I feel as though I've been surrounded by death, grief, and mourning for far too long.  Somedays the grief is unimaginable but I'm so thankful for my faith because without it I'm afraid the grief would completely overwhelm and consume me.

Thankfully, I have scripture to give me hope, to comfort me, to remind me that in Christ we are all resurrected.

I'm thankful for time spent with family as we all come together to offer comfort and support to one another.  Sometimes we get reacquainted after many years apart.  I think it's wonderful that we all come together to celebrate a life we all loved and will miss and then in the celebration we find each other again.

I love hearing the stories everyone has to tell about the one we will miss.  I love spending time remembering.  Sometimes it brings tears but usually laughter and love are right there with them.


I miss my daddy more than I can ever say and I always will. He was such a huge part of our everyday life even from afar.  There's not much that I do that doesn't make me think of him. He's in the sermons I write.  I hear him in the voice of my kids and my nieces and nephews.  I can see his grin and hear his laugh in my mind all the time.

I think of my brother-in-love's precious little face when I first started dating his big brother.  How he just adored and looked up to him.  I think of the time I spent with him and how funny he was. I can see the big smile that just exploded on his face that just got bigger as he got older.

I didn't know my uncles as well as I'd have liked but I thought they both looked like movie stars. They both had great smiles and I have special memories of them both.

I choose to think on the happiness that each one experienced and shared.  I choose to remember the good times.  I choose to think of them all partying in Heaven, without pain, without sorrow, just pure joy.  It's what gets me through.

Losing those we love is hard.  We're left behind to continue on living and sometimes that is so hard because the loss can be overwhelming but we are to continue living, it's what they would want and it's what we are here to do.  Let's rejoice in their joy.

Psalm 16:9-11
No wonder my heart is glad, and I rejoice.  My body rests in safety.  For you will not leave my soul among the dead or allow Your Holy One to rot in the grave.  You will show me the way of life, granting me the joy of Your presence and the pleasures of living with You forever.

John 14
Do not let your hearts be troubled.  Trust in God, trust also in me.  In my Father's house are many rooms, if it were not so, I would have told you.  I am going there to prepare a place for you.  And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me, that you also may be where I am.  Peace I leave with you, my peace I give you.  I do not give to you as the world gives.  Do not let your heart be troubled and do not be afraid.

"Weeping may linger in the night, but joy comes in the morning."
Psalm 30:5b

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