One this I’ve learned throughout life is this: grief + joy can coexist.
In one hand we hold the reality of death, the awareness of the fragility of this life. In the other hand we hold onto the Truth of His goodness. We enjoy every little moment, while holding onto it loosely knowing this isn’t our home.
The gut-punch of the doctors call,
The knock on the door of dear friends.
The statistics not in your favor,
The favor of God poured out.
The sorrow of lost dreams,
The warm embrace of a loved one.
The darkness of the valley,
The dawn of the morning light.
One day will be a mountaintop, the next day you find yourself in a valley. Cling to the hope that the darkness can never overcome the Light. Hold onto your flicker. Hold onto your Hope.
“He protects his flock like a shepherd; he gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them in the fold of his garment. He gently leads those who have young.” (Isaiah 40:11)
This was in my devotional this morning, a moment that brought me tears. My prayer is that we all would learn how to truly rest in his arms:
“We can rest in His arms, close our eyes and slow out breathes he sings over us. Instead of suffering our own pounding hearts, we can lean in an hear His steady heartbeat. It beats steadily with His love for us.” (From She Read Truth, God’s Presence Strengthens Us)
In the joys of life, we see glimpses of Heaven. In the darkness, we hear God whisper to us, “this isn’t the way it’s supposed to be.”
In the steadiness of His heartbeat, we hear His love for us. Like a mother cares for her child, our Father cares for us. Hols us close, rocks us to rest and sings songs over us. He never lets go. He never waivers.
Amen.
