Monday, the husband of a friend of mine went to heaven. And today, one of my friends went to heaven. They opened their eyes and looked right in the eyes of Jesus. Imagine each of their expressions…awed and grateful for His gift. Imagine Jesus’s…pleased and grateful for their arrival. They didn’t know when their last breath on this earth would be, nor did their closest people but now they are in His eternal presence, their eternal home. What joy!
I now understand the grace in death for those that choose the gift of it. Even for those left “earth-side,” grieving the depth of their loss, there is grace. I didn’t always see it that way, but I do now. The grace in the anticipatory ‘hello’ of Jesus and the angels. The grace in the freedom from a broken human condition. The grace in the hope of eternal heaven held together with the grace in the yearning that can only come from such sorrow. The grace in the both+and of grief and joy.
Grieve for what is void in the here and now. Rejoice in the gain that is heaven eternal. And yearn in the in-between, knowing the gift of grace never expires.
Today I…
Sunday: Learned
Monday: Chose; said yes/no to
Tuesday: Loved
Wednesday: Prayed
Thursday: Was challenged by/to
Friday: Am grateful for
Saturday: Saw grace in
*Post 1021
And Yet :: 1/16/18 :: Post 138
Oh such strange tension I sit in tonight.
It was a hard day. Start to finish. And yet, I also had a few people speak incredible encouragement to me today…which filled my soul with such life.
I feel exhausted tonight. And I’ll be asleep shortly after I click “done” for this post. I am drained. And yet I feel full. Full of gratitude for my husband, daughters, mom and dad, family and friends, my job and everyone there, my body’s resilience, my heart’s endurance….and my God who gave me all these things.
I dread the coming week. I know the pain. I know the desperation. I know the ick. I know the toll. And yet, I am thankful to be this far. Thankful the light at the end of this tunnel is a little bigger than a glimpse tonight.
One day closer…….
Low :: 1/16/19 :: Post 491
I was holding back the tears all day.
(No post for 1/16/20)