She called today to check on me...her heart full of compassion on this day one year to the date of my husbands home going to new life in heaven. My friend of nearly thirty years in which we have faced all matter of trials and joy together! She never forgets to share love and her joyful ways gift a smile to my heart. We are so close, it is as though God knew we would need each other for a lifetime. My sister of sorts on this road called life. We met at Sunday School too many years ago to count and the moment I heard her exclaim "for true" I knew she must be from home. A true Louisiana girl whose husband would become Dan's dearest friend, and she mine!
The happy chatter we share is clearly a matter of having so much in common. Even though we have lived in different states for awhile our families are bonded with memories and plans for the future. We have invested ourselves in the lives of each other. Our goals include sharing our faith and loving our families and grandchildren. Most importantly our faith in God gives hope to our days, and joy in the knowledge of being sisters in Christ forever. Many tears have fallen between the two of us as life has unfolded in a way neither heart could have faced without this faithful bond in Christ. It is good to be loved.
Many others have encouraged me as I faced the loss of my husband whom they also knew and loved. He was a man of few words but when he loved you he gave his heart for life. So many plans fell to the side while cancer slowly caused our lives to change and our faith to grow more than we could have ever understood without the journey we traveled together. Encouraged by his faith Dan looked forward to his heavenly home. One day there would be a glorious reunion much like the most precious of celebrations we have ever known.
So, today which started with coffee and Jesus is not so much a sad time, but instead a day in which I say thank you...to the many friends who have gently helped to guide me along this path of grief and shared their own journey and testimonies of how God always held them up when the waves of sorrow
swept the tides of change forevermore. You see, this is not the end, but the beginning for those who are in Christ! New starts are adventures in trust and promise...God never disappoints his children.
And today I celebrate the birthday of our handsome grandson Robbie who we love dearly as a family. I can't help but smile each time he hugs me in the same way his Grandpa did...a heart filled with gentle caring ways. We shared so many childhood moments with he and his beautiful sister Kristi. God knew we needed joyful times to balance the times in which bittersweet memories would keep us close at heart. A heritage of faith and hope continues to guide me along this daily God given life I call mine.
Life is good and life goes on a friend once told me...and so it does. Psalms 118:24 Reads: This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.
No comments:
Post a Comment