Joy Comes in the Morning...

Today, I spoke with a new friend of mine. She is someone that I have connected with as her children are classmates of 2 of my children. God has brought a real connection, and I have wondered what His purposes might be in that. She doesn't know the Lord yet, but has sought out advice; and we have had some very interesting conversations.

Today, she is in mourning...Her Grandmother passed away this weekend. This wasn't just any grandmother.

This was the kind of grandmother that she visited or called every day since she was born...up until Saturday.
This was the kind of grandmother who had to feed you every time you walked in the door...even if you were exploding from just having eaten.
This was the kind of Grandmother that you forced yourself to eat anyway, because it meant so much to her.
In later years, this was the kind of Grandmother, you popped in on instead of calling ahead, because if she knew you were coming, she would prepare food...and was really to weak to stand and do these things.

This Grandma had 4 sons...no daughters, and one granddaughter...my friend.
That made my friend very special to this Grandma.
It also made My friend's daughter very special to this Grandma.
This is the kind of Grandma who could hardly get a breath the last night my friend visited her in the hospital...but someone had brought Banana Bread...and she insisted my friend eat...one last time.

As my friend cried, and reminisced, and told me stories about her Grandma...it reminded me of another Grandma...
I never had the privilege of growing up so close to my own grandparents....but my children's grandma...my mom, was this kind of Grandma.
As this is my friend's first experience with grief...I related some of what I'd learned.
It has me thinking about mom...
Once again, there is sadness with that....eight years later, my friend's mourning makes the scar a little raw again.

For Mother's Day I will post about my mom...for now, I am so thankful for eternal life.
I am thankful that the mourning does pass.

I am thankful that over time, there are more smiles of remembrance than tears.

I am thankful that overwhelming pain...becomes rare.

I am thankful that He gives us Joy when we give Him our Sorrows.

I am thankful that in all of my very dark days, and all of my amazingly wonderful days, my Jesus was there.

I am thankful that my Jesus is with my friend tonight, even if she doesn't know it.

Father, be with my friend and her family tonight. Heal the wound that is so fresh and raw tonight. Give them hope...your hope, and help them laugh as they remember the good.

Help them to sleep peacefully tonight, and as they sleep, give them dreams that will show them your love for them. Use this passing Lord, to draw them to you. Father...bring them JOY IN THE MORNING....and in the MOURNING.