Good morning…
Very graciously she said to me, “I don’t want to open your blog and hear about negative stuff happening in your community. Cancer. Suicide. Tragedy after tragedy. I have enough hurting people struggling around me. I don’t need your painful experiences piling on mine, dragging me down. I read your morning messages hoping to be inspired, to be lifted up, to be given strength for the hard things I am facing.”
I sat with her feedback. I prayerfully pondered. I wondered with God, “What are Your thoughts on this?”
Then, with perfect timing, God allowed an email to be forwarded to me that very same week, an email describing the experience of a father from a different state processing his son’s suicide publicly. This grieving dad went into great detail. On and on he went describing his son’s sad situation. Getting these painful words out of his own system was clearly quite cathartic for this devastated dad, but I read the first page, then the second page, and I then scrolled down to see, “There are ten more heavy pages to go?” That’s when I stopped and I thought about my friend’s fertile feedback. I sensed God stirring my pot of simmering thoughts.
- Write short so no one is forced to read long.
- Focus on the positive, the daily learning, God’s universal truth.
- Rhythmically rock between life’s joys and life’s sorrows until these seeming opposites become best friends.
In the very same week, I read another article written by a father whose daughter lost a friend to suicide. He shares beautiful words and pictures. She expresses great gratitude. Together they reveal an intimate friendship between gentle joy and deep sorrow. The young man honored was our firewood delivered, winter after winter, so I know I am bias, but I find this article life-giving not depleting, affirming the small differences we all can make when we live by the motto “Nothing beats nice.” Decide for yourself if you want to read Tom Greene’s loving blog post.
You will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will be turned into joy (John 16:20, AMP).
…Sue…
P.S. Thanks to all of you who uplifted me yesterday with your heartfelt prayers, encouraging emails, and loving presence as we hosted our “With God Weather Life” program at church. God orchestrated an awesome, bonding experience for a vibrant chapel-full of women, who ranged in age from 102-years-old to those in their late-20’s. During this Advent season, beginning December 1st, our online community will be encouraged each morning by the same Spirit-led teaching on Immanuel, which means “God is with us.”
