Easter Lily

The past couple of months have been tough.  Lots of sadness and wondering why things happen the way they do. 

Uncle Les Died. 

What should have been a big first birthday party for our cousin’s baby was a toy drive for friends he 

will never meet because he celebrated his birthday in heaven. 

My grandma died. 

My friend and coworker lost her 54-year-old husband very suddenly. 

A church member lost her 49-year-old daughter suddenly. 

A church member lost her brother suddenly.   

A friend’s young son is struggling emotionally. 

Friends have been hospitalized for heart problems and sat through surgeries on their children and tended to ailing loved ones.  There has been illness and pain and tears for people I love and people I don’t even know.  There have been many hard conversations with three little boys we are trying to explain all of this to. 

Then… in the middle of it all was Easter.  In the middle of it was the reminder that this isn’t all there is.  That death doesn’t get the final say.  That things will be hard and we will be sad and there will be loss - but God is there to walk with us. 

In the middle of it all there was even family time.  There was connecting with cousins I hadn’t seen in years and family friends who we had lost contact with.  In the middle of it all was sharing memories of our loved ones and joy of being together.  In the middle of it all was the reminder of how very loved and supported we are even on this earth.

So - this is my personal reminder.  While there may be pain in the night, the joy will eventually come in the morning. 

We are Easter people.