This post may seem a little disjointed-it’s how I feel at the moment… but thank you for reading. I pray something in it blesses your day.

It’s been a year, a difficult year. The laughter has been sweeter and the tears have been harder to control, because yes- I am one of those people that bottles it up (but I’m getting better).

Of course, I have no idea how long this journey will go on, just that it will only last until I am in heaven with the Lord.

But isn’t this true of all facets of our journey? We feel a whole year is a long time, and we often live as though the rest of our life stretches out infinitely… which it does, but not our earthly life. This life is passing. It will be over before most of us are ready.

And then what? Do you know what will happen to you when your time of life on this earth is finished? Do you have a blessed hope in a journey just begun?

This journey, in which the past year as been rough emotionally, is just the beginning of the greater journey of life with Jesus. Some days I lose this focus, but God’s mercies are new each day and His hope is blessed and eternal.

What I am speaking of here is the fact that 1  year ago, my brother left this life on earth and is continuing his eternal life with Jesus in heaven. Often I am reminded of something my mom shared with me is that a reason for the different outcomes possible in the grieving process is choice: “Where do I want my journey of grief to take me?” I can choose this.

For myself, I can choose to allow the overwhelming sadness that comes in odd waves at the most unanticipated times to draw me to God and allow my heart to grow in His love and compassion for others; or I can push away His comfort and focus on the loss, making way for a root of bitterness to spring forth. I can actually see either of these outcomes before me when the tears burn my eyes suddenly.. and one day we will all be together again, praising Jesus for His unmerited favor torwards us. And this grief on earth will be but a distant memory in light of eternity with the Son of God as our light.

a song that has been a comfort to me at different times of my life:

a song that encourages me to remember God’s control

Psalm 42:5
Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted in me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him for the help of his countenance.

1 Thessalonians 4:9-13
But as touching brotherly love ye need not that I write unto you: for ye yourselves are taught of God to love one another. And indeed ye do it toward all the brethren which are in all Macedonia: but we beseech you, brethren, that ye increase more and more;And that ye study to be quiet, and to do your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you; That ye may walk honestly toward them that are without, and that ye may have lack of nothing. But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words.