Today, it is one year since my grandmother's passing. I think that my poor husband has been worried about me all day. I'm a crier, so I think he has been walking on egg shells in case.... well.... frankly in case I lose it. But for the past month or so, I have been praying. Sure, I've prayed my whole life. But this past month I've been REALLY praying. The long, actually assign a time, bring me to tears type of praying. And I've realized something.
I've been looking at this all wrong.
Now, before I continue I want to emphasize. Mourning is a part of life. It is healthy. But... we need to make sure it doesn't consume us.
I heard something the other day that stopped me dead in my tracks. I was at dinner with Evan, and he was talking about...um... ok I honestly don't remember. BECAUSE the cutest little five-ish girl was talking to her grandma about her dog. Her grandma asked her how she was doing, and the little girl replied "I'm ok. I'm sad that she died. But she was really sick, and Heaven was the only way she could get better."
From the mouths of babes, huh?
I wanted to go up and hug that little girl. She gave me a gift of insight I could never have expected. My grandmother was sick. And now she is not. Now, she is happy and healthy and gets to be in the presence of Jesus. That is great, wonderful news!! And yes, we miss her down here. More than anything. But I can't wish her back. Because Heaven is where is supposed to be.
Because of this thought, I have peace. The kind of peace that let's me know that everything will be ok.
If you have lost someone, my encouragement to you is this. Remember that this earth is not the end-all. I know we have been told this over and again, but think of it this way. Heaven is the end result. If you were to watch your best friend run a race, you wouldn't be sad she got to the end. You wouldn't cry because her race was over. You would rejoice because she finished! She reached her end goal.
Heaven is the goal. My grandmother got there, and I am so happy for her.
So LIVE. Be happy. Encourage people on this earth. Laugh. Love. I would not want Memaw to look down on me and see me not living my life because of my sadness. There will be times when you are sad. But the not sad times should outweigh the sad times. God gave us the gift of life and we should not waste it! There are so many good, and wonderful things to see and do and experience in this life.
So please, please, please-- live your life with joy. Because a life lived without joy is a waste.
Be salt and light,
Hannah
