Release.
At the beginning of the year, Hayes and I were invited to attend a family retreat with Hope Family Care Ministries. It was our first experience to be in a setting with several other families who were also acquainted with deep grief. I watched Hayes bravely step into his personal story of loss.
Sunshine & Rain
A friend of mine told me about a precious moment from her personal time with God. She was praying and soon found herself lost in her words. Her heart cried out with gratitude to God, “thank you for this suffering, because it has brought me close to your heart.” When the words came out of her mouth, she paused. It caught her off guard for a moment. Was her grief beginning to shift? Was her perspective changing? How could she hold gratitude for the long suffering of her husband’s battle with cancer, his death, and a grief journey for herself and their five small children?
Does my friend’s story teach us what it’s like to give thanks with all of our heart? To tell of all God’s wonderful deeds? How do we cultivate a heart like that? A heart that overflows with gratitude for all that God gives us: the sunshine and the rain.