The day dawned warm.
Easter.
The Culmination of Lent.
The joyous celebration.
The journey to the Cross.
The Promise.
The Hope.
The sun shone.
Temperatures rose to almost 80.
We gathered with family.
Broken.
Bruised.
We gathered.
2 moms who’ve lost their sons.
One with special needs.
One who has been incarcerated.
A former drug addict.
Divorced.
Children out of wedlock.
Broken.
All of us.
There we gathered.
On the back lawn.
Laughing.
Enjoying.
Hugging.
Eating.
Redeemed.
Bought with a price.
Living under grace.
The whole lot of us.
A broken, redeemed glorified family.
I sat there and watched.
Joy bubbled over.
Redemption.
3 generations.
Memories being made in the sunshine.
We don’t have it all together.
None of us do.
Yet because of One we can live.
Grace filled my heart.
Even while I was missing.
Even when there’s a mess.
The echoes of voices long ago fill my heart.
A song.
May you all know the power of the words of this song.
May the words bring you the joy and contentment I find in them.
I can still picture my mom singing this song as she fought her final war with pain.
And each day, remembering that as death gave way to Victory, Elijah is seated with Christ.
And even better.
The promise that I will see him again.
Today I begin my last year in my 40’s.
A decade riddled with grief, heartache and pain.
A time where I have felt the very presence of God.
A journey learning to trust God in the midst of turmoil.
I want to remain ever open.
Present.
Ready to say, “Because He Lives, I can face tomorrw.”
Our struggles are real.
