He replied, “You are talking like a foolish woman. Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?”
This past week I had to let go of a very dear friend, one I've had for nearly 18 years. She and I had experienced many joyous moments and also some not so joyous ones. Some days we were really close and talked almost every day and then there were times when we didn't speak for long periods of time not because of ill feelings but because life took us down different paths. This last year had been a year of plenty for us in that we were able to spend more time together and talk often. We still shared the good and the hard times together, prayed together and for one another and sometimes had to give each other a "come to Jesus" talking. You know what those talks are like. That's what a true friend does, they don't always tell you the good things, sometimes they have to tell you the really rotten things about yourself.
When I received the call almost two weeks ago that my friend was gone, my first thought was God how could this happen. My heart was broken, sadness filled me and I simply sobbed in knowing I'd never hear her voice telling me good news or telling me the bad. How odd it was that when I heard of her passing she was one of the first I wanted to call to tell the bad news too...but of course I couldn't. I knew that she would cry with me and when I saw her next she would give me one of the biggest hugs and hold me til she felt I was ok to let go of. She was one of those people that just knew what to say and how to help a friend get through the bad. I guess she knew it was time to let go.
I've been very blessed in my life to have had her and many more friends that rejoice with me in the good and cry with me in the bad. But even beyond my wonderful group of friends, I have an even greater friend in Jesus. You see when I couldn't call my friend to share the horrible news, I still could call on Jesus. I trust Him with the good and the bad in my life. I've written before that life isn't about being fair but can be filled with tragedy and loss. The wonderful news is its also filled with happy times and new birth.
It's taken me some time to understand when people would say to rejoice at a death and mourn a birth, we as humans do pretty much the opposite don't we? We are so happy when someone gives life to a new precious baby and grieve tremendously when we lose the one that we love. But are we really losing them or just saying, "til we meet again"? I think it only natural to want to keep all those we love close in heart and in physical proximity, but how crowded would this world be and how empty would our eternal home be? I don't know about you, but I long for that eternal home where I will see my dear friend again along with my Jesus, my son, my mom and all my precious loved ones.
It's easy to accept the good and refuse the bad. It's easy to be thankful for the good and be angry about the trouble. It's easy to say Praise God in the quietness of life or in the joy-filled moments, but it's really hard sometimes to say Praise God when the storm is all around us...but Praise Him anyway. He is so worthy to be praised. He does give and take away and there is pain in the offering but no matter the size of the storm, we have much to rejoice in.
Til we meet again, Chelle... save a seat up close for me, k?
Blessings,
Heather
