Congrats, Wendy, who decided to put her Christmas lights back into the attic! Sometimes a girl has to do what a girl has to do. We didn’t put our outside lights out this year either. Only two small lit trees that sit on either side of the front door.
Thanks to everyone who posted and stopped by my blog. It’s so nice to meet each of you! Mara asked if what else did I do to find joy again besides pray after losing my husband. Did I see a therapist?
Yes, I did see a Christian counselor and highly recommend it. Depression can be a very serious thing. I went through a time where I struggled with suicidal thoughts…I was torn between living for my infant son, or dying to be with my husband. All of that is natural after the loss of a loved one. I was only 21 and the new mother of a 4 month old son when the accident happen. I was plagued with nightmares at night and during the day I was convinced I’d see him driving down the road or something like that. I recall one time following a truck like his for miles before I realized what I was doing. Grief. It causes us to do strange things, and yet, it’s important that you get through the entire process of grief and not get stuck in a certain area. This is why talking with a counselor, a pastor or godly mentor is a must.
Time doesn’t heal a thing. It’s God who is our Great Physician. Through His Word I learned that we don’t live in the world God created. The world He made He said was good. But then, through Adam and Eve came sin. The result…we live in a fallen, broken, sin-sick world. Sickness, abuse, addition, war, and death were a part of God’s orginal blue-print in creating earth. But because we live in a fallen world, not everthing that happens to us is going to be good. That’s the bad news. The good news is God have made us a promise. “For God causes all things to work together for good for those who love him and are called according to his purpose.” Romans 8:28.
When your five year old gets cancer, when your husband loses his job, when your teenager’s friend is killed in a car crash, when that person you knows suceeds at sucide, the Spirit of God, through this vers, is saying with a Father’s heart, “Not everything that happens to you is going to be good, but because you love me and obey me your father in heaven will make it good.” Isnt’ that just like a loving father to take what is broken and make it whole again? He did if for me and He’ll do it for you, too!
So, yes, there were times when depression, grief, fear, and anger came knocking on my hearts door and still do. But my God is bigger. I trust His love and His plan for me. So far it’s been a good one. I have remarried a wonderful man and have two more beautiful children, a minstry, and a heart that believes my God is good in all things.
May each of us praise and worship Him this Christmas season for He alone is worthy of our praise!
Rachel says
Thank you for your wise words. I think it is so important that we as Christian s are real about how much life can so often hurt and yet the truth of God’s faithfulnes in it all.If we are not real about how it is we are leading people down a misguided path and they will never experience the truth of Jesus who comes into all that awfulness to stand with us and help us in and through the dark.