Choose to be thankful and rejoice...

 As I sit here looking back over the past two years and knowing what today brings, I find my heart aching, but my soul resting in a deep peace.  I’ve learned so much the past two years that I will never forget.  It’s so strange how you can love someone so much and then one day you wake up and they’re just gone, not part of your life anymore.  And then there are times where we have the chance to say goodbye to people we love, knowing that they will still be part of your life, but also knowing that it will never be the same.  You might still talk to them here and there, but daily life will not be shared.  My heart aches and even feels like its ripping apart telling so many people goodbye this week, but I’ve learned how to remain at peace and content in these times….

      Because it’s our choice in how we handle these situations and closures.  We can either be sad in regret that the time is over and that we did not make the most of it, wishing we’d only said this or done that….  or we can rejoice and be thankful that we had the time that we did together.  It’s all in how we choose to look it.  So I choose to be thankful for each moment I’ve spent with these people I love and cherish. We can be thankful for the way we’ve loved each other and shown each other more of Christ’s love.  We can be thankful for the depth of our time together and for how even the challenges and struggles will forever change us.  We can be thankful that we’ve played a role in molding and transforming our characters that will never be the same.  

        So today, I sit with a deep sadness in my heart knowing what this week holds, but I rejoice in the gift of the time I’ve had with each of these people and what they’ve brought to my life.  I rest and trust in the Lord’s truth that He’s the one who carries us, will heal our broken hearts, give us peace and contentment that surpasses all understanding.  I found this Doctor Seuss quote that says it well, “Don’t cry because it’s over. Smile because it happened.” 

             So I challenge you to join me in rejoicing for what we’ve had, instead of being sorrowful for what we’re losing, because it’s up to us to determine our attitude and how we will face these times.  People will come and go from our lives, but its our job to look at each relationship and see what we can gain from it and be thankful for each moment as it comes in the present.  It is the Lord’s joy as my strength that’s carried me through these years.  I claim this verse today,  “Always be joyful.  Never stop praying.  Because this is the Lord’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.”  1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

            So claim His joy and never stop seeking Him.  Rest and trust that the Lord is with you and has called you to where you are and what you’re doing for a reason and that He will carry you through it.