It is hard to believe that it has been 359 days since I signed up for those emails.
It is hard to believe that Thursday marked 15 months since Rebekah went to Heaven.
Some days it feels like eternity.
And then like the other night, it feels just like yesterday...
I laid in bed and allowed my mind to remember and traced all the grooves on the back of her sweet head and smelled her hair and felt the softness of her cheeks...
That was a hard night.
Anyway, this email was titled: Heaven Is Full of Joy
Because of the title and the reminder of my Rebekah's middle name, Joy, I chose to open this email. Some days I don't because I get too busy or I am in a good place emotionally.
But today I felt this was a nudge from God. A reminder that He knew my heart still hurts...that He is aware that I miss her so much.
Here is that reminder:
Day 359
Another aspect of heaven is the presence of endless joy.
"You have made known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand" (Psalm 16:11).
Joyful moments on earth are just that—moments. They seem to end so quickly. In heaven joy is eternal.
Joni Eareckson Tada says, "Your best memories are those that are timeless, that seem to live on in your mind and in your heart forever. They seem so crystal clear and so crisp. That's because the joy that surrounds those moments is of the Lord.
"Joy is a fruit of the Spirit, and the Spirit is eternal. So when you experience His joy, it has a sense or a smell of eternity about it. It becomes timeless. Sometimes I think those joy-filled moments down here on earth are like sneak previews to whet your appetite for heavenly glories above. I think that's God's way of yanking your heart every once in a while a little bit closer to heaven out of the mud of earth and onto the solid, real ground of heaven."
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6 joyful people left comments:
I love this. My favorite part is that in heaven our Joy will be eternal. I struggle with Joy sometimes. I want to have it all the time but i seem to never be able to. excititng for me to know that when I get to heaven that will not be a struggle for me anymore.
Praying for you.
Susan
I get those emails too and would love to go to the classes or the grief class they offer at the old hospital in lorain (it's now a community center and doctors office) with the snow and our schedule it's hard to find time to go.
Your family is still in our prayers.
I struggle with joy, on a daily basis.
I hate that. I want so, so much to be like those joyful women I see and meet sometimes, who just seem to have a deep, ever-present reservoir of joy!
I know it can't happen without drinking deeply from Him daily.
And I'm so relieved that some day, some day, I will never cry another tear and I'll never hurt or be thirsty or hungry ever again. And I'm so glad that Olivia and Janie and Rebekah will never, ever have to hurt or deal with this life!!
That was a good post!
Fight for joy!!
I enjoyed your post and this really touched me: Joyful moments on earth are just that—moments. They seem to end so quickly. In heaven joy is eternal
What an awesome truth!
This was beautiful, Karen.
Hope your day is a good one!
Praying for you, sweet friend...and I loved the card you sent me! :)
Love this! We have to consciously remember to embrace joy sometimes, don't we? Thanks for the reminder...and for the beautiful reminder that the joy we have here is a taste of what's to come!
Love to you...
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