YGT: Between Two Flowers

We are in the middle of two intense moments.  Last Sunday, we lost Granny, my wife's grandmother who was 86 years old.  She was was a faithful woman who loved her church and her family. She had a limited education yet encouraged her children to succeed in school. She was courageous enough to move north from Alabama as a young woman. She was the eldest daughter, the matriarch of her family, and a Sunday School teacher for over 40 years.  Granny began as a budding stem and ended as a sturdy oak.


On one side of our story is the loss of our dear Granny, the rose of her family. On the other side, we are mere hours away from welcoming our daughter Jaelle into this world. A new seed will be born into our family tomorrow. As much as we received from Granny, we wish for Jaelle. She is our hope of a rose to come...


So between grieving and rejoicing, we sit in this moment.  It is the place in between mourning and dancing (Psalm 30:11 below).  Now we wait for another flower; a future seed waiting to be welcomed and blossom. Granny, please shine on her as a guardian and friend. Please help her flourish and stand courageously. We trust that she will rise beautifully because of Your great legacy.

Lord, thank You for the gift of Granny and Jaelle. We believe that in a way, you have given us a person in our family to replace another. We are grateful that there is residue from Granny's flowerbed that will be revealed in both of our daughters. We look forward to a day where we stand among all the flowers that have passed before us and before You, our great Gardener. In Christ's name, Amen.


Digging,

j.a.g.

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Psalm 30:11You turned my wailing into dancing;
you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy,

YGT: Dancing with My Eyes Closed

*I dedicate this post to my sister Jessica. 

 We spent many nights dancing in the kitchen. 

Those are some of my happiest memories.

A part of the allure of writing is the ability to document sadness.  

Sometimes though, you just need to be happy.  

This past weekend, I had a euphoric reminder of the joy that life can bring.  Ashley and I listened to some R&B and I just danced...  For no reason at all...  If you're like me, sometimes when you're dancing and the music feels good, you close your eyes.  If you've ever been there, you know this is the height of joyfulness.  

I imagine this was David's experience too in II Samuel 6:14-15 - Wearing a linen ephod, David was dancing before the Lord with all his might, while he and all Israel were bringing up the ark of the Lord with shouts and the sound of trumpets.

It's not hard to imagine David dancing with all of his might and with his eyes closed.  If God has ever done anything for you, you have a reason to rejoice.  Life's too short to be sad all the time.  Why not take some time to dance?!?!!!

Lord, thank You for making us a people who can dance and dance with others.  Help us to shout as well as we sulk.  Please remind us to leave our concerns at Your feet and rejoice in the victory we have in You.  Thank You for it all.  In Christ's name, Amen.

-j.a.g.