Blessings and Sorrows...

This has been a wonderful week. Exciting. Hopeful.

This has been a hard week. Sad. Painful.

There is stuff going on in my extended family - stuff that is not mine to share here. I think I was actually in denial for the first few days.

But then we had to tell our children. Having to explain stuff to your children - stuff you don't understand and don't agree with, stuff that is wrong, stuff that makes God sad - that will shatter your denial fast.

Lily Kay is too young and/or doesn't have the language necessary to understand yet. Noah and Daniel have lots of questions. Questions I don't have the answers to...or don't like the answers to.

Elisabeth cried.

And then she cried some more.

And then I cried over this situation for the first time. But not for the last.

And when I woke up yesterday morning - after a very emotionally tough Thanksgiving day - the Lord had this for me in my devotional (Jesus Calling, by Sarah Young):

"To protect your thankfulness, you must remember that you reside in a fallen world, where blessings and sorrows intermingle freely."

I want the blessings. But, oh, how I try to avoid the sorrows.

Yet, here they are. What will I do with them?


I will sacrifice a thank offering to you
and call on the name of the LORD. (Psalm 116:17)