My mother-in-law has been with Jesus for almost nine years. Cancer took her far too soon. In August of 2007, we welcomed our first son into this world, and within a week, we learned she had cancer in her colon and pancreas.
I remember thinking, how could life give us new joy while threatening hers? I struggled to process it and slipped into a quiet depression. On the outside, I looked fine, but inside, I was not.
We thought her cancer had been caught early, that a little chemo would do the trick. We were wrong. After treatments and surgery, she spent three weeks in the ICU before taking her last breaths.
Today would have been her 76th birthday. I don’t know exactly how we would have celebrated, but I know it would have been together, surrounded by family. Each year, we still choose to celebrate her birthday. We could dwell on grief, but we choose joy, remembrance, and gratitude instead.
We miss her, the laughter, her voice, her small habits, even the silly arguments over things that didn’t matter.
This afternoon, one of my brothers brought a package of double-stuffed chocolate chip sandwich cookies. We added them to our already enormous banana splits, sang, shared memories, and celebrated. We can’t stay in sadness; we can honor it briefly, but we must also choose life, joy, and gratitude.
Friends, life is hard. I know that firsthand. There are days when all you want to do is give up. But even in the toughest seasons, we can choose to celebrate, to find joy, and to cling to God’s goodness.
I celebrate that my mother-in-law rests safely, fully healed, in the arms of Jesus. Life is hard, but God’s grace is always present. And in the midst of trials, there are moments so sweet and full of blessing that your heart could just burst open.
Whatever season you are in, hang in there. It will get easier, even if slowly. And might I suggest keeping something to celebrate on the calendar? Something to look forward to, something that reminds you of life’s beauty and God’s faithfulness.
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