Joy in the Mourning: Introduction

Click here to listen to this post about my new series, “Joy in the Mourning” on the Candidly Kendra podcast:

This startling double rainbow appeared in the sky on the day of Mom’s memorial service. Do people get a “Tell my family I love them” button they can push from Heaven? If so, Mom must have pushed that button.

Two years ago I started a process of mourning when my mom was diagnosed with terminal brain cancer. Through cancer treatments, through strained holidays (“Is this the last one?”), through unexpected set backs and surprising “bonus” weeks with Mom, I learned so much.

Candidly Kendra is about sharing with you all what I’m learning.

My hope and prayer is that when I share what I’m learning you will sometimes say, “Oh! I never thought of it that way!” I pray that you will realize that you aren’t alone in your feelings, in your doubts, in your celebrations, or the painful lessons he has you walking through.

Speaking of painful lessons… In this season, God is teaching me about grief.

God has been teaching me for the past two years, but especially for the past two months, how to walk with him during the most difficult thing our world has to offer us. God is teaching me how to mourn the loss of a loved one, to feel the deepest sadness I’ve ever felt, and to reconcile those feelings with my belief in a good and loving God.

Over the next few weeks I will be sharing stories and lessons I’ve learned in this terrible journey. These stories will be titled, “Joy in the Mourning.”

A Quick Note on The Title, “Joy in the Mourning”

A verse that has returned to me over and over again as I walk the ups and downs of this path is Psalm 30:5.

“Weeping may last for the night, but joy comes in the morning.”

Here on earth we live in a world of endless cycles. As the author of Ecclesiastes pointed out, the sun rises, sets, and rises again. The wind circles the earth. Streams flow to the sea, and return to do it again. (All found in Ecclesiastes 1.)

Another cycle that no one escapes on earth is the cycle of pain and joy. We celebrated that Mom lived 9 months longer than expected, and we mourn her passing. We celebrated Mother’s Day with steak and chocolate eclairs, and we mourned on Father’s Day when Mom lay unresponsive for the whole day.

Pain and joy and pain again.

But one day it will be morning. Not mourning…morning! The Son will rise once and for all in His Kingdom and we will worship Him in perfect joy in the Eternal Morning.

Until the day I enter his presence, I will pursue joy in this mourning.

Thank you for listening as I share what I’ve learned. Please pray for me as I process through these memories and feelings.