Moments of Joy…

As I was putting on a favorite pair of earrings this morning, a memory overwhelmed me. John had bought me those precious earrings on a vacation. They were simple and classic and I loved them. He was so pleased with my reaction when he gave them to me.

A few weeks before he passed, I was putting on one of the earrings over the sink (spoiler alert, don’t do that!) and heard a dreaded clink. The earring was not in my ear but it wasn’t in the sink either.

I started getting pretty worked up over losing the earring down the drain. I started telling John how I loved those earrings, and if you know him at all, he grabbed his iPad and started looking for a replacement immediately. “No, no, those earrings can never, ever be replaced,” I wailed.

Then a thought struck me—could the earring have just fallen behind the sink?! It did!! It did!! As I retrieved it, I started singing, “I found it, I found it!” while also doing a dance of joy. Not a pretty sight!

But John just threw his head back and laughed and laughed and laughed. He said it felt so good to know those earrings that he had bought years ago were still a treasure.

That’s a memory that brings me joy now. On the roller coaster of grief emotions, we experience, sadness, fear, powerlessness, denial, abandonment, and hopelessness, to name a few. But God also gives us glimmers of light and joy.

Pure joy.

Recovery Principle 2 says, “ Earnestly believe that God exists, that I matter to Him, and that He has the power to help me recover.”

“Happy are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.” (Matthew 5:4)

If you are grieving or walking through a grieving journey with someone, would you share some joyful moments with us?