The Great Collision

"our griefs cannot mar the melody of our praise; they are simply the bass notes of our life song: "To God be the Glory!" C.H. Spurgeon

september 3rd, and the next four weeks are a season full of mixed emotions for the littlejohn house.  on the one hand we are celebrating my brother andrew's birthday, my and mark's upcoming birthdays, our anniversary, and a slew of close family and friend's birthdays and anniversaries.  and on the other hand we are remembering the day we lost mark's brother, joshua; and the seasons of grief we have walked through as an extended family and as a couple.  for the past TEN years these two seasons in our lives have had to share the dance floor in our hearts.  joshua's death and our wedding day were only separated by 33 days.  for anyone who has ever grieved anything knows that 33 days might as well be zero days.  BUT, God in His sweet favor allowed us to walk through deep, unspeakable, almost unbearable pain; and then HE lifted us up and ushered in this down pour of celebration and JOY on our wedding day.  did we all in our own way return to grieving? ABSOLUTELY! did we feel grief on our wedding day? YES! but it was the beginning of a companionship that has followed us the rest of our days; the relationship of sorrow and joy. it is inevitable, the two will find one another in your life.  do not choose just the pain and ignore the joy.  and do not just choose the joy and ignore the pain. allow them to coexist on the dance floor of your heart, and then get up and DANCE!!!

~s