With great LOVE comes great SORROW

I'm from a large family. On my daddy's side of the family was Grandma (maw maw) and Grandpa (papa), my daddy and his sister. On my mother's
side of the family was Grandma and Grandpa, my mom, 3 sisters and a brother.

As my parents and their siblings got married the numbers doubled and then they started having us (the grandkids). After we grew up and got married and started having kids the numbers continued to grow.

As I got older and moved away from home I would talk about my family. People always said you are so lucky to be a part of a big family. And I always agreed.
The first Christmas after we had foster girls we went to my family's Christmas. (which is our tradition because Christmas Day is the day as many family members that can gathers together) One of the girls asked Kevin, " What are they laughing about." Kev said he told her, "I don't know they laugh the whole time we are here. And Danette always cries when we leave."

As a pastor's wife, after seeing and being apart of many families losing loved ones, when I was told you are so lucky to be a part of a big family. I would agree and I started to add, "but with great love comes great sorrow."

This week is one of the times my family and I are experiencing "the great sorrow." My daddy's only sister, Aunt Jeanette, passed away after a long hard battle with Alzheimers. Her four children, grandchildren, family and friends are mourning her greatly.

Matthew 5:4 NIV
"Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted."

I know from the passing of grandparents, aunts, uncles, Kevin's parents and others that  this sorrow never really leaves. It gets easier to deal with in time but great love (family love) never leaves us. We have memories that God allows us in His great mercy. Small things will remind us of our loved one. I remember after my papa died. Grandma said, "She was opening the back window and the way the sun was coming up was so beautiful she thought how much my papa would have loved it."

I was raised to believe in the Lord, Jesus Christ and I know that many of my family members also have accepted Jesus as their Savior. Knowing my aunt was a Christian gives me the comfort knowing I  will one day see her again.

In my mind and heart, I see family members and friends that have gone on before us in Heaven, greeting and hugging (we are a hugging family) her.  I see them standing around my Aunt Jeanette everyone trying to get a hug and squeezing through the crowd to be next. Everyone is so happy to see her and she is no longer in pain. Just like I cried when leaving my family to go home, we will cry for now but one day we will see each other again.

I pray God will give my cousins and their children the strength and comfort they need in this time of great sorrow.

Blessings on you,
Danette (Mama D)

John 5:24 NIV "Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life."