Drop One Hundred Forty-five

Lamentations 3:19 - 22

“Remember my affliction and my wandering, the wormwood and the bitterness. Surely my soul remembers and is bowed down within me. This I recall to my mind, Therefore I have hope. The LORD’s lovingkindnesses indeed never cease, For His compassions never fail.” (NASB1995).

I had a very melancholy Mother’s Day. We are in that season of our lives in which our adult children are busy building, and we are in coasting mode. At church they give out 4 bouquets at random. They randomize it by handing out four bulletins with a different color framing the picture on the front. The ones who received the different color get a bouquet. There is also another tradition. Often a recipient of a bouquet decides another sister in Christ could really use encouragement and passes it on. After 3 of the 4 were identified, they could not locate the 4th and gave it to one whose daughter was pointing at her. After she received it, I learned that the 4th was in the same row as me. The one who received the 4th, chose to pass it to me. I was so overwhelmed with gratitude and hugged her tightly twice while tears formed. I then told her I knew who had the 4th bulletin. I then passed it to the one who was to receive it. She asked how I got it, and I told her. Her daughter thanked me as she accepted responsibility for her mom not getting it in the first place. God is good. All 4 of us were blessed by how the bouquet made its way around.

After church, I took homemade jar salads (my daughter’s recipe) to my best friend’s parents house and visited a few grave sites. The first I visited was that of our first born. The next stop was the grave of my in-laws and then my mother’s. I finally left the ashes of her beloved dog with her. Although it was a tear-filled day, it was a good day.

Heavenly Father,

Thank You for filling us with Your hope. As You fill us with Your grace, may it overflow from us onto those around us. May we not just be spilling out grace accidentally, but may we pour your grace into others. Love begets love. Help us to love each other well. Help us to remember the good that You provide and forget the wrongs that evil intends. May we forgive each other and ourselves quickly. Help us spend more time each day seeking You and Your will than we did the day before.

In the Name of Jesus we pray,

AMEN