Finding Joy in Amidst the Sadness

"The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears them; he delivers them from all their troubles. The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit." Psalm 34:17-18

This past week has been a whirlwind of emotions, to say the least. Like I said in my last blog post, the small-town community that Mark and I grew up in suffered the loss of two young souls. The losses the families have suffered is unfathomable. But the support the community and surrounding communities have shown is unremarkable and truly inspiring. God shows us that despite the sadness and hurt, good can come out of sadness and this goodness will reign. I'm not going to lie; I have questioned God as to why he needed these two young people and why not those that are so ready to go. It doesn't seem fair, and it doesn't seem right. I have honestly prayed a lot this past week regarding my questions. I know I am not the only one who has questioned this and unfortunately the "why" now may never be answered. I know we all need to fully trust in God and trust in his timing. Some day we may be able to look back and see that the timing was right. God needed them as angels more than we needed them here on earth.

Last weekend Me, Mark, Kalli, Bailee, and Paislee headed to Minneapolis to see my family. It had been far too long since we had seen each other, and we wanted everyone to meet Miss Paislee. It has been well known that when we visit the cities we try to cram as much fun and family time into one. This time we decided that we didn't have to do any activity. We wanted to focus on visiting and being together. We were able to have an amazing supper at Sheila and Ron's house on Friday when we arrived. All the Walters were there my niece Shara and her children Otto and Everly were also able to join us. It was so nice to sit around and visit and it was long overdue.

Saturday, we got to have a tour of homes. My brother Chuck and Sandy were able to join us as well as Shara and Tyler and their kids. First, we went to Chelsea and Stephen's new house they bought. A cute house indeed, even making sure to have a cat porch for their fur babies to enjoy. After the first house tour, we went on to eat at The Market at Malcom. We ate way too much, but it was so worth it! We went on to tour Dylan and Meg's new house. Very cute and cozy home with a huge backyard. After visiting at their house for a bit, we were off to see Shara and Tyler's house. Another beautiful home, and Otto was so excited to show us his room and all the secret doors in the basement. We visited for a while and then we decided to go to "The Burrow." Sheila had tried to book ax throwing for us to try, but they were sold out. So, we all sat around and visited, and the kids (AKA Nathan, Bailee, and Kalli) played games. We had some good visits, and the time is never long enough.

The next day we headed to Justin and Noelle's house in Elk River. They bought a new home in the past 1 1/2 years, and we were finally able to see tour it. Another beautiful home in an amazing, wooded area with lots of daily visits from deer. Justin and Brady grilled lunch for us. We were able to sit around and visit for a while. We were also able to take plenty of pictures of Paislee and Mia and these turned out great! It was fun to be able to see everyone, meet Mia, and cherish moments like these. The food was good and the company even better. There is never enough time when it comes to gatherings such as this. I never feel like I was able to visit enough with everyone.

Kalli, Mark, and I headed home. Bailee, Justine, and Paislee headed to Wisconsin Dells for a mini vacation. The trip home was full of mixed emotions. We had a wonderful weekend with family, yet we mourned with our friends for the losses back home. Mark and I talked a lot about life and what we have learned this past year. We have learned so much and I know that I probably have said all of this before, but I want to share again. We have learned that life throws everyone curve balls occasionally, often when we least expect it. These curve balls sometimes hit you right in the stomach like the world's strongest man took one heck of a gut-wrenching sucker punch. We have learned that even when you think there is no hope, God always has a way of bringing renewed hope. All you must do is believe. We have learned that faith in God and each other is essential and if you think your faith is gone, it CAN be renewed. We have learned that positivity makes life more bearable, and you know what? It is contagious and a good kind of contagious at that! We have learned that living life where God is the center brings us closer to each other and makes everything better. We have learned that bad days or moments are just that, only a day or only a moment. There is always tomorrow, and every tomorrow gives us a chance to restart and become better than the day before; it gives us a sense of renewed hope. We have learned that love can endure more than you think if you choose to forgive, have faith, believe, and renew your love daily and never take it for granted. We have learned that even at our darkest hours, we have strength within us if we choose to listen and follow it. We have learned that no one and no relationship is perfect, but we can always improve ourselves and our relationships. We have learned that alcohol does not need to be a part of our lives to live fully and have fun, in fact, our life has been so much better without alcohol in it. We have learned that sharing our story openly and honestly, may help others and may help end the stigma of addiction and mental health issues. Being open and honest with one another is essential to make any relationship work. As I reflect on the weekend in Minneapolis, we are truly blessed. Amidst the tragedies of life, we were able to celebrate family and fellowship with one another. That alone makes my heart happy. God bless each and every one of you today and always.