Cycle Of Life

A few hours ago, JoAnn sent me a message via Facebook Messenger with a link to an article that her Granddaughter-in-law had just written on her blog. I am not normally on my computer after 6 or 7:00 p.m. However, I occasionally log back in before going to bed to check for any emails that may require my attention the following morning.

Tyler and Kinsey Miller (JoAnn’s Grandson and wife) are expecting their first child within the next day or two. Her blog is about the journey they have been on for the past few years to get to this point. My Granddaughter, Grace Bull, is also expecting her first child within a few weeks. Her story, while different, is also about her faith and love for her baby, soon to be born.

JoAnn lost her younger son, Jeff, suddenly back in September at the age of 52, and it has been a difficult seven months for her and the family. It has been three years since Eva passed away, and we have our own support group where we lift each other up during difficult times. For me, I focus on recalling good memories that Eva and I made during happier times and writing them down, a process that helps me think about the details. That process helps to shift our thoughts away from the period surrounding the death to happier periods.

JoAnn will soon have her third great-grandchild, and I will have my second great-grandchild to watch grow and have their “first” events as they bring new joy into their families. What we are experiencing is the “cycle of life”. In the Book of Ecclesiastes, God tells us there is a time for everything under Heaven. In His message, we learn to identify what season we are in and the appropriate emotions and actions during those seasons. We learn to be happy in those seasons and grieve during those seasons.

These new babies do not replace the ones we lost, but they allow us to see the new lives as they begin their life cycle. While we continue to experience grief for our loved ones, we have been blessed with someone new to cherish, reminding us that life continues.

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 New International Version
A Time for Everything
3 There is a time for everything,
and a season for every activity under the heavens:
²     a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot,
³     a time to kill and a time to heal,
a time to tear down and a time to build,
⁴     a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance,
⁵     a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,
⁶     a time to search and a time to give up,
a time to keep and a time to throw away,
⁷     a time to tear and a time to mend,
a time to be silent and a time to speak,
⁸     a time to love and a time to hate,
a time for war and a time for peace.