Let Freedom Ring..... A day late!

I know I am a day late. This year is a little tougher than years past. I know I am supposed to be thankful and enjoy this holiday. In my family this holiday has been a holiday of celebrating life! My dads birthday is July 6th. My mother-in-laws birthday is on the 4th! The fourth of July has not been a celebration of life this year. It all started 11 years ago. Boy, this sounds like one of those when I was a kid I walked to school up hills both ways with a foot of snow stories!

Eleven years ago Joel and I announced our first pregnancy. We announced it with such excitement. We bought T-shirts for each one of our parents that said "Grandma to BEE" or "Grandpa to Bee" with a cute bee celebrating. We wrapped them as gifts and announced to the family we were having a baby. We had been married for 5 years and everyone was waiting for this announcement. The night before our announcement I dreamed that I miscarried after we made the announcement. I asked Joel if we should not make the announcement. He said "no way, we bought all of those T-shirts." or something of the sorts. I miscarried the day after we made the announcement. :o( I often wonder if it was God preparing my heart for disappointment. It was a very hard loss. As I look back over the last 11 years I have had sadness each year at this time to some level. But I have also seen God bless me with two beautiful children. He was faithful.... as he always is. This year I am sad because my dad is in heaven and we can not celebrate his life here on earth. I suppose we could look at it in a different way. I suppose we could celebrate his eternal life with Jesus. It has just been hard to wrap my head around that. Grief has been heavy this year. I suspect that is very normal in the process.

I know God is faithful and his love is deeper than I can possibly understand! I hope to celebrate my dads eternal life with Jesus next year. My mom has reminded me that dad is in heaven holding the baby I miscarried so many years ago. Eventually that thought will be soothing to my weary soul.

I hope each of you was able to enjoy the freedom we have in the US. Freedom to write a blog about God's faithfulness. Bless you, my blog buddies!