In the same week a beloved sister in the Lord, really a matriarch of our fellowship, died, one of our beautiful young women shared the joyous news that she’s expecting a baby. This morning we learned that our friends Nehemiah and Sarah Naik in India had a serious motorcycle accident and I also learned that a friend’s niece lost one of her twin babies and had to deliver the other by C section nearly three months early. But today I also experienced a joyful worship service and had a nice meal with friends, and…… it struck me how all of life is this way–filled with both joy and sorrow at the same time. It’s all mixed together and intertwined and often overwhelming. The only way we can cope with these extremes of joy and grief is the knowledge that ultimately we all belong to God. He planned it all and has it all under control. Our emotions and our spirits are up and down according to our circumstances, but when we get “eternal eyes” we can relax and trust that all will be well in the end. One of our tasks here though, is to be available to hold one another up during those painful and hard times. The grief and the losses are very real. I’m thankful for those who love me enough to help me through the hard times. How about you?