Joy in the midst of suffering

 Hey there readers, 

Have you ever wondered if joy and suffering can co-exist?  I was told early in my grief journey by a good friend that they can and to remember that I could feel both.  Take a second to think about this today.  Whatever you may be struggling with,  it can co-exist with joy.  You can struggle and see joy in things at the same time.  

I dug into this a little bit more and it is found that even in the face of pain, loss or difficulty, one can still find something positive.  You can still find a reason to be grateful, or a sense of purpose. It might only be little nuggets, but a little is better than none.  This can be easier said than done, of course!   We all know how hard it is when your in the midst of the valley...or tangled in the web of dismay.  I think this is why it is so important to have things or people in our lives that help carry us through these times.  Others who maybe have traveled the road or are not as close to it can help us see little bits of joy or peace within the struggle.  As I look forward to things with my children here on earth I am reminded of the joy and excitement in that.  I can't wait to see them succeed in the things that are important to them.  For Nick and I to love on them and cheer for them as they do it.  These pieces or nuggets of joy are wrapped up as gifts during the struggle and I am so grateful for that.   

Today I encourage you to find the little bits of joy within your journey.  To unwrap the gifts that may be peaking around the bend of the unpaved road.

Lots of love and a little grit too,

Jennifer

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Why...

 Hey there readers!  This is my first actual blog, even though I have been thinking about it for a long time.  I will ALWAYS give my honest opinion on something and be as transparent about myself too (we know how hard that can be.) I decided to begin blogging because I have unfortunately gone through a life change that quite frankly, no one wants to go through!  Almost 10 months ago I lost my 22 year old daughter Montanna.  She was our first born.  Montanna was born with a rare disease called Battens Disease.  We knew for many years that her life would be shortened, but it sure doesn't prepare you!  My blogging will not only be about loss, but also about navigating through life after it or anything else life throws our way.  The IT in my page title says it all.  IT can be so many things for us here on earth and I am here to talk it out, write it out and sometimes shout it out!  Hopefully I can share what my experiences have been an...
Read more

Allowing yourself to feel

 We cannot afford to forget any experience...not even the most painful.                        Dag Hammarskjold Experiences, whether it is grief or something else you have been through is a part of our journey. It is hard as hell, but it molds and shapes us. It grows us while we are battling through the thick of it.   Embracing our life...all of it, is part of who we are. It is our story. Learning to grow with it and make changes along the way is such an important part of it.  Lets just be real here! I don't like it, actually I hate it! I would love for it to be different in some way, but I have to embrace it because the pain I feel each day is a sign of the love I got to give and receive for 22 years. Most of all, the memories of what I had with Montanna are right here in my heart. It is raw and it is real and it ...
Read more

In a world where you can be anything...Be Kind

 Hello there readers,  Hope this post finds you all well, and if it doesn't than I hope you find some encouragement!  Summer has begun and so has some "new beginnings" for me.  I took a job...yup, stepped out of my safety net and I am moving forward with IT.  Those of you who have been following along from the beginning know about how we each have our IT in life.  Actually we have many of them.  I think each season in our lives we move through something.  If you think back on your life, I am sure you can think of many ups and downs you have gone through.  The teenage years, young adulthood, relationships, children...the list goes on.  Each time we move through a new season we have different struggles that weave themselves into our daily lives.  Many of those struggles are not ones we particularly invited, right!  But, struggles do build our patience.  They do sharpen us.  They prepare us to handle pressure.  We l...
Read more