Grief and Joy
The Bible tells us in many ways that deep grief and profound joy can coexist thru God, and even amidst our darkest days we can still live in the light.
In John 16:20 Jesus told his disciples, "you will be sorrowful but your sorrows will turn into joy.” It was a promise that the grief over his death would turn to joy at his resurrection and the coming of the Holy Spirit.
When I wrote my first Lenten devotion in 2023 it was after the sudden loss of my mother, and it focused on the support of the church and friends during that season of deep grief. Anne Sullivan, a close friend and fellow Stephen Minister, provided so much of that support and friendship.
I am now walking the "Mourners Path" again that I wrote about in 2024, and it is for our treasured GPUMC member and cherished wife, mother, sister, and friend, Anne Sullivan.
In 2025 I wrote about the ladies book club that met in the memorial garden, The book was Choosing Joy by Kay Warren. Anne was a part of that group, and she and I were also doing another book study together at our beloved pier park called "Life Worth Living".
The last time that Anne was able to attend our Tuesday night ladies Bible study at the church, we walked to the parking lot together on that beautiful evening in late September of 2024.
As always she was asking me about my exciting year ahead, and joyfully said that 2025 was going to be a great year, as we hugged goodbye. Her surgery for Ovarian Cancer was scheduled the following week.
I was blessed to be able to visit with Anne many times before she died on May 26th, and despite her surgeries and pain, her smile was as radiant and as comforting as ever. And Anne was right of course, it has been a year of great joy for me, as my oldest son Blake was married on June 14th, and my daughter Bridget was married November 23rd.
I returned from my son's wedding in Mexico City a few days before Anne's beautiful memorial service and interment in the memorial garden on June 20th. My joy had turned to sorrow, and again I returned to the words of Jesus in John 15:11. "These things I have spoken to you, that my joy many remain in you, and that your joy may be full".
I know for certain that Anne would have wanted our sorrows that day to turn to joy, as we sang one of her favorite songs as we gathered around the garden, "I'll Fly Away," led by her beloved choir.
Anne was a talented musician, and I loved her performances in recent years on the guitar, which she learned to play in her 50s! One of my favorite Christian songs is "Well Done" by the group the "Afters." The chorus, taken from 2 Timothy 4:7-8 is "Well done my good and faithful one, welcome to the place where you belong. Well done, well done my beloved child, you have run the race and now you're home!”
Well done my fun-loving, faithful, and fearless friend. I will look for your joyful smile from your spot in the choir always, and in the sky until my race is done and I fly away to see you again.
Amy Sanford
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