Weeping & Rejoicing

Dear Friends,



Today, I weep and rejoice. I have 2 really good friends. However they are both are in different places in their lives. One tragically lost her only living son in a motorcycle accident 8 mos. ago. The other is finally getting to visit her daughter, who is in the Air Force and stationed in England.

The Bible tells in Romans 12:15 "Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep."

So, today as I spend time with my friend M. I will weep with her for her loss. She is in the midst of such deep sorrow. Pray for her and myself. Pray that God will give me the words to minister to her. She has lost so much family in the 18 yrs that I have known her. She has only 1 brother left and she was the oldest of 6. She had 2 sons and both are gone in tragic circumstances.

I rejoice with my friend S. because she is getting to spend time with her oldest daughter. She is also getting to travel which I know she has longed to do. She has only spent one short 24 hour period with her daughter in the last 2 years. She was so excited when she left on Sunday. I am so excited for her.

Can you weep with those who weep and rejoice with those who rejoice?
I have been having a hard time getting past the fact that I have friends who could weep with our friend but could not rejoice with me this past summer.
My oldest son was married this past July. I invited many friends who I thought would love to rejoice with me even though we don't attend the same church anymore.

They chose to ignore this opportunity. I was really hurt by this. It really put a blight on that day for me. It has taken me sometime to process this. I choose to forgive and go on. I choose grace. I realize that most of these people do not realize that I even felt slighted.

I have heard preachers preach on this verse of scripture say that most of the time it is easier to weep with someone than to rejoice with someone. I have found that to be so. Do we find hard to rejoice over someone else's blessings? Do we feel like maybe we should be the one receiving the blessing or at least why not me too?

God's word also tell us that we are all part of the same body. We all are as believers part of the body of Christ. In 1 Cor. 12: 26 it says "And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it: or if one member is honored, all members rejoice with it."

My friends remember to weep and rejoice with our sisters and brothers in Christ.

Much Love
Linda