Those emotionally filled dates

Everyone has them. Those dreaded dates on our calendars that are filled with the emotions of when the things you least expected occurred.  It may be the day your spouse left you.  It may be the day you received your pink slip. It may even the day you received a foreclosure notice in the mail, or it may be the day your loved one died. As we get closer to those dreaded dates it seems that our emotions sometimes get the best of us.  We cry more easily. We want so much to just fast forward to the day on the other side of that dreaded date just so we can escape the pain.

There was an event that falls on June 10th that will always be filled with emotion in our family.  A friend told me that when his dreaded date comes up each year ( his daughter died) he still cannot function at work and he takes the day off just to lament and remember his daughter.

There was another date that I found out was the most pivotal moment in my son's life.  It was the first Sunday morning following the loss of Maria. June 17th was a day when I walked into my son's room and saw him sitting on the edge of his bed with a look of sadness.  He said to me "dad, I don't feel like going to church do I have to go?"  I sat down with him and placed my arm around  his shoulder trying to think of something profound to say that would bring comfort to this 12 year old  grieving boy's life. Then I said " You know you may not feel like going to church and I know Mom certainly doesn't feel like going and I am not feeling like going and  maybe we can all just stay home.  But then we will deprive ourselves of the opportunity to receive an encouraging word from a friend that just might help us get through the day."  My son looked up to me and said "OK" before getting dressed. Years later my son told me that  conversation we had on that morning June 17th, 2013 was the most pivotal moment in his life because he saw that his dad wasn't going to quit.  

God didn't quit either.  He found a way to redeem mankind by allowing his son Jesus to be the sacrificial lamb that would forever lay to rest the need for providing a sin offering. We had been redeemed, cleanse, purified and on the day of our homecoming we will be presented to God completely sin free because of His sacrifice.

Instead of dwelling on those emotional dates that brings tears to our eyes focus on those God moments where He has touched you in some way. Keep a journal and write those dates down.  Focus on those around you who may be inspired by Him to touch you with his healing salve.  Until we are called home we as believers need each other. Next time you do not feel like going to church remember like my son did that going to church just may be the opportunity you have to receive a encouraging word to heal your inner pain.