We can look back on our hardest times and see that Jesus was close to us.   #theloriclineshow   Interested in learning more about becoming a devoted follower of Christ? Go to follow.lifeword.org!   ~~~   Sometimes it takes courage to remember, doesn’t it? Honestly, I had never thought about needing courage to remember, but you do. It’s not easy to look back down a road that was difficult to walk. My Dad went to be with Jesus almost one year ago. We’ve been in a year of firsts. All the moments he would have been a part of are now void of his larger than life presence. I know many of you know that ache. Our grief is deep, yet our hope for Heaven is deeper still. It’s bittersweet. With each day I remember what is true, I am one day closer to my Daddy. While Titus 2:13 keeps my eyes to the skies, there are moments and seasons we need to look back and remember. God was with us then. He is with us now. We celebrated my Dad’s birthday in April. I went home. I drank coffee out of his coffee cup. I picked some of his roses. We lit a candle, had a big cinnamon roll and remembered. We celebrated all my Dad was and all he still is to us today. It was good. But to be honest, I had been uneasy about the coming of April, May and June. They mark the final moments and memories we hold and they’ve just been coming at me like a dark cloud. But as I walk through them even now, with each day, the light always outshines the darkness. I am reminded again as I look back at how God met us in every moment. We were never alone. My Dad was never alone. God’s grace was SO deep and He met us right where we were. With every step we took, my faith was made stronger. That is so worth remembering. God was with us. It’s a hard chapter, but God was good through it. A dear friend of mine, who knows well the pain of loss, wrote these words to me, “thankful you had the courage to celebrate your dad and your shared hope in Jesus”. She was thankful I had the courage to celebrate. That word courage still resonates in my heart. It does take courage to celebrate what is no longer, what should be, but what is no more. As I read those words, I understood the difficulty sometimes of looking back. My friend recognized it. It does take courage to ‘go there’ and face those seasons of hurt and loss. What was, what should have been and what now is not, are all tough to grasp and look back on, still, hope is what mends the shattered pieces and chapters of our heart. Those places then shine bright for the world to see. Do you need courage to celebrate? Do you need courage to remember? Joshua 1:9 ​​Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” If there’s a dark chapter of your story or a season that’s hard to look back on, don’t be afraid. Be strong, be courageous and know the Lord was with you then, is with you now and will be with you in the days to come. That’s the truth. The painful chapters of our life that break our hearts, are the chapters we are the closest to Jesus. He is so near and He is acquainted with our grief and we can remember and celebrate even, because of the hope we have in Him. Be strong and courageous. Don’t be afraid. God is with you. I’m Lori Cline.