And that is where I find His tenderness the most dear.
Today my heart grieved as I lost my friend Caitlin to a battle with cancer. And it broke again because I knew I would have to tell my nine students that she died. My sweet students who have been praying for Caitlin since day one. The students who raise their hands in church and ask for prayer for Caitlin. My students who I had to grieve with last April over the loss of their classmate, Marissa. And I had to tell them that Caitlin was gone.
And as I sat during nap time, rubbing the back of a crying child I prayed and asked, What can I do? What can I do to help them? To help them see You in this. To see the joy.
Then I thought of the Celebration Cake. I follow a blog by author Katie Ganshert. And she is having a Pinterest contest/war with another author Becky Wade. Their contest this week was making a Celebration Cake.
We could make a celebration cake. Today. Now. In the sadness. To celebrate that Jesus died so that we could have eternal life. To celebrate that Caitlin rests in Jesus. To celebrate that we will see her again at Christ's return. To celebrate her life. To celebrate Jesus. To celebrate the joy in the sadness.
So we did. Box cake. Container of frosting.
Popsicle sticks with pom-poms.
We celebrated with tears and laughter.
Here is what amazes me. Here is God in the details.
The Celebration Cake contest was this week. This week.
Matthew had to run home in the middle of the day (today) to meet an house insurance person, so he was able to grab the cake supplies for me.
I had cake supplies because of an event I am planning.
I have been trying to focus more on joy because of the Joy Dare and 1000 Gifts and in this when I was trying to focus on it I thought of the Celebration Cake.
Small, insignificant cluster of blogs, cake supplies, Bible study reading 1000 Gifts, and an insurance visit. But I feel that they were designed by God, to bring comfort to my students and I in this sadness.
I know there will be more things. More God moments. I await to see His face in all things. Because God is here.
1 Thessalonians 4:13-18
Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope. For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. According to the Lord’s word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. Therefore encourage one another with these words.
8 comments:
In tears, my friend. In tears. God is such a God of bringing sweetness in the midst of our pain. Praising Him for that.
So sorry to hear of your loss, yet it is amazing how God is in the details!
Thank you for sharing and hugs to you and Matthew.
Thank you! Thank you for being such a blessing to me and my son. Thank you for sharing your friend and the book. Thank you for looking for the blessings in life.
Thank you for posting Beth-Anne. It's been so hard to know that Caitlin is gone, but also such a blessing to know that she is resting in Christ, and that soon she will be raised to be eternally with Him! I pray that Christ will come soon...
What an absolutely beautiful post, Beth-Anne. I'm so sorry for your loss and so moved by your idea to make the celebration cake with your students. What a wonderful way to give them hope and sweetness amidst sadness. God IS in the details! Amen!
I love that you're choosing to celebrate. It's a hard choice. A brave choice.
Beth-Anne: that was a God-sent idea and I think a very appropriate way to remember Caitlin's life. She would love it!
Love this, Beth-Ann - thanks so much for sharing. What a blessing. Caitlin will be sorely missed, but it is definitely time to celebrate the gift of her life. I really like the pom-poms ;-)
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