Sadness and Joy and Hope

Shortly after I had posted my colorful and cheerful post yesterday, I received sad news. A sweet friend of mine passed away after battling a rare and aggressive form of cancer. I say sad news, of course, because she will be greatly missed by her husband, her children and her friends. And yet, it is also joyful news because we know that she is with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and her suffering has ended. Joy mixed with sadness. Earlier this week, there was the joyful news of some friends seeing their long wait to become parents come to a close as their soon-to-be-adopted son was born and placed in their eagerly awaiting arms. The picture of my friend joyfully, wondrously bonding with her son was a beautiful sight to behold. And so, this mingling of joy and sadness is swirling within me. My emotions are here and there but my Hope in the One, who was humbly born in a manger, lived a perfect life, died for sinners like me and rose again, is fixed and constant.