“she told of the dreams and hopes”
Last year my mom told the story of how my great grandmother handled grief. She had lost children in various ways and once a year she brought out her box that held the memories of her lost dreams and hopes for those children.
In the last year I have accepted that I have some lost dreams in my life. I have heard others that I know speak of their lost dreams. I have read about accepting those lost dreams as a way of letting go of them. Then I will be able to move on to new dreams.
My lost dreams don’t seem to be nearly as important as those of my grandmother, but I wonder if she knew better how to deal with the grief than I. She took them out once a year and shared them with her daughters. She allowed her emotions to show and shared how much she loved each child that had died.
In this time I believe she instilled in her daughters the knowledge that their momma loved and cared for each of her children, including them. That even though she had to put away those lost dreams and hopes for some of her children, she still enjoyed seeing her daughters fulfill their hopes and dreams. They knew how much their momma loved them. They knew that their momma prayed for them.
I also think she taught her daughters how to deal with loss. She showed them that it is okay to mourn and there is a time for mourning. She also showed them that mourning does not take over your life. She showed them she trusted in God to take care of her loved ones here on earth and in heaven. She explained with her actions and her demeanor that trusting in God means putting away the lost dreams to do what comes next.
For me, I have lost some dreams but God still has so many he places in front of me. I am allowed to grieve for the lost dreams but I need to set them down and move on. I have excitement coming in the days ahead because I trust in God. He loves me. He cares for me.
Proverbs 13:12 Unrelenting disappointment leaves you heartsick, but a sudden good break can turn life around.
He is an amazing God who loves each of us so much. God, thank you for the love you show when we are disappointed. Thank you for the good times you have given us. Help me to be grateful and thankful for what I have. Help me to move on to the next thing.
Ephesians 3:20 Now to Him Who, by (in consequence of) the [action of His] power that is at work within us, is able to [carry out His purpose and] do superabundantly, far over and above all that we [dare] ask or think [infinitely beyond our highest prayers, desires, thoughts, hopes, or dreams]
For more on the story of my great grandmother – Momma’s Box
