November 29, 2020 - Crossing the Threshold into a New Life - Grief becomes strength.

The journey now changes....

An open letter to those who have been following this journey,

Dear Ones who have shared in this journey…

I want to share with you something amazing that has happened to me recently. Time and space and this crazy year have separated us even more than before but not to worry - even though we had not been able to keep up with each other - the time is now right to share this incredible miracle that has happened.

Our busy-ness does separate us and being in the state of grief I was formerly in also separated us for many reasons. But now is the time to rejoice.

On November 29, 2020 at 2 pm at the Hanover Tavern in Hanover, Virginia I married Joan - an incredible person that God brought into my life.

The full story can be found in the November 3, 2020 post “The sufferings of the present…”

As the journey takes a new and unexpected turn - I am in abject awe of what I always knew God would do. And even though I could point to events and activities that I initiated - I know deep in my heart it was God’s mighty hand that made today possible.

As in childbirth - the anguish of the birth process - the suffering, the pain - the longing for relief - has now diminished as the threshold to a new life has been reached.

Leaving that reality of grief where each day was devoid of what made life rich and full (beyond those obvious deficiencies of isolation) - the reality of existing in emptiness and purposeless - yet now with a new element - the part that makes everything new - that astounding blessing of having someone to share each moment with. Someone to be the reason for life. Someone to make the future worth caring about.

In this day of launching a new life - through a new marriage - I wanted simplicity. I wanted to give my new beautiful companion something she never quite had in her life - someone to give her what she never expected. Someone to make a “big deal” as I tell her - about her.

And those desires were fulfilled. It was a special day for both of us. It was a special day for those few who could attend and share the moment.

Surreal - for sure. Awkward - yes but in a new positive way.

It was a whirlwind of a day. There were so many who care so deeply contributing to all that took place to make it extremely special.

God’s hand in every detail - the day He always knew was coming. The day that my unexplainable grief - became what I always knew it would become - strength.

Let me share with you a song that my extraordinary companion shared with me. A song she would sing.

You can play the song here ——> “Feels like home”

This day then is about so many things - above all of them is that God has now made a way where I could never have seen one - yet I knew would appear in time.

The way is now ahead - the fulfillment of faith - the creation of a new love out of the ashes.

And yes - grief is still present but now with a new perspective. The perspective of where that loss - that insurmountable loss of its day - is now not the focus of every day. The future that I knew was always coming has arrived - and with it, a new life.

What will that new life be? There’s no way to know yet - but now there is a companion to share that life - whatever it will be.

And the most important aspect is that the foundation of our new life - for both of us - is built upon the memories of those we cherish - those who brought us to this place. God knowing - in His infinite wisdom - that we would be the ones to share this new journey.

Facing Grief then - now becomes something new as well. We will always have our losses with us - yet those losses now give us strength.

All the strength we lost when our lives ended has now been restored to us in a way we could have never seen - yet is now what joins us.

This part of our journey now begins.

Thank you for being a part of what brought us to this place. Your prayers, love and concern always a part of us as we go forward.