Pain Before Joy

When a tragedy happens, those affected by it will often approach each anniversary of the event with fear, sadness and questions towards God. For many of us from Macclenny, we'll face this each year in just before Christmas, the time when our pain began and our joy died.

On December 1, 2012 three of our own teenagers were enjoying their weekend away from school-going to the Christmas parade,  talking with friends and just enjoying the holiday season. But as the teens were riding in their friend's truck, the driver lost control. Jordan Sommise, just 14, was ejected and was killed instantly. Corey Craig, a high school senior, was also thrown out of the truck, hitting a tree. Severely damaging his spinal chord and spending a month in intensive and regular care, he's now going through extensive therapy in Atlanta as we all cling to the hope that maybe he will be able to walk again. We also can't forget about the pain of the driver, who is drowning in unfathomable guilt and depression.

A few weeks later, our town mourned the horrific Newtown shooting with the rest of our nation. We hugged our children tighter, cried and held our families closer, and asked God why He would allow hell to be nearer. But as we sat sobbing at our television sets, we had no idea that pain would awaken us once more the next day. On December 15, Brooke Rhoden Treece and her husband James were riding in a four wheeler when James, who was driving, lost control. Brooke hit her head on the road and died at the scene. A few days later, we packed the pews at First Baptist Church of Glen St. Mary, wondering how we could have been attending the funeral of a 20-year old woman who had just married her high school sweetheart in this very church six months earlier. 

We felt so much pain, just before Christmas. Pain is real. Pain is intense. When we are overwhelmed in our pain, we don't want to think about God. We're angry at God. I remember choking back tears when I found out about the death of my childhood friend and beloved classmate/class president. "Oh my God, why? Why on earth would You take Brooke? My God, why? You just don't make any sense! I can't believe You!" And we sit and cry and laugh and roll our eyes at the people who remind us that God will bring something good of our pain.

I just looked at Brooke's wedding pictures on Facebook again here in my dorm room and I cried again. I don't know why God did this. I really don't. I especially don't know why God chose "the happiest time of year" to bring such pain.

But night precedes day, and pain precedes birth. Before the birth of Jesus, there was pain-labor pain. Mary screamed in pain. But in order for something new to be born, there must be pain. We don't want to ironically think about joy while we're in pain, but when the pain is over we will have joy. 

I know that each year we'll feel pain just before Christmas. But before Christ was born, there was pain. Yet when He was born, there was joy. Eventually, our joy will be reborn. "I will not cause pain without allowing something new to be born," says Isaiah 66:9.

But as for now, there is pain.