Sad news of a friend

  "For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven:  

 a time to be born, and a time to die;
  a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted;
   a time to kill, and a time to heal;
a time to break down, and a time to build up;
  a time to weep, and a time to laugh;
a time to mourn, and a time to dance"

Ecclesiastes 3:1-4

Yesterday I received news that a close friend of mine from college passed away.  I'm heartbroken about her loss and to hear how depressed she had been before her death.  She was a dear friend who enriched the lives of many through her writings, thoughtfulness, and depth of friendship.

Recently things don't seem as black and white as Ecclesiastes seems to put it.  To me it seems that all of the times are mixed in together.  Where does the mourning end and the joy begin?  Where does the weeping end and the laughing begin?  All of it seems so interconnected.  It seems that I am stuck in a season of great grief blended together with great joy.

Rest now in the arms of your Beloved, dear Jules.  No more sadness, no more tears, only the overwhelming joy of His presence.  May He fill the hole in so many hearts as you go Home before us.