Never Abandoned ...

This week has been particularly rough for our family. It's had many ups and many downs, and really there were some down times that it took the Lord and some serious family bonding to get through. Tuesday we celebrated Momma's birthday. We stayed up late re-doing the kitchen -- I will have to post pics of our little demolition adventure soon -- Mom and Daddy were able to get away for two days to spend some time at the Beach together. The kids and I held the fort down and had loads of fun doing it too! * winks *

A lot has happened in just a few short months. Mom has scheduled an appointment at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota the first of October. We're talking about the best doctors | 20 appointments within 2 days | hope of answers | a solution to something that came into our lives 5 years ago.

We've been discussing the different options and possibilities over the last few days. Most times we keep a tight upper lip and remind ourselves to keep on trusting. But there was a point this weekend that I just got so discouraged and having a really hard time. When I'd reached that breaking point, I found that I'd missed a call so when I finished listening to the message the person had left, an old message I had forgotten began to play.

I listened to my boyfriend's voice, as he encouraged me and told me he was praying for me. The message was from several months ago, when Mom's condition had become worse. He said, "Babe, none of this is taking God by surprise." Of everything he said, that part stuck out the most to me. Even now, it was encouraging to my heart! The timing was perfect.

Sometimes, it is so very easy to forget nothing has taken God by surprise. But its funny and wonderful how God has encouraged my family this weekend alone. This morning, I taught on Daniel -- how the young men had been kidnapped and taken from their homes, and how God was blessing them by giving them a position in the King's court because they were faithful and living in obedience to God even in the middle of all those trials! As I was explaining this to my 6-9 yr olds, it hit me. God was just reminding ME!

I also had the privilege to hear Pastor Clark preach for Worship hour. Can you just take a wild guess what it was about, hmm? Being Faithful | Trusting the Lord to provide and care for us. By the end of service, many of us who had already been tearing up, broke. When Pastor Clark solemnly closed in prayer, I lost it. I felt hurt deep down, I felt peace at the same time. It was like I could feel God's arms around me, telling me everything would be alright. Regardless of the outcome.

Do you know how hard it is to say that? When it means, God isn't promising that Mommy will miraculously be healed? It's so hard. It's hard to sit here with the realization that Mommy might be God's tool to someone else who is struggling, a link to finding a cure for a rare disease? That my Mommy might not always be with me? That's hard.