Last week, my heart skipped a beat when the news reported 7 Heroin overdoses in one day in the area surrounding High Point, NC just an hour or so away. SEVEN IN ONE DAY… To put that in perspective, there were a total of 25 overdoses in 2013 in the same area with 17 being related to Heroin. At this point in 2014, there are a total of 34 overdoses with 31 attributed to Heroin. The Police Chief went on to report the connection with pain medicine and that it is found in all areas, all schools, and all social-economic areas. It knows no boundaries and introduces great danger into the lives of those who use. We have an epidemic and we all need to be talking about it. And, not just among ourselves but with our kids. Danger surrounds them…
This news added fuel to the fire of my fears this week. My second son graduates next Saturday. And although I am excited for him, the tears come up quickly. And the question that I have been wrestling with is whether I have truly prepared him to leave home and move into the world full time. He has chosen the University of South Carolina just like his older brother. When my oldest went off, I was really excited for him and somehow naïve to the dangers out there. When he returned home in May after four years, he was in full blown addiction. His life was a mess. The hard thing is that it started right in front of me. You see he was in and out of the hospital over 5 months with a lung issue. The last 15 days were after he was in college. At that time, his addiction took a hold. I watched them as they administered pain meds non-stop including a morphine pump at his discretion. Not seeing the danger clearly, I just wanted him to be relieved of the pain he was experiencing. And, I left him at his dorm with a prescription and no oversight. He was not prepared for the danger nor was I… But, God was watching.
Now, I know that every person is different and drugs are available on every college campus. And, I hope that my second son has learned enough through the painful lessons that we have all experienced with addiction that he understands the danger. But, what else could happen for which I have not equipped him over the last 18 years. What other dangers are my eyes closed to. Our generation is known for being over involved as parents. We allowed our children to be scheduled to the hilt and then managed it for them. We intervene when things don’t go as planned in a class or club. We helped or did their projects. And, we review or write every essay for college applications. We do our best not to let them fail. I once heard a professor from a good private college in NC suggest that we are disabling our children to deal with real life. She went on to comment that her students who came with great grades and test scores could not manage to organize their lives around the details of their class syllabi. They would come asking a million questions and totally overwhelmed. In some cases, their mothers called to talk through the class requirements. Certainly, these coping strategies don’t work very well when they get to the world of work. Just as our intervention is a danger to their ability to operate in this world easily, what pain we may have been prevented for our children multiplies later in life when faced with big challenges.
As my younger son headed off on his weekend camping trip with his high school friends between exams and graduation, tears streamed down my face as I watched him drive off. How could the time have flown by so quickly? Where had I let him down as a flawed parent? What else could I have taught him that would have prepared him better to leave the nest? And, what consequences did I protect him from out of love that would provide challenges to him later?
I think back to the smiling faces that surrounded my life in college with expectations of what life would be for us after college. We were not prepared for what would happen over the years- death of a roommate, divorce, abuse, children with disabilities, heart attacks in 30’s, cancer, and on and on… Although, I don’t think our parents intentionally prepared us for those events. I can see where God worked within our circumstances to provide. That is my hope today!
There was a time that I had a reoccurring dream that one of my children died and I was trying to plan for the service. Each time I had that dream I woke up in tears begging that God would not ask that of me. I hoped it was some subconscious fear because all of my children had dealt with a health issues at some point. But, it would leave me unsettled and I would often refer back to the Bible to the story of Abraham and Isaac. After all those years of infertility, God gave Isaac to Abraham and Sarah and then asked for him back as a sacrifice. Danger at its ultimate- death. Seems unfathomable! But, Abraham trusted in God and did what was asked of him. And, in the end, God provided for Isaac’s life. Abraham called that place “The Lord will Provide” and God blessed his faith with a promise that his descendants would be as numerous as the stars. God had much bigger plans and called Abraham to trust him. I used to look at the story and take it a bit too literally as if death of a child was the only application of this story. Over the last few years, when I have been fearful for my children whether it was a big as addiction or more routine challenges with a class or friends, I have envisioned placing my children on God’s alter trusting that God will provide perfectly when I did not know how to. I have had to trust God to care for them through life’s lessons providing what they needed to live out his plan for them. And, I had to trust that God could see the dangers that I did not and walk by my children’s side through those dangers.
God specifically placed these precious people temporarily in my hands. He will teach them things through me just as he teaches your children through you. That includes the good and the bad. We are all imperfect. But, we are reminded that they are His. He is the Perfect Parent. If we could teach our kids some sort of formula that allowed them to perfectly execute life on this earth, then there would be no need for faith. But life is a journey- a transformation and a chance to learn about God’s character and what we were created to do on this earth. We, as parents, have hopes for our children but that is a human perspective and not all that God created them to be or to do. Our view of happiness and impact is so limited. And, God’s is beyond our feeble imagination. So, why would we keep them from discovering all that God has for them? I held on to my oldest for so long thinking I could help him and make things better. It was not until I lovingly gave his over to his Perfect Parent, God, that progress was made in both of our lives. He was my Isaac…
So, as I think about the next month or so that I will still have with my second son, I will continue to look for times to share wisdom that I have gained along the way. Wisdom beyond the basics like studying and finances but about life. The opportunities that will be available to explore who he was created to be. The opportunities to learn from mistakes. The opportunities to love and give to others. The opportunity to build his faith!
My prayer for all of us who have children graduating is that we will use our time wisely before they leave. It is never too late to teach them. That we will pray for them to be open to all the richness that God has to teach them in this next season of life. It is never too late to acknowledge that God has a bigger and better plan for them. That we will build our faith on Abraham’s example and trust that “God will provide”. It is never too late to trust God for anything including our children!
Today, I will run with relief that I don’t have to be a perfect parent. They have already have one- Thank God!!!
Sunday, May 25, 2014
Sunday, May 18, 2014
The gift of extraordinary
I am writing today on the morning of my 51st birthday. I got a note first thing from an old friend asking if this was a big birthday or a little one. I joked back that after the big one last year that they are all big going forward… But, as I drank my coffee this morning, I began to think about the prior year. I was fortunate last year to get to spend time with my girlfriends on three different beach trips- one with my college roommates, one with my high school friends and one with my local friends. It was wonderful to get to celebrate with the women who have really been the fabric of my life. Believe me, there was lots of laughter and joy and a few tears when we touched on some of life’s challenges over the years. Life certainly takes some unanticipated and painful turns. I remember thinking after those trips that I had not had any kind of epiphany of how I need to shift my life over the next decade. But, I was incredibly grateful about the time spent with these special people and what I saw on my horizon- a missions trip to Africa with my son and his last year in high school, my oldest going back to college, my youngest and her many interests and visits to Ole Miss to see my daughter. There were a lot of milestones happening. I had a plan and it was unfolding or what I would later learn unraveling in certain places.
We tend to acknowledge milestones. It gives us an indication of progression towards our plan and affirmation that we are taking the right steps to get where we want to go. Don’t get me wrong that is not all bad but it all lies in our perception and motivations. This has been a couple of weeks or so of milestones for our family. My baby turned 17. We attended senior night for my son as he winds down school and focuses on heading to college. My daughter finished her sophomore year in college. I surpassed my halfway goal of running 1000 miles in a year. And finally, my oldest received his 6 month chip for 6 months of sobriety and finished his first semester back in school. And with each of these, brings a new set of actions and expectations. We make our plans and move forward.
But, life doesn’t always play out according to our plans. If I went back to my early adult age and articulated my expectations of life, it would have been an enhanced version of how I grew up. I would have wanted to replicate many things and change a few things to ensure more peace and happiness. I would have built on what I knew or what I considered normal. The picture would have been a lovely house, nice yard, kids who loved to study, wonderful dinner time conversations, and a mom (me) who had it all under control. I didn’t foresee the piles that stack up in the corner of the bedrooms, the ongoing battle with weeds in the yard, the constant reminding kids of their responsibilities, and the anxiety that comes with remembering to write some check or fill out some form for school on the last possible day to turn it in. I look around and see all that I have not done and feel I am barely keeping it together on most days. Believe me, my original plan certainly wouldn’t have included that or the death of one of my best friends, divorce, health issues for my children, financial loss when my employer went under, miscarriages, or addiction. You see our plans are not HIS plans and our ways or not HIS ways.
There are days when that reality smacks me right in the face. At that point, I have a choice to make. I love a quote from Mother Theresa that says, “Yesterday is gone. Tomorrow has not yet come. We have only today, Let us begin.” The danger to focusing on the past is that we live with sadness or regret and miss today. The danger of living focused on the future is that we live with fear and anxiety and miss today. And, today is all we have. If we miss today, we miss the ability to listen for where God is directing us, we miss the gifts and glimpses of God’s hand at work and we miss the ability to be God’s face and hands in this world…
Clearly, God is working in and through us regardless of our human weaknesses. So, when our perspective is skewed, he will teach us. When we are under pressure because life hits us with something we did not plan for, he will help us. And when we make mistakes, he will redeem them. It is through pressure that he calls us back to the truth that he is in control. And he has better plans than we can ever imagine. With God, all things are possible. I love that because it is bigger than the statement nothing is impossible. Using “impossible” says to me that anything within my human realm of thinking could happen. But everything is possible says to me that things beyond our wildest imagination are available to us through God. His Plan, His Power, and His Love provide for a rich life. Why do we choose to look at life through our small plans, our limited power, and our imperfect love? I wouldn’t have written my story with all the pain from the hardships that I have experienced. And yet, if I open my eyes to what has come from those and the experiences that I have gained, I see that God was at work to bring about something much bigger. CS Lewis said, “Hardships often prepare ordinary people for an extraordinary destiny.”
I mentioned at the beginning that at my 50th, I saw a plan unfolding, my plan. But my plan was really unraveling. My oldest was headed back to school which was relief to me and then he had his relapse. My other son was going through some personal turmoil. My daughter’s friends were beginning to make difficult choices…We were not on auto pilot towards my plan. But God was still in control. He turned a crisis for our family and my son into recovery. He provided the courage that allowed me a voice in these struggles through this running project and blog. With that voice has come a myriad of new connections and paths for my life that have enriched my life more than I can describe. My other son has learned courage to stand for his faith and has a much better foundation heading off to college. His life is being transformed. My daughter is learning big lessons by watching others. None of this would have happened without the pressure that comes when life moves outside our “ordinary” plans. Thank goodness that God didn’t leave me with ordinary but blessed me with extraordinary. I can look back and see how he has provided. No, I wouldn’t have planned for a divorce but was blessed with another daughter when I remarried. I would not have chosen to go through the loss of an employer but I was given a trip to China to speak and new opportunities. That was the beginning of my love for international experiences and led me to many other experiences like my trip to Africa. Those are “extraordinary” experiences that would have never been in my “ordinary” plan. I would not have chosen to have my son dealing with the pain of addiction but it has taught both of us so much and connected us to others through our shared experience. It is now my life's passion to educate and support.
I was talking to my oldest about milestones and how God’s plan is different than ours. He was happy about the 6 months but more interested on getting to 9 months. And even more importantly, he does not want to become complacent so it is a daily thing for him. He cannot dwell on the past and or focus too much on the future. With addiction, he has to be focused on the present. It is about one day at a time. He also mentioned that the AA big book talks about how we live our lives like we are the directors of a grand play and if everyone would do as we would have them, our lives would be much better. We then realize that this is not reality and that God has been the director the whole time. So, on my 51st birthday, I will reflect on the past with a spirit of learning and gratitude and look to the future with the hope that God has “extraordinary” things for my life. And, I will pray that I will live my life today not without a plan but a plan with openness to what God wants for me and what he created me to do. I will live my life with an expectancy and excitement (and relief) that God is in control.
So today, I will run with 500 miles under my belt and with gratitude for the extraordinary!
We tend to acknowledge milestones. It gives us an indication of progression towards our plan and affirmation that we are taking the right steps to get where we want to go. Don’t get me wrong that is not all bad but it all lies in our perception and motivations. This has been a couple of weeks or so of milestones for our family. My baby turned 17. We attended senior night for my son as he winds down school and focuses on heading to college. My daughter finished her sophomore year in college. I surpassed my halfway goal of running 1000 miles in a year. And finally, my oldest received his 6 month chip for 6 months of sobriety and finished his first semester back in school. And with each of these, brings a new set of actions and expectations. We make our plans and move forward.
But, life doesn’t always play out according to our plans. If I went back to my early adult age and articulated my expectations of life, it would have been an enhanced version of how I grew up. I would have wanted to replicate many things and change a few things to ensure more peace and happiness. I would have built on what I knew or what I considered normal. The picture would have been a lovely house, nice yard, kids who loved to study, wonderful dinner time conversations, and a mom (me) who had it all under control. I didn’t foresee the piles that stack up in the corner of the bedrooms, the ongoing battle with weeds in the yard, the constant reminding kids of their responsibilities, and the anxiety that comes with remembering to write some check or fill out some form for school on the last possible day to turn it in. I look around and see all that I have not done and feel I am barely keeping it together on most days. Believe me, my original plan certainly wouldn’t have included that or the death of one of my best friends, divorce, health issues for my children, financial loss when my employer went under, miscarriages, or addiction. You see our plans are not HIS plans and our ways or not HIS ways.
There are days when that reality smacks me right in the face. At that point, I have a choice to make. I love a quote from Mother Theresa that says, “Yesterday is gone. Tomorrow has not yet come. We have only today, Let us begin.” The danger to focusing on the past is that we live with sadness or regret and miss today. The danger of living focused on the future is that we live with fear and anxiety and miss today. And, today is all we have. If we miss today, we miss the ability to listen for where God is directing us, we miss the gifts and glimpses of God’s hand at work and we miss the ability to be God’s face and hands in this world…
Clearly, God is working in and through us regardless of our human weaknesses. So, when our perspective is skewed, he will teach us. When we are under pressure because life hits us with something we did not plan for, he will help us. And when we make mistakes, he will redeem them. It is through pressure that he calls us back to the truth that he is in control. And he has better plans than we can ever imagine. With God, all things are possible. I love that because it is bigger than the statement nothing is impossible. Using “impossible” says to me that anything within my human realm of thinking could happen. But everything is possible says to me that things beyond our wildest imagination are available to us through God. His Plan, His Power, and His Love provide for a rich life. Why do we choose to look at life through our small plans, our limited power, and our imperfect love? I wouldn’t have written my story with all the pain from the hardships that I have experienced. And yet, if I open my eyes to what has come from those and the experiences that I have gained, I see that God was at work to bring about something much bigger. CS Lewis said, “Hardships often prepare ordinary people for an extraordinary destiny.”
I mentioned at the beginning that at my 50th, I saw a plan unfolding, my plan. But my plan was really unraveling. My oldest was headed back to school which was relief to me and then he had his relapse. My other son was going through some personal turmoil. My daughter’s friends were beginning to make difficult choices…We were not on auto pilot towards my plan. But God was still in control. He turned a crisis for our family and my son into recovery. He provided the courage that allowed me a voice in these struggles through this running project and blog. With that voice has come a myriad of new connections and paths for my life that have enriched my life more than I can describe. My other son has learned courage to stand for his faith and has a much better foundation heading off to college. His life is being transformed. My daughter is learning big lessons by watching others. None of this would have happened without the pressure that comes when life moves outside our “ordinary” plans. Thank goodness that God didn’t leave me with ordinary but blessed me with extraordinary. I can look back and see how he has provided. No, I wouldn’t have planned for a divorce but was blessed with another daughter when I remarried. I would not have chosen to go through the loss of an employer but I was given a trip to China to speak and new opportunities. That was the beginning of my love for international experiences and led me to many other experiences like my trip to Africa. Those are “extraordinary” experiences that would have never been in my “ordinary” plan. I would not have chosen to have my son dealing with the pain of addiction but it has taught both of us so much and connected us to others through our shared experience. It is now my life's passion to educate and support.
I was talking to my oldest about milestones and how God’s plan is different than ours. He was happy about the 6 months but more interested on getting to 9 months. And even more importantly, he does not want to become complacent so it is a daily thing for him. He cannot dwell on the past and or focus too much on the future. With addiction, he has to be focused on the present. It is about one day at a time. He also mentioned that the AA big book talks about how we live our lives like we are the directors of a grand play and if everyone would do as we would have them, our lives would be much better. We then realize that this is not reality and that God has been the director the whole time. So, on my 51st birthday, I will reflect on the past with a spirit of learning and gratitude and look to the future with the hope that God has “extraordinary” things for my life. And, I will pray that I will live my life today not without a plan but a plan with openness to what God wants for me and what he created me to do. I will live my life with an expectancy and excitement (and relief) that God is in control.
So today, I will run with 500 miles under my belt and with gratitude for the extraordinary!
Saturday, May 10, 2014
Always flowers in the valleys
Ps 23:4 “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.”
Life is definitely full of peaks and valleys. It seems over the past couple of weeks that I have seen my family, friends, and others experiencing valley after valley. Every day it seems there has been a new challenge or tragedy ranging from tornados, death, divorce, depression, addiction, surgery, cancer and chemo. I have seen, heard, and felt the fear, grief, and the pain. But that’s not all; I have also seen the courage especially when those struggling are able to look beyond their actual circumstances to the gifts available but sometimes hidden.
One of the difficulties in the past two weeks struck close to home. My Dad was diagnosed with prostate cancer and the best option for him given the aggressiveness of his cancer was to have surgery. For various reasons, he was initially not considered a good candidate for surgery. He was required to go through different tests before they would approve his surgery. He passed those and was allowed to have the surgery which happened a week or so ago. All was successful and his additional biopsies were clean even though his prostate was almost completely involved with cancer. And now, he is focused on recovery. Praise God!
As we met with the doctor the morning of the surgery, Dad said, “I am in your capable hands and God’s”. The doctor’s response back to my father was that it was mostly God’s. He spoke such truth. The other part of this story was God’s care and preparation in advance of this diagnosis. You see my Dad had open heart surgery and a stroke following that surgery a few years ago which was a negative for additional surgery. In the past year, he decided to really focus on his health. So, he has been on a training program and has lost a lot of weight. He was in very good physical condition which helped him get approval to take the surgical option. Also, for other reasons, he has a blood test every quarter. In one quarter, his PSAs tripled which allowed them to catch the cancer quickly. Surgery early in the development of this cancer likely prevented it from spreading. God was gracious to my Dad and my family.
Yes, our outcome was positive. But even if it had not been positive, it would not have meant that God isn't gracious in his support and comfort. There was a Facebook post after the tornados that swept through MS, AK, and AL, that reinforced that God was not just with the people who survived unscathed but also with those who lost possessions, family and even their own lives. I don’t propose to know why God allows such tragedy but I do hang on with everything I have that he never lets us go. He doesn’t let go in circumstances that occur beyond our control like a tornado or cancer. He doesn’t let go when we make harmful choices and face difficult consequences. He doesn’t let go when we succumb to addiction, depression, or total self-reliance. Yes, he certainly blesses us in our peaks, but I believe his real love is revealed when he doesn’t let go in the valleys. We just sometimes don’t look for it.
When I sit down to write each week, there is usually something that has struck me during the week. When it sticks with me, I know that it should then be my topic for the week’s blog. On my drive home after my Dad’s surgery, I was thinking about all the tragedy I had heard or seen in the past days, the painful conversations that I had been having with friends. Lots of valleys- and the image of a valley with flowers kept coming to mind. You see there are always flowers in valleys. Even though I knew I needed to write about this, I couldn’t figure out what I really needed to say or what God was speaking to me. And so, I have waited to get clarity.
Then it occurred to me, the flowers are glimpses of God’s power, his love and his comfort even in the darkest of valleys. Sometimes, when things are stripped away and the world’s trappings are eliminated, we are reminded what is really important. It is our relationships- Relationships with our family, friends, those who live and work around us, those in need, and mostly with our God. We get a chance to see God work in and through others- more flowers. We get to see God-given courage. Courage evidenced in a sign propped up against rubble that used to be homes that says, “We praise you in the storm”. Courage of a college swimmer who lost his life as he held up a falling retaining wall allowing his girlfriend to survive. Courage of a mother who expresses her gratitude from a hospital bed amid her grief for the time she had with her young sons whom she had just lost in the storm. Courage of a woman facing chemotherapy again asking for prayer that God be glorified in every step. Courage of a mother sending a child to the best rehab center that she can find. God-inspired courage- flowers in the valley. The same courage that Jesus received as he prayed “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me, yet not my will, but yours be done.” Even in the face of death, God sent his angels to appear before Christ and strengthened him. More flowers in the valley. Lam 3:19-22 “I remember my affliction and my wandering, the bitterness and the gall. I well remember them, and my soul is downcast within me. Yet I call to mind and therefore I have hope. Because of the Lord’s great love, we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail…” God’s hope, love, and compassion- God's Grace and precious Flowers in the valley…
I think back to my valleys over the years. Yes, there were always flowers in the valley. Those flowers appeared in how the Holy Spirit taught me and strengthened my faith. Those flowers were my precious children who were both born to me and given to me through marriage. Flowers at work that allowed me to be financially secure despite divorce or corporate failure. Flowers in my girlfriends who have filled the gap with my kids when my work kept me on the road. Flowers when my sister showed up unasked at one of the saddest times of my life, and a whole flower garden resulting from my mother’s love and support through every peak and valley. The faith she taught me growing up, the support she has provided over the years especially when I needed help caring for my kids as a single mom, and the example of love that she provides every day. I see and experience Christ in my mother’s love. A life full of flowers!
So today, I honor my mother. And I honor the gift that God is in all- peaks and valleys. I am thankful that there are always flowers in the valley!!!
So, I run for all the mothers who are the flowers to their children. And, I run for those who are struggling in the valley at this moment. May you fear no evil and may you experience HIS presence and comfort! And may you see the flowers in the valley!
Life is definitely full of peaks and valleys. It seems over the past couple of weeks that I have seen my family, friends, and others experiencing valley after valley. Every day it seems there has been a new challenge or tragedy ranging from tornados, death, divorce, depression, addiction, surgery, cancer and chemo. I have seen, heard, and felt the fear, grief, and the pain. But that’s not all; I have also seen the courage especially when those struggling are able to look beyond their actual circumstances to the gifts available but sometimes hidden.
One of the difficulties in the past two weeks struck close to home. My Dad was diagnosed with prostate cancer and the best option for him given the aggressiveness of his cancer was to have surgery. For various reasons, he was initially not considered a good candidate for surgery. He was required to go through different tests before they would approve his surgery. He passed those and was allowed to have the surgery which happened a week or so ago. All was successful and his additional biopsies were clean even though his prostate was almost completely involved with cancer. And now, he is focused on recovery. Praise God!
As we met with the doctor the morning of the surgery, Dad said, “I am in your capable hands and God’s”. The doctor’s response back to my father was that it was mostly God’s. He spoke such truth. The other part of this story was God’s care and preparation in advance of this diagnosis. You see my Dad had open heart surgery and a stroke following that surgery a few years ago which was a negative for additional surgery. In the past year, he decided to really focus on his health. So, he has been on a training program and has lost a lot of weight. He was in very good physical condition which helped him get approval to take the surgical option. Also, for other reasons, he has a blood test every quarter. In one quarter, his PSAs tripled which allowed them to catch the cancer quickly. Surgery early in the development of this cancer likely prevented it from spreading. God was gracious to my Dad and my family.
Yes, our outcome was positive. But even if it had not been positive, it would not have meant that God isn't gracious in his support and comfort. There was a Facebook post after the tornados that swept through MS, AK, and AL, that reinforced that God was not just with the people who survived unscathed but also with those who lost possessions, family and even their own lives. I don’t propose to know why God allows such tragedy but I do hang on with everything I have that he never lets us go. He doesn’t let go in circumstances that occur beyond our control like a tornado or cancer. He doesn’t let go when we make harmful choices and face difficult consequences. He doesn’t let go when we succumb to addiction, depression, or total self-reliance. Yes, he certainly blesses us in our peaks, but I believe his real love is revealed when he doesn’t let go in the valleys. We just sometimes don’t look for it.
When I sit down to write each week, there is usually something that has struck me during the week. When it sticks with me, I know that it should then be my topic for the week’s blog. On my drive home after my Dad’s surgery, I was thinking about all the tragedy I had heard or seen in the past days, the painful conversations that I had been having with friends. Lots of valleys- and the image of a valley with flowers kept coming to mind. You see there are always flowers in valleys. Even though I knew I needed to write about this, I couldn’t figure out what I really needed to say or what God was speaking to me. And so, I have waited to get clarity.
Then it occurred to me, the flowers are glimpses of God’s power, his love and his comfort even in the darkest of valleys. Sometimes, when things are stripped away and the world’s trappings are eliminated, we are reminded what is really important. It is our relationships- Relationships with our family, friends, those who live and work around us, those in need, and mostly with our God. We get a chance to see God work in and through others- more flowers. We get to see God-given courage. Courage evidenced in a sign propped up against rubble that used to be homes that says, “We praise you in the storm”. Courage of a college swimmer who lost his life as he held up a falling retaining wall allowing his girlfriend to survive. Courage of a mother who expresses her gratitude from a hospital bed amid her grief for the time she had with her young sons whom she had just lost in the storm. Courage of a woman facing chemotherapy again asking for prayer that God be glorified in every step. Courage of a mother sending a child to the best rehab center that she can find. God-inspired courage- flowers in the valley. The same courage that Jesus received as he prayed “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me, yet not my will, but yours be done.” Even in the face of death, God sent his angels to appear before Christ and strengthened him. More flowers in the valley. Lam 3:19-22 “I remember my affliction and my wandering, the bitterness and the gall. I well remember them, and my soul is downcast within me. Yet I call to mind and therefore I have hope. Because of the Lord’s great love, we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail…” God’s hope, love, and compassion- God's Grace and precious Flowers in the valley…
I think back to my valleys over the years. Yes, there were always flowers in the valley. Those flowers appeared in how the Holy Spirit taught me and strengthened my faith. Those flowers were my precious children who were both born to me and given to me through marriage. Flowers at work that allowed me to be financially secure despite divorce or corporate failure. Flowers in my girlfriends who have filled the gap with my kids when my work kept me on the road. Flowers when my sister showed up unasked at one of the saddest times of my life, and a whole flower garden resulting from my mother’s love and support through every peak and valley. The faith she taught me growing up, the support she has provided over the years especially when I needed help caring for my kids as a single mom, and the example of love that she provides every day. I see and experience Christ in my mother’s love. A life full of flowers!
So today, I honor my mother. And I honor the gift that God is in all- peaks and valleys. I am thankful that there are always flowers in the valley!!!
So, I run for all the mothers who are the flowers to their children. And, I run for those who are struggling in the valley at this moment. May you fear no evil and may you experience HIS presence and comfort! And may you see the flowers in the valley!
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