Celebration!

Today, my favorite lady turned 70. She doesn't know this, but I celebrated her life, her birthday, with her. For her age, she is so beautiful and poised, you'd never even know she was 70! We've cried together, we've laughed together, and through all her stories and life tales, she's become close to my heart. From all I know of her, I could say that sometimes it seems like everything around her is falling apart; her husband with two different cancers, her ill son, all her struggles of taking care of her ailing parents, then the death of her father, and on and on...And yet she always looks happy and alive. I asked her, "How do you keep going? How do you live like that?" I thought she'd give me some elaborate answer, but all she said was, "I pray. I pray all the time." I loved hearing her say that. Those words were etched into my mind. A great reminder of who to go to in my struggles and in hard times. To pray to Jesus all the time!

-So, Happy Birthday to my favorite lady!-

Mail

I just saw her and here she is again, back in my chair so soon. She tells me she's been diagnosed with cancer and tears start to fall down her face. I am to cut off her hair because she will lose it anyway.I thought, I will have to send her a card. It's been a few months, and the card never got sent. Every so often she comes to mind. I tell myself I will send it and then put it off. But lately it's been bugging me and for whatever reason I felt compelled to write her a message. Something just says to do it. I find it odd. Who cares if her hairdresser sends her a card? Who knows what's happened by now? But I know, that if I don't write, what a shame it will be. Such an easy thing to do. Send a card.

I could not find the right words. It was the shortest message I've ever written to a person. But my heart was in it, and I needed to do it.

---

Finally, the card is in the mail.

Until It Hits The Ground

It blossoms in splendid beauty and dignity.

The sunlight shines on it. The rain showers it. It holds on strong while the storm passes. The wind blows and tosses it until it finally loosens. Then petal by petal it slowly breaks apart, swirling down, falling until it hits the ground where it shrivels and dies...

"How frail is humanity! How short is life, and how full of trouble! Like a flower, we blossom for a moment and then wither. Like the shadow of a passing cloud, we quickly disappear."

Job 14:1-2