Abby and Eason,
The last year of our lives has been anything but easy. We have faced some unbearable emotional burdens. We said goodbye to a child who we thought would be family. We said hello to things from our past that we thought were long gone. We faced financial pressure. We had a lot of things that felt unsafe, unstable, and unending.
But, one thing remained – The love of Christ surrounded us.
At each corner, turn, and twist of the road, we stood face-to-face with the love of Jesus.
I wanted a straight road. A road that allowed me to run straight toward the arms of Jesus.
A road that would allow me to look forward and get where I was going quickly and with ease.
But, if such a road existed, I would run too fast. I would miss the opportunity to see everything on the sides of the road. I would miss the opportunity to experience, rest, and grow.
The twisty road that forced me to turn corners I didn’t want to turn. The road showed me one thing that I can’t unsee – The love of Jesus is in every single place.
Every time I looked at something tragic. Every time I turned a corner and faced yet another challenge. Every…. Everything. Jesus was there. He never left us.
So, one year later, we are standing in the same place where we started. We are standing in the safety of the Father who loves us so much.
A lot has changed. A lot has hurt. Many questions have emerged. Yes, we are at a different place on the road, but one thing remains – We are still surrounded by the love of Jesus.
“For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:38-39, NIV)
Abby and Eason – You are never alone. The road won’t always be easy, but you will always be surrounded by the love of Christ. He is your strength.
Mom