A morning with our friend, Dana

A morning with our friend

Dana

Your friendship has been a blessing to so many

Who knew the Lord would uproot your family and move you to downtown St. Chuck

To our wonderful church community at Matthias' Lot

It truly is a community like no other I have ever witnessed

We, have ever witnessed

The friendships

So raw

So real

So necessary

In this crazy world we live life in

Together

A small group of ladies

Growing closer than most do in a lifetime

Due to God's provision

Because He knew

He knew

We would need one another

For many reasons...

And

For such a time as this

That each one of us would bring a unique gift to the other

Especially you

Your life

A true testament

A true witness

A true picture

Of what it looks like to live in God's goodness

His Grace

No matter what lot has been chosen for you

It was a morning

Just another morning

But a morning we got to share in a different way than most

A morning of ladies surrounding you

You laying in your bed

A few of us sitting next to your side

On the same bed

At your feet

Others beside your bedside

Touching you

Praying over you

Chatting like us girlfriends always do

We know how there is always a wide-range of topics with us girls ;)

Sometimes laughter

Sometimes tears

In the background, a CD plays on repeat

A CD made by a special friend, to incorporate all of our favorite worship songs

And yours too…

The words of two of the songs play over & over again in my mind since that day

And I cannot stop listening to that same CD on repeat in my car too

This one being one of your favorites…

Oh, and I've seen many searching

For answers far and wide.

But I know we're all searching

For answers only You provide.

Because You know just what we need

Before we even say a word.

You're a good, good Father.

It's who You are, it's who You are, it's who You are.

And I'm loved by You.

It's who I am, it's who I am, it's who I am.

("Good, Good Father"  ~Housefires)

Truth is…we are ALL searching for answers.

And the beautiful picture that the Lord provides through you, my friend…

You have the answer.

Jesus.

You hold on ever so tightly to His truth.

To His character.

He IS a good, good Father.

And these words below that I can barely sing without tears flowing

Every. Single. Time.

Through it all, through it all

My eyes are on You

Through it all, through it all

It is well

So let go my soul and trust in Him

The waves and wind still know His name

It is well

With my soul

("It is Well"  ~Bethel)

It is well…

It is hard.

I am not going to sit here and pretend it is NOT hard.

It sucks.

Cancer sucks.

Death makes my heart ache.

Knowing we will lose someone so dear to us,

So loved.

I don't get it.

The circle of life.

So beautiful, yet oh so painful.

I know I NEVER will understand, this side of Heaven.

I have shared these very personal thoughts with Dana.

And you know what this wonderful soul does?

She challenges me.

She encourages me.

She points me back to the One who has all of us in the palm of His hand.

I am in awe of her strength, her love, her wisdom.

I am reminded of another recent moment we got to share together.

Sitting on your back porch while my son carelessly plays,

In the one mud puddle he of course found in the entire back yard.

And we watch him.

And you say…

"I imagine that is how we will be in Heaven."

"All of us, just joyful in the moment, not matter what that moment consists of."

Just like Graham, joyful in his mud puddle.

We share a smile together.

And I couldn't agree more.

As it whittles down to just a few of us ladies.

You wake up for a moment and hear the music playing.

You ask about it.

One friend mentions where the CD came from.

You being to cry as you say, "you girls love me so well."

Dana, YOU love us so well.

And then, many tears fall by all of us as we hold our dear friend.

My mind wanders a lot these days.

Many times in the gym.

Pandora worship on and me getting my workout on.

And even then, in a gym, filled with other people,

My heart will stir,

And the tears still fall.

Because I know time is fleeting.

Lord, hold us up.

Lord, we need you every minute of every day.

I have always loved this passages from Ecclesiastes and it holds truer for me as the days go by...

A Time for Everything

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;

a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together;

a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;

a time to seek, and a time to lose;

a time to keep, and a time to cast away;

a time to tear, and a time to sew;

a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;

a time to love, and a time to hate;

a time for war, and a time for peace.

God knew what He was doing when He created this world; us.

And while I will wonder until the day I die…

I am so grateful for the hope that we are sisters for eternity.

That this world is truly just a vapor.

And the joy of knowing we will ALL see one another again when we are face to face with our Creator…

Is beyond words.

So, for now…

We will all 'TAKE HEART'.