Tough Week

This week has been filled with heaviness of heart. There were four children in our area who died, one of whom we know the extended family well, and one of whom was a part of our church. My heart just aches for these families and I never know what to say. I can't possibly understand what they are going through. I keep thinking of things that they will have to face in the coming days and years, and tears well up again.

On Thursday, Mike and I got to be a part of Joshua Brown's funeral celebration service, and it was amazing. His special verse was Joshua 3:5

"Joshua told the people, “Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do amazing things among you.” (NIV)

Even with only 9 nine years on this earth, God did amazing things through Joshua. As an infant, doctors found a brain tumor that affected many areas of his life. Last year, Joshua's family and friends were devastated to hear that the cancer was back. He fought hard against the growing tumors, and was always smiling and fun to converse with. Through a special program, he got to be an honorary coach with the SLU basketball team.

Joshua left a trail of influence that ranged from ESPN to local college sports to schools to motorcycle groups to churches and beyond. The church as full of those who loved and missed him on Thursday, and the celebration service was the coolest one I have ever attended. I mean, how many funerals have you been to that start with a live band playing the Phineas and Ferb theme song and end with everyone getting a pack of M&M's to take to the graveside ceremony?

It was uplifting, encouraging, and challenging to the see the lives Joshua touched in so short a time. I am left wondering if I am making anywhere near the impact of this slightly shy redhead.

Joshua came to every kids' choir practice. He sang all the songs at home. But, when it came time for the performance, he wouldn't step foot on the stage. His mom mentioned one time that he had stumbled on the stairs once because of balance issues, and she thought that might be why he wouldn't go up. Instead, he sat by me on the front row as the junior kids' choir director.

During the celebration service, Pastor Hal mentioned that Joshua never did anything half way. When he got involved with the SLU team, he became a coach. As a part of the kids' choir, he was a director. Now in heaven, I imagine he is not doing anything halfway. He can run, jump, dance, sing, and worship his heart out with no fear of balance issues or imperfect coordination or feeling sick. He is absolutely perfect.

God, help me to live life with the courage, strength, optimism, joy, and wholehearted abandon. Let me be a little more like Joshua today.

New Things

Yesterday was another painting day! This time I emptied (almost!) my bedroom to give it the first new paint job since we moved here over 8 years ago. I can't believe I waited that long. We traded our tan and brown walls for North Island (gray) and I deep cleaned everything. It was hard work, and I still have to go through everything we had in our room to declutter and get the necessities put back. The weather was so nice yesterday, so I was able to leave the windows open in the house to help with the paint smell. Last night, I managed to get the bed put back together and made up with freshly cleaned bedding and the pictures on the walls.



Even though nothing but the paint color and absence of dust bunnies is changing, it still feels like a brand new room. Pleased (and pretty tired!), we closed up the house, turned on the air conditioner, and went to sleep in our "new" room last night. In the early hours of the morning, I woke up with a dire need for ibuprofen.

It occurred to me that often times new and exciting changes can be accompanied by massive headaches and lots of hard work. Often, the best things in life are not the easiest.

Lately, I have a lot of friends who are experiencing a new season in their lives. I have friends who have new babies, houses, jobs, churches, cities, promotions, spouses, opportunities, and seasons of life.

Isaiah 42:9 says,
“Behold, the former things have come to pass,
Now I declare new things;
Before they spring forth I proclaim them to you.”

Sometimes God does new things in our lives. We might be excited and jubilant, but once we step into them, we may find that they are accompanied by challenges, headaches, or obstacles that require hard work. Babies are accompanied by interrupted sleep, spit up, dirty diapers and more, but the snuggles, smiles, kisses, and tiny toes make all the unpleasant work more than worth it. Moving to a new home is a huge undertaking, but settling in the new place God gives you is a delight. New surroundings help give us a fresh perspective.

The word "new" is filled with optimism and hope. I'm so grateful to God for even the small "new things" He is doing that help to bring a renewed vigor for life and a sense the the hard work and headaches are worth the result.