Who Am I ?

I just had an uplifting moment brought on by reading the blog of a new friend in FL, Kim, and listening to the words of "Who Am I?" Since I am not a techno wizard, I will just put her blog address here and hope for the best: http://bumpyroadsontheway.blogspot.com/ The words pierce right into my heart. Who am I but a woman who God wants as His daughter and He cares about every aspect of my life, the good, the bad, the tragic and the hopeful. He cares and I know it.

As I was typing this, another uplifting moment occurred. A group of Laurie's close friends from Student Impact, now all in college, showed up at our front door to sing us Christmas carols. Each of their faces reflected back, Christ's love; made me know that Laurie's life had meaning. That these college kids could have been doing anything but they came to let us know they remembered , they cared. We gathered into a tight circle and Josiah prayed for us, for all of us and specifically for Katie and Tommy and their kids. It was a sweet, sweet time.

And as I reflect on even the last 24 hours, I am encouraged. Katie and I met for dinner last night, a dinner that lasted 4 hours. It is not for me to divulge all, but the one thing I really came away knowing is that she is determined to get all the help she can to process her life and her choices and grow out of that. She is so not a monster or someone to judge. She is a young woman who has been dealt a lot of loss, has made some radical choices and has had to come to grips with who she is, really.

If I learned nothing from Laurie's death, I know this one thing. Our words mean so much and can do so much damage or can serve to encourage in meaningful ways. I will choose as much as I am able to encourage. And ultimately, I pray for God to get the glory through it all. He is our refuge and our strength.