A Sad Day and a Happy Day

That's what today was. Full of sad things and happy things. Kind of makes my head whirl.

Hubby got up early to run a 5K race and was happy to find out that he came in 9th in the whole race! (His time was 22:24) I'm proud of him.

After a lunch of some yummy leftover pizza, we took off west to meet the lady who used her long-arm quilt machine to finish the very first quilt I ever made. In 1999 I took a quilting class when we were living in Singapore. I'll post pictures and tell the whole story when I get the binding on it. But I will say I love how she quilted it!!!

When then drove north near the town we used to live in to attend the grad party of a kid who was a part of the same church as us when we lived there. It was a beautiful day for a drive through the country side. We drove through a lot of small towns we had never been through before. When we congratulated the graduate I said to him, "We're going to ask you the standard questions, but first, do you know the answers?" He smiled and proceeded to tell us what university he's planning on attending and what he wants to study.

We saw quite a few families from our old church at the grad party. That was an unexpected happy thing. Especially those two girls we saw that were only about 4 and 7 when we first knew them. They are now young teenagers and looking so grown up! Amazing how much they have changed in just two years.

We were struck with sadness when we went into the house to visit with the graduate's mother. She has had a recurrence of cancer and is on hospice care at home. Really rough to see her struggling and miss the sparkle in her eyes. Sweet to get a couple of hugs from her. She and I sang on worship team together and I always enjoyed our chats. She has been a faithful reader of this blog, but hasn't been able to for several months.

Our next stop was at a care center to visit a dear, sweet elderly friend of ours. She came to our Bible study for years. She's 85 and has been sick with pneumonia. She's very frail. It was hard to see her like that. None of her regular spunk. We enjoyed our short visit. I was amused to see she had her always present supply of chocolate in her room. She asked about our kids (who adore her) we talked about churches some and who all has been visiting her. When we left her room, I cried.

I told Hubby that was likely the last time we'd see either of the ladies we visited today this side of heaven. So sad to think of from this earthly view, yet reassuring to have that hope.

Hubby and I enjoyed dinner at a nice restaurant and then stopped by some friends for a few hours. We got to see their dog who I like to call a "not guard dog" because he is way too excited to see people when they come visit. But poor old Gunner is ooolllddd. (13) He didn't roll on his back for a tummy rub like he loves to do. When we left, we just got a tail thump. Gunner didn't want to get up.
Inside the house, we got the bonus of seeing two of the three kids. One in the flesh and one on Skype! The one that was on Skype lives in China, so that was a treat for us! (You can see their blog by looking for them in the Link's column on the right under Drew & Rachel's Blog. They work hard in China showing God's love to the people all around them.)

That was a happy time reconnecting with friends with sad mixed in as they talked a little about an estranged child. So heartbreaking to hear they haven't spoken to him (more like he hasn't spoken to them) since last August. I hope we showed a smidgen of compassion. I hope we were good listeners.

When we got home we had a letter from the parents of my childhood friend who died last November. It was their Spring Letter (instead of a Christmas Letter.) They wrote about my friend, Pam's, death to cancer. After I read it I just sat at the table and cried. Like her parents wrote, I still find it hard to believe she's really gone.

Overall, it was a good day. The weather was beautiful and I got to be with my husband. And Jesus stays the same. Jesus is enough.

I am reminded of a song we listened to on our drive. Kari Jobe has a song called, "What Love is This?". (Have you listened to her music? Such amazing stuff.) This song speaks to me. When things of this earth don't make sense, for me it all goes back to hope in Jesus and what He did on the cross for all of us. Jesus stays the same. Jesus is enough. The piano in this song is beautiful, the singing is full of passion, but the message is powerful.





You never change, You are the God you say You are
When I'm afraid You calm and still my beating heart
You stay the same, when hope is just a distant thought
You take my pain
And You lead me to the cross

What love is this, that You gave your life for me
And made a way for me to know You
And I confess You're always enough for me
You're all I need

I look to You
I see the scars upon Your hands
And hold the truth
That when I can't You always can
I'm standing here beneath the shadow of the cross,
I'm overwhelmed that I keep finding open arms

What love is this that You gave your life for me
and made a way for me to know You
And I confess, You're always enough for me
You're all I need

Jesus in Your suffering You were reaching Your thought of me
Jesus in Your suffering You were reaching Your thought of me

What love is this, that You gave Your life for me
And made a way for me to know You
And I confess, You're always enough for me
You're all I need

What love is this, that You gave Your life for me
And made a way for me to know You
And I confess, You're always enough for me
Always enough for me
Always enough for me