SO THANKFUL

One year ago, maybe less I wasn't innocent. Probably oblivious to the world. I have 5 healthy kids, a hard working husband who loves me in spite of me, and 2 fluffy dogs! Yes, I was well aware of poverty, violence, and sickness, but it was very far away.

Last year at this time I never knew a child who was fighting for her life, had lost all her hair, but not her fight. I had parents who were going to be married forever. I never worried about my little granny. I never knew someone who had been a victim of horrible domestic violence. I never knew a child personally who had been raped and suffered her whole life at the hands of those who saw her as worthless. I am a new person. A new person with horrible images in my head, sadness in my heart, and hope for the future.

It's easy to never doubt God when you have no reason to. When your life is a little fairy tale story book of course God is real. But when you have to look at a sick child screaming it makes you wonder a bit. When a stranger becomes your daughter, but you can't even touch her or protect her, that faith begins to waiver. When your holidays and birthdays have to be split between your parents, you get angry at God. But all of the sudden you really need God. He has to be real or you can't face reality.

He has to be real for Ella, or she wouldn't still be fighting. He has to be real for Jeanna or she wouldn't have been able to truly walk away. He has to be really for Sundayma or she would have curled up in a ball and died. He has to be real to heal the hearts of my family. I am trusting more than ever and I am grateful reality came and busted up my fairy tale.

I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving and a second helping of reality. Reality of the hunger, violence and sickness the world faces. Reality of who God is and what he's done for you. Reality of the hunger, violence and sickness the world faces.