Life as we know it..

The trials of life are just that...trials.  How we embrace or tread through them is what can change us for the better or worse.  I've been thinking about this a lot lately.  Recently, as recent and Thanksgiving weekend, I have had some friends and family, who are struggling with health related trials.  One dear friend was put in a position of choosing between her unborn child and her life.  How horrible this choice she would have to make.  She is one of strong conviction of life, and being place with a decision that seemed to have no clear pathway seemed unfair.  She is such an example to me because of her strength and her faith.  She went straight to the Lord, but was still tormented with this choice.  She prayed and asked that His will be done, and to help her make the choice.  Shortly after she miscarried.  In a way, you could say, God removed the burden of choice from her, and yet the dark cloud stays. She grieves the loss of her child and feels guilty to have the choice taken from her because now she knows that she will live to keep watch over her other three children.  It's an emotional and confusing time for her and all I can do is pray for her as she treads through her trial. She knows that the Lord is with her and that she has friends and family that love her.  She is one that has already endured many trials, and she has always stayed positive. It may take her a little longer to get back on the Sunshine road, but she will get there, her spirit is too strong to not to.

Friends are friends, whether gold or silver-at least with me.  I have a friend that I met while working at American Express.  She was so giddy and happy all the time.  A few years after our friendship began she married a co-worker that I had the opportunity of being friends with as well.  It's been a couple of years, but through Facebook we still stay moderately in touch.  They have two beautiful children, 4 and 7mo.  A couple of weeks ago she found out that she has stage 4 colon cancer.  Talk about shock. She's only 2-3 years older than me.  Still, her and her husband stay positive.  They have the love and support of friends and family.  Prayers are said for her daily, sometimes hourly.  She's a beautiful person, and she now struggles with this trial, that has a high percentage of taking her away from her family.  She too has a strong spirit, and she can be very stubborn.  I will pray and hope that her strength and the strength of her friends and family will be enough to conquer this disease.

Cancer does not discrimnate.  My father-in-law has been living with his for sometime now.  He's been on so many experimental drugs to help him with pain, or to help slow down the process.  There has been times (even before Jason and I were married) that we almost lost him.  But that man is a stubborn one.  When first diagnosed, I believe they gave him 3 years.  That was over 12 years ago.  He's been up and down many times, still one thing has stayed constant, his will to live.  That will hasn't always been strong, sometimes just a flicker, but it's been there. He believes and trusts in God.  He understands that life isn't fair, but still goes on. I feel blessed that he's been around these years.  He's been able to make some memories with his grandchildren.  They have come to know him as well as any young child can.  Sometimes I wish we could freeze time, to do more with what we have.  In the near future, my dear father-in-law will depart from this world.  I am saddened by this, and my heart goes out to his children and grand-children that love him despite all the differences. His trial of life will soon be over, but that leaves us to the trial of loss and grief, which we have already experience earlier this year with the unexpected loss of Jason's mother. We banded together to get through it, that's what family does. 

I sometimes feel guilty to have a happy day, or smile because of the unfortunate events that have been placed on those that I love.  But God loves me, he wants me to be happy, and I have days that I have to tread through from time to time.  None as extreme as those I've mentioned, but still.  I look at thier lives and learn from them.  They are examples of strength, love, optimism and will.  They all have one thing in common.  They know there is a God that loves them, they have friends and family that love them and pray for them.  We were not placed on this Earth to be alone.  Together, we can make it through anything. Although God's will may not be what we want, He did not leave us alone to go through the trial-we need eachother.