"He Hath Made Everything Beautiful In His Time."

Sometimes in the journey of life, God seems impossibly far away, difficult to find, distant. Surrounded by corruption, selfishness, and the ugliness of the world that surrounds us, it's so easy to find that the joy that once swelled within has become replaced. A heart that was once full of warmth, kindness, and peace becomes cold, and one's spirit - bitter. Instead of waking up with bright eyes looking for the sunshine of the day, tired eyes search for the shadows.

What is so often forgotten is that life itself does not consist of the overwhelming cares, the seemingly endless list of responsibilities, or the high expectations of others. These are the things that cloud our vision and cause us to lose sight of what is truly important.

Life is beautiful. Sunshine. Spring flowers. A child's laughter. Quiet mornings. A warm embrace. Even the nail polish stain on the concrete of our front porch (from my sister and I years ago. Two giggling little girls, a bottle of sparkly nail polish, and a fit of laughter that resulted in an upturned bottle and a memory that always causes me to smile). Each of these things, and countless other blessings, are reminders that life is about God and faith. It is about the people who have placed in our lives. It is about all those little moments and all of those little memories that will always be held close to our hearts.

This week I have been reminded of the truth that joy is untouched by circumstance. No matter how bleak life may appear at times, its darkness can never overshadow the heavenly light that fills the soul of those devoted to God. I am determined to never lose the joy of living or the overwhelming presence of God in my life.

One can dwell on depression, discouragements, injustices, the wrongs that seem to outweigh the right, hassles, inconveniences, unfairness, fear, instability, and insecurities, but to all of those things I say this: God is still God. He is still Love. Though the world is stained by sin and its effects, the life that God created for us is beautiful, regardless of past, present, or future circumstances. The beauty is all around us. We just have to look up and see it.

"He hath made everything beautiful in his time." Ecclesiastes 3:11a







Just the other day someone spoke these words to me: " Katie, you're so much like your Mother!" I have not ever received so great a compliment. As the years go by, Mother's Day comes and goes. It's the day to pamper Mom. For some that might entale serving her breakfast in bed, writing her a meaningful card, treating her to a day at the spa, suprising her with flowers, or taking her out for lunch. Whatever it is, every May a special day is set aside to honor the ones who do more for us than we can ever imagine. . . and then some. I hope you take advantage of this day. I hope you tell her you love her, and show her you love her through your actions and attitude.

As I grow older I begin to see more and more that mothers are a wonderful gift from God. Surely He knew we would need these remarkable women in our lives to guide us, care for us, teach us, love us, and pray for us. Looking back on the last 19 years of my life I can see the sacrifices my mom has made for me, but I know I will never fully be able to understand just how much she has done to impact my life. My Mom - teacher, shopping partner, spiritual encouragement, listening ear, advocate (and occasionally my prosecutor . . . :), giver of advice, godly example, and friend.  She's the woman who tells me I can do it, prays for me while I try to, and encourages me along the way. My biggest fan, and the person many of my fondest memories revolve around, I count it a privilege to call her my mom and to be her daughter. I don't know if in the future I will ever again be told that I am so much like my mother , but if I do hear those words I will smile and thank God. For surely, if I am like my mother, I must be doing something right. . .

 

"A friend is someone who dances with you in the sunlight and walks beside you in the shadows."

Last year I left my family, friends, church, and all the comforts of the blessed east coast to begin my freshman year at Maranatha Baptist Bible College in Wisconsin. It was here that some of my new favorite memories were made. And while some of my dear friends from the Midwest may not believe it, this girl from the east coast who once moaned about the smell, the wind, and the "isolation from civilization" has grown to love the little mark on the map called Watertown, Wisconsin. I think a piece of my heart will always be there.

After my last night making memories with some of my favorite people at Maranatha, I came to the realization that of all of the blessings God bestows upon His children, friendship is one of the most precious.

It was the last day we would all be together. Torn between the excitement of going home and leaving each other, I reached for another M&M, leaned my head against the wall and closed my eyes. It was times like these, I thought, that I really, really appreciated whoever invented those wonderful little colorful circles of chocolate. It was a bitter sweet moment. (Literally)

Sitting on Emily's bed, listening to all the chatter of my friends, I took it all in. There were at least five conversations going at once. . .talk of summer, the beach, road trips, boyfriends, and plans for the future filled the room. This was a moment in my life that I never wanted to forget. Ever. I smiled. If I didn't smile I would have cried. Because that's how much these girls mean to me.

Looking around the room I breathed a silent prayer of thanksgiving and sent it towards Heaven. These were the girls who encouraged me through my disappointments, opened their ears to whatever was on my heart or mind, laughed me through my embarrassing moments (and there sure were many of those moments being the lowly, confused college freshman I was. . .), held me close and shared my tears when I thought I couldn't go on, made me laugh till I cried, told me "you're beautiful" when I was having a bad hair day, and of course, opened their closets when a wardrobe crisis came my way. They never failed to offer words of encouragement when I needed them most. Our circle was always ready and willing to pray with each other, often sharing truths from God's Word and uplifting each other was we grew and were strengthened in our faith. These are the girls I have the privilege of calling my friends.

I soon discovered, however, that they are more than my friends. They're spiritual leaders, godly individuals, followers of Christ, strong and beautiful women who will change the world through their kindness, character, determination, and devotion to our great God.

I recall a conversation I had with my sisters before I headed off to Wisconsin. They told me that the friendships I would make in college would be those that would last a lifetime. I knew I would be starting a brand new chapter of my life, but I never could have imagined the amazing people that would fill the pages of this particular chapter. Now as my time at Maranatha has come to a close I have come to realize that they were right - the friendships I have made here will last a lifetime. After all, truly great friends are hard to find, difficult to leave, and impossible to forget. No matter what the distance, how many miles apart we may be, the memories we have made will live on in my heart. Forever.