Journey in Faith

I follow a fair number of blogs, so on any given day I'll have maybe twenty blogs rolling through my Google Reader window. But one really caught my eye this morning. Especially since I personally know this blogger, and the post was titled A Very Rough Day.

Yes, it was. As a mother, and the mother of a fifteen-year-old girl, I've always been touched by Sarah's story. But today, it grabbed me. It grabbed me in two ways.

First, this is a family I know and love. When our family first moved to the Atlanta area and joined the local homeschool group, Heather was one of the first ladies to encourage me. As we crossed paths over the years on field trips, moms' nights out, and holiday parties, Heather always greeted me with a smile and spent a few moments catching up with me. I always admired Heather's bright outlook. But through Sarah's illness and treatment, I've seen a new side of Heather. I've seen her faith, her dependence on God, her eagerness to give Him the glory in all things. I've seen her reach out to other families in the midst of her own pain and struggles. Often, when Heather would post prayer requests, many of them would be for other families they met during treatment. I know that all of this was part of Heather's life before; I'm just thankful that I've been able to see it (from a distance, through blog posts) as it has shone through the trials she has faced over the last several years. And I see Sarah just following her mother's example in such a sweet way.

Second, it caused me to be grateful for where God has me today. I am so glad for the time I have with my family (as opposed to the big career I had planned). I'm thankful for God's provision for our family, especially during this time of transition. I have opportunities to serve and minister each day. I'm reminded daily that God desires my faithfulness, he desires that I reflect His faithfulness.

I don't think any of us will ever really understand all of the reasons why young Sarah has had to face cancer. But we can be certain that God does have a purpose (Romans 8:28). And I know what it has done in my life.