When you learn to live in true christian community with another,
parting is sorrowful.

My dear friend Dorothy and I have shared our lives together
in a way I cannot even begin to define. Homes, yards, kitchens,
possessions, grocery runs, prayer times, tear times,
neighborhood patrol times. We've done it all together,
every day, day after day.

But with today's news, our shared lives together are coming to a close.

And i am profoundly sad.

There is a countdown. And then there is the packing and
the good-bye, and our cups of morning coffee at the fence
will be over. Our calling and asking, "Is it a Phy Ed day?" because
the kids are so full of energy and we need a break from our studies will end.

So much that has defined our daily life, the weaving in and out of
phone calls and afternoon conversations in our kitchens, the sharing
of children's problems, and our remodeling frustrations and questions,
the lawn chairs in the alley while our children play, the holding of babies
and the changing of diapers, the prayers for needs and attitudes,
the adoptions and pregnancies, the ER runs together,
the 'joke of the day', the running out for coffee or bringing
back the McDonald's diet coke, the borrowing of whatever the
needed item of the day might be, the calling while on shopping
trips to see what the other might need... these things will no
longer be a part of our daily life.

I know that all too soon, long before I'm ready for it,
it will be done. And life as we have shared it will end.

The reality is that when you learn to share your day to day
moments in life with a true friend, the hard things, the happy
things, the daily things, the frustrating things, the baby things,
IT IS GOOD!

It is blessed of God.

It is a gift.

It is a privilege.

It is truly experiencing what God intends for us in Heaven
right here on earth. In our own back yard. Literally.

As time passes, we'll rally, and we'll be fine. We both know God directs
these deep and daily details in our lives. We've lived in that stated reality
since the day we met each other.

And we'll stay connected. We'll make it work.

The truth is that God is the giver of good gifts, and this is another,
though it comes cleverly disguised as a deep heartache.

And I AM grateful.
And profoundly sad.
Both.

just what EXACTLY is this saying?

 

He had been painting at a table for hours and was unhappy with the results.

He took a break, moved his painting things to the back room, and stopped

to have dinner.  When we walked into the back room again, here's

Elijah putting the finishing touches on his painting.  Guess he was a bit

tired of the whole thing.    (And we thought this was going to be the

EASY class!)