G.oing O.n P.urposefully...

from "If You Ask Me(And of Course You Won't) by Betty White
"If you've ever lost a loved one, or witnessed it, you can't help but see that the body
is an envelope for the letter."  A verse from my devotions that week: Psalm 139:16b "All
the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be."
Also couldn't help but think of John 1:1 "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word
was with God, and the Word was God."

I've become increasingly aware that I don't know what the experience of having a child that
has graduated from college is like.  2012 was "out there" for a long time thinking of both Garrison and Grant being graduates--Garrison from college and Grant from High School. ( I remember as a teen thinking-wow in 2000 I'll be OLD--35--perspective y'all.)

Mark and I both went through a time this Spring as Garrison's classmates-were graduating, getting married and having babies that we grieved in a new way.  Certainly we were happy for these young ones, but I'd be lying if I said there wasn't some pain as well.

My memory bank holds this snippet of conversation while our family was in the car one Saturday afternoon.  It must have been around the time that Garrison turned 9.  I said something like *Garrison-you are 9--we're half way through...* and Garrison quipped *Yeah mom, you're half way to getting rid of me...*

 A couple things run through my mind as I reflect on this 1)  Time on car-trips with the fam is a blessing.  We've had some great, silly, intense, upsetting, deeply heart-felt talks in the car.  2)  If I think about it too much that empty 4th seat just makes me cry.  3) 9 and a half should not be middle-age.

We thank you Lord that our lives were so rich and so blessed to have Garrison for the time that we did.  If he cannot be this side of Heaven, I'm blessed to know that he is safe with his Heavenly Father.

***Parents, I know that raising children is a demanding, tiring sometimes down-right ugly and messy adventure--in the midst of it be thankful for what God has trusted you with.***
Remember this: 
Psalm 27: 13-14:   "I am still confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord
in the the land of the living.  Wait for the Lord: be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord." His Word is just sayin....