Life Is Fragile!

Tonight a dear 32 year old friend is living his last hours surrounded by family as his body is being eaten by pancreatic cancer. His whispers barely heard relay his love for his wife and children.

Tonight a 29 year of wife and mom is looking deeply into the eyes of her husband grasping to hold the picture of a face she will soon see no longer. She is desperate to breath in the smell of his skin, the touch of his hands the sound of his voice so as to never forget. She wonders what life will hold without him, how will she comfort her children?

Tonight two young children watch as their father sleeps. With little understanding of the changes about to take place they wrestle with why daddy can’t play today.

Life Is Fragile

Tonight a dear friend sits home alone mourning the loss of her only child. It was a cold and wet January morning when the police officers showed up at her door with the news that there had been a single car roll-over and her 19 year old daughter didn’t make it. She rests in the arms of Jesus while her parents trust Jesus to get through another day without her.

Life Is Fragile

Tonight another friend recalls the day a similar call came. For her it was her 11 year old son who, when stung by a swarm of bees, ran out in front of a car and was killed. Her heart torn apart by pain and grief yet she must go on for the children who continue to look up to her for strength and love.

Life Is Fragile

Tonight I spoke to my oldest son who has recently lost a friend and coworker. A father walked into his home to find his child with a gun shot to the head. Tonight a father sits trying to understand what went wrong and why his son was so disillusioned with life that he couldn’t bear to go on.

Life Is Fragile

This week a friend of my youngest son was hospitalized with a seizure which lasted 1 ½ hours, he nearly died and has some brain trauma. He was released from the hospital on Monday and came straight to our home where I found him asleep on my son’s bed. His brother nearly drowned a few years ago and unfortunately now lives with brain injury. Tonight both boys are on their own to make their way in this world. A family has been torn apart by tragedy and two young men clinging to life with seemingly no hope of a brighter tomorrow.

Life Is Fragile

Tonight a mom is attempting to move on with life after the loss of her son due to an allergic reaction to a prescription medication. He was my youngest son’s best friend and left us this year.
Life If Fragile

My mom called two days ago, she had received a call from a former neighbor and friend who wanted to tell my mom something before she heard it on the news. This woman sits tonight broken hearted, her world shattered as her son now sits in prison after being found in the house of a murdered man. Tonight a mom’s heart is torn apart and a young man will spend the rest of his life in prison. An innocent man has lost his life and tonight a family grieves that loss with questions and no answers as to why this had to happen.

Life Is Fragile

Genny at MyCup2Yours has posted a challenge based on the book “One Month to Live”. Tonight I wonder if I would live my life differently if I knew I only had one month to live. It is possible. Yet, because I live in a world filled with tragedy I realize that everyday is precious and every life is fragile.

February 8, 2007 I made the most difficult decision of my life. I was the full-time administrator for a church, I was also the full-time Women’s Pastor at the same church. I spent nearly 90 % of my waking hours at the church, working FOR the church. I loved it! But my Lord called me to revisit my priorities. My family was suffering due to my schedule. After spending 21 days seeking the Lord through prayer and fasting I quit my job, walked away from the ministry, left our church and lost my friends. My life was turned upside down. It was the darkest of days but the most peaceful.

God changed my heart, my priorities and my focus. He became first, my family became second and all else fell under those two. Money was no longer a worthy prize, nor was a title, a ministry, a name or fame. Ambition for the world’s success pales in comparison to the desire to be obedient to my Lord.

Spending time loving on my family and true friends is all the blessing I need. Allowing God to mold and transform my heart has brought joy in areas I never thought possible. Today we are settled into our new church and I am again ministering to women but my focus is different. Instead of working for the church I am living for God. Listening for His voice and responding to His words.

I have not yet read the book One Month to Live but I believe if I really only had one month, my focus would be the same.

Looking into the eyes of family and friends and being thankful for the moment, spending time loving on them and telling stories of life and God’s power, leaving memories for my children and grandchildren that will last their lifetime. Praying with my loved ones and spending time in scripture, helping them to really know Jesus instead of knowing about Him. You see life is about relationship, both vertical and horizontal, and there is nothing on this earth more important than that.

Considering It All Joy,

Cindy