Dear Tania,
This past week we spent our birthdays apart for the first time in a long time... I miss you and am grateful for the lovely gift of men called Skype :)
I know this year has been a great struggle for you, as was the last and maybe the few before that. I want you to know that you are inspiring to those of us to have taken the time to get to know the genuine God fearing you. He truly has brought you out of the mire and is molding you to be such a passionately merciful human. You love deeply, fight hard for those you love, and you never give up on people!
We haven't always seen eye to eye but we are better people because of it. As iron sharpens iron in a painfully heated way sometimes, God has used you in my life to challenge me, love me when I didn't deserve and laugh with me when I needed it most.
You are more than my friend Tania. You truly are my sister brought into the same family by the Blood of Him who loves us unconditionally.
Right now, an ocean apart, with my mornings as your nights, I trust Gods promise of provision for you. That He will bless you and keep you and make His face to shine upon you giving you peace. Happy Birthday Tania... I can't wait to hear of all your adventures that this year has to bring you! I love you... (And of course Bradley say's hello)
The past month has been a busy one, flying by faster than I anticipated for a month that was supposed to be relatively calm. Bradley's been living in Calgary during the week and I've been delving into my spring cleaning at the apartment and visiting with loved ones both near and far - well, mostly far :)
I spent time on the Island at my brother's home with his family. First vising with my dad and step mom. Followed by the company of Mom, my sister and the precious newest addition of her sweet baby Lyla.
I miss them.
I don't know what I'd do without them in my life.
It was the first time my brother, sister and I sat in the same room for - I am not sure how long it's been.
Life is just like that. Differences in life and choices we make do take people to different places. And sometimes it's just plain hard.
Rarely do we agree on anything, us three...
Often we make choices that hurt each other... actions, words, and sometimes no words at all... not always purposely but I admit, sometimes in spite... We blame the past, we blame each other, we blame those who brought us into the world as if they should have known and chosen differently themselves... We blame the God who could stop all harm but chooses to allow us to be sharpened in only the painfully heated way that iron sharpens iron so that we might learn what it means to rely solely on Him in every situation...
I hate the process. It hurts... I hate how iron has to be held in the flame until it is softened just enough in order to be brought out of the flame and pounded on before chilling it in the cooling water. It's a hard, uncomfortable, painful process that we all go through in this life.
Fortunately, the outcome is incredible. The beautiful creations that we are being molded into is something to behold.
Thank God for His purposeful eye for detail - for He knows exactly how long and how hard and gives us the cooling water of His Spirit just in the nick of time to refresh our souls as we journey this path called life.
Us three, we will never agree fully in this life. I will never understand all the whys but that's okay.
I know that the Holy Spirit dwells amongst us, leading and guiding the process as He needs to for our own sake.
Who am I to challenge the journey our Heavenly Father is directing them through? Who am I to cast my judgements on the sharpening process that He is overseeing? Who am I but another piece of work that is imperfect, unrefined, and in many ways useless?
Yet He's chosen me.
He's chosen each of us
He loves them more than I ever will be able to.
I believe it, I must trust His process.
Just the same, we also have a choice - We have to choose how we respond to each other. Whether we'll respect each other indifferently to agreeing or not. We have to choose to talk to each other and ultimately forgive each other even when the hurt is deep and our pride says we're the victim. We have to choose how we love each other. Will it be love based on our agreeing or will it be love unconditional because that is what love actually is.
It's our choice.
I love my family. I love them with all my heart and NEVER want to change a single hair on their heads for they are beautifully and wonderfully created in HIS image.
31 Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. 32 Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.
Ephesians 4:31-32
