A Year in Perspective

There is something that I have wanted to do for years now. I see friends doing it and I am jealous. I want to do it. I truly do. What is it you ask?

Friends of mine always have a word impressed on them at the beginning of the year and that is their theme for the upcoming year. I have tried that. I just can't seem to hear the Lord in this way.

Well, maybe I can and I just didn't want to.

Last year I tried this idea again and the word that came to mind was Unity. I thought that was a strange word because our family is pretty close and we fight well. We don't alwyas agree but do always come back together in the end.

I ignored the word.

The word came up again when I was trying to think of a verse for our soccer team this year. Unity. Of course, I thought it was perfect for the soccer team. But what I couldn't see in January of last year was that that was exactly what our family needed to get us through 2015.

To say that 2015 was difficult would be quite an understatement. It was one of the most difficult of our familys' lives.

I have already made a post about Bug leaving us and that was a huge part of our struggle this year. Hearing the news, then getting our family to understand it and implement it was draining and horrible. And beautiful and precious. It was something we had to be Unified to get through.

We also had several deaths of loved ones. One of those was Bug's grandmother. Bug went to live with them on August 1st and by December 21st, her grandmother died of Melanoma. Bug got to spend four months of one on one time with her grandma that she wouldn't have had if she had still been with us. She got precious time with her grandma that was God ordained. Looking back it's easier to see.

Then a dear friend, Bruce, lost his battle with cancer. He was a precious friend to our Naomi for the last five years. They were kindred spirits and prayed for one another faithfully. Bruce was an example of a Christ centered life and we are truly better for having known him.

The girls' godmother died as well. She was someone that spoke into my life as a wife and mother and adored our children. She is a light that will be missed every day.

Beth got injured at another soccer game. (She is fine now thanks to amazing physical therapists!)

Our house was flooded because of the roofers doing the chimney wrong 4 years ago. We found extensive damage in Beth's room. The very next day after we discovered all the damage, our house was hit by lightening. Not even joking. We lost many electronics that day. And insurance didn't pay for anything. Nothing. Squat. Basically, insurance is a scam you have to participate in. Enough on that.

Our suburban needed some repairs and after they tried to repair it there was an additional problem they couldn't figure out. Still haven't.

Beth was starting her Senior Year on a bang! The enormity of that was a heavy weight as we tried to get everything figured out and completed. I'm not sure we really ever did!

We launched a local theater company and put on a production that was amazing. It was crazy hard work and we were glad to see the end of it!

Three girls in AYSO soccer in the fall. 'Nuff said on that one. Oy vey.

Beth and Sarah working. Sarah getting ready for a missions trip to Mexico. Christmas without Bug.

 

I am sure there was more but that is enough. Our family made it through, though not without some fair bumps, bruises and scars. But like I told Naomi just tonight, "Scars are a roadmap of your life." The physical ones as well as the ones nobody can see.

Unity. We are united as a family. In spite of circumstances and because of them.