Time out!

We've all had times when life throws us a curve ball, right? It seems no matter how simple we try to keep our life, weeding out activities, trimming events and maintaining routine, there are times when chaos reigns. Saturday I attempted to shop, Clayton took me out to celebrate my birthday, Sunday afternoon I spent time shopping with my mom, Monday my job took me to three different states, and then Tuesday, as I was feeling the crunch, I was reminded how quickly life passes us by. On my way to work Tuesday, I received the most unexpected news and now our church family is mourning the sudden death of a dear brother in Christ. I can't stop thinking about this precious family, especially his wife. They are a radiant, energetic, kind and generous couple whose love for Christ is obvious. We can rejoice that he is celebrating Christmas in a glorious way this year! I have been thinking about my dad a lot, remembering our special Christmas last year, when we knew it could be his last, but I now realize that even knowing doesn't prepare us for the loss. What a reminder that every day is a gift and people are a treasure. While there may be a fine line between toning down Christmas hustle-bustle and simply ignoring our responsibility to return blessings, today it doesn't matter that I haven't finished Christmas shopping, the cookies aren't baked, the house is a mess. Today God has given me the opportunity to comfort another. I pray He will give me the words to say and the ear to listen.

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. 2 Cor 1:3-4