Full Heart, Full Weekend

There are times in life, when your heart is full, broken, sad, and blessed all within the span of a few hours. This weekend my heart has felt so many powerful emotions questioning why a few times, and rejoicing other times.

I want to respect Ashley's privacy, but I do ask that you lift her and her husband Matt up in prayer. We love them both and they are like family to us. She had to have unexpected surgery last Friday and finally got to come home today. Her heart is huge and she and Matt both know that God is in control. Sometimes, God's plan is not always on the easy and clear path and you just have to trust that His plan is the right plan. That is where they are today. We stopped by the hospital to visit them and of course David had to give her some love.

This weekend while Mike and Kyle were gone, Hope and David and I headed to Radford to visit with family. My Dad's entire family (minus a few hubbies and kiddos) converged upon Radford as sweet Memaw was transported from the hospital to her new nursing home. Hospice nurses are involved in her care now.

Obviously we all are aware that her heart is quickly weakening, but it was sweet and precious family time together this weekend. There were a dozen or so of us all weekend laughing and reminiscing with her. It breaks my heart to see how swollen she is from the fluid on her heart and lungs. It brings me to tears to see her laboring to cough up fluid. Congestive heart failure is not pretty, but she still is. My Memaw has the sweetest spirit but I heard some funny and unforgettable stories about her this weekend. She is a sweet mild-mannered christian woman, but she had a few suitors after her before she married my Pawpaw and she was a tough bird! She often laments that she is ready to see Jesus because she is tired and tired of being tired, but God blessed us with this family time together. I know we wore her out but sweet memories and funny stories ease the sting of words like "heart failure", "hospice" and "palliative care."

David chose to wear his shirt and tie to the nursing home so he could look "hot" for Memaw while he sang a sweet song to her.

While we were visiting family and dodging crazy snow storms, Mike and Kyle were at Resurrection 2014 in Gatlinburg. I think they had a wonderful experience worshipping God and learning His word with 3500 other youth and chaperones from the Holston conference. Kyle being one of the sixth graders going this was his first year to be able to go. I hear it is an experience that you have to experience to understand, but I kept up with them through the live feed on my phone and I enjoyed lots of facebook pictures from the group. I am so thankful for such a strong and wonderful youth group that Kyle is apart of and I am so thankful that Kyle has the kind of Daddy that would choose to go and chaperone other middle school boys. Mike is a little sleepy, but he too had a great time!

I had a lump in my throat seeing them off on Friday. I am still shocked I have a child old enough for Resurrection and that he is a youth now! GASP! I was also emotional thinking of all the prayers I had personally prayed for this group that they would experience God on a personal level and come home changed by His presence. Jesus is the sweetest thing in my life and I am so thankful that Kyle has this opportunity to build his own relationship with Jesus.

Sometimes life is beautiful and brutiful all within the span of a few minutes. This weekend with family was beautiful and I know it did Memaw's heart good to be with us all together even if it was in a nursing home with a visit from her hospice nurse. I am so thankful that Mike and Kyle encountered Jesus at Resurrection with 3500 of their closest "friends" while I also lift Matt and Ashley in prayer as they keep walking in faith when life throws a big curveball. I do know from my walk with Jesus, that whether you are on the mountaintop praising God, or holding your sweet grandmothers hand while she labors to cough up something to ease her lungs, God is there. He is always there.