The year 2012 was a rough year for us. Justin had his spleen rupture nightmare in February which turned into an almost 15-week recovery period. We learned so much about faith and humility and blessings during this time period that we will never be the same.
We then learned on June 8, 2012 that our beloved Pastor Bill's mysterious medical issues had finally been diagnosed as inoperable, terminal stomach cancer. He was given eight to ten weeks to live. It turned out the the Lord needed him sooner than that, when just four too short weeks later, he went to be with his Savior on July 8, 2012. Walking a journey like that is something I don't have to do again very soon. Watching Bill continue to encourage others and offer counsel, all while never ceasing to praise God despite his suffering was such a testimony of what it means to live completely surrendered to the will of God. The song that came out that summer I Want to Live Like That became the mantra of those who loved Pastor Bill. He reflected Christ's love to others and he walked his faith every day. Lives were changed because of his journey of suffering. I know for sure mine was.
All this to say that 2012 became a year where words just didn't come easy for me. Emotions that I thought I'd learned to control since my Grandma Wise's own diagnosis and years-long battle with cancer and then my brother's way too near-death journey with cancer were all brought back to the surface. I had learned so much about truly living by faith in the last ten years and with that solid foundation in place, 2012 only served to strengthen my resolve to walk with Christ in all I do. It was not an easy year and definitely one I never want to have repeated any time soon. But it was a growing year and because of that I have to turn back and praise Him for being with us, and guiding us, and teaching us more about His love for us. I honestly don't know how non-Christians get through life.
My boys too learned so much about prayer and grace and family. And if all that we walked through in 2012 was to help them continue to build solid foundations of faith that will assist them through their lives, then it was all worth it. Pastor Bill, who'd give you his last shirt right off his back, wanted his life to reflect his willingness to give it all in the pursuit of living out the Great Commission. His life touch many, his mission in the church changed lives, and his death didn't bring an end to his impact on others. Now, over a year later, I still find myself thinking of something Pastor Bill had done or said. I want my boys to learn to live like that, but I know that I must first be an example of that life for them to see as well. With God's grace, I'm learning to do just that.
And so I will reach back to 2012 and find the memories that we made as a family and with friends and I'll get them blogged. This journey is one I started for my boys and each year, I have that year's blog entries printed and bound in a book so that they can look back at the them and remember the good times and the bad and remember how God is good all the time.
It's so funny to see my boys visit my grandparents, who keep my blog books on their coffee table, and watch them curl up on the couch to read them. We have copies of the same books at home and so does my mom at her house, yet I think they seem to know how precious sharing those memories with their great-grandparents are and oh, what a kick they get out of seeing them lay there and read about themselves and point things out and laugh. This is why I blog. This is why I will always teach my children the importance of family. The generations before us are not old and worn out. They have wisdom to share, support to lend, and love to offer. How blessed am I that my boys know their grandparents, their aunts, their uncles, their cousins, and yes, their great-grandparents, great-aunts, and great-uncles. And for a time, they were blessed in sharing memories with their great-great-grandmother. God first and family second...and wow, do we have a lot of family :)
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