An Outpouring of Grace

I'm sitting in our living room surrounded by beautiful bouquets of flowers. Next to me is a stack of cards about a foot tall and our freezer is full of food. We have been so so amazed at the incredible support of this community. I will never again complain about how sheltered and isolated Lynden is. I hope it never changes! I also am so thankful for the most wonderful extended family. They are all gone now but I couldn't ask for a better family at a time like this. Something that I'm learning right now is that the only things that really matter in life are the eternal ones. The treasures that will truly last. The picture I get in my head when I envision God right now is a father who knows that he has to put his kid through something painful (and it is!), but it is painful to him as well, so he holds us in his arms, desperately wanting to carry us through it. He will. I have felt his nearness in the most amazing ways over the past week and a half since my mom's death. I actually physically felt his hand on my head as I went to sleep the second night. He is so good, and I just thank him that his plan is so much better than my own.