Friday, November 9, 2012

First there was HOPE and now there is TRUST...

It's been awhile... okay a long while.  2012 has proven to be the craziest year of our lives for sure! I tell people all the time, it's most definitely been the hardest year but it's also been one of the greatest years! Our family is free from something that has followed us like our own shadows for years. We may not always see our shadow but when the sun shines in the right direction you know it's always looming over your shoulder.  I told Isaac last night that over the years I have always felt like we would get a break from pancreatitis and then as soon as we would let down and sigh a breath of relief, the rug would get pulled out from under us and we would be back in the midst of it.  But yesterday we realized 
there is no rug anymore
There's no rug! It feels so good to not be stalked by an angry disease like pancreatitis. Don't get me wrong either, life has its ups and downs because that's just the nature of this fallen world.  As most of you know my Grams died in August. She has been a life-line to me my entire life. She believed in me when I doubted myself, she cheered me on in passions and she taught me what it is to be a woman of God. But the most amazing thing is that she was ready to go to Heaven years ago... and her body tried to take her out time and time again, but God and Grams had a different plan. She knew she was called for such a time as this. She knew that her purpose was to pray my family through the fire... and that is exactly what she did. We returned home in July and in August she moved to Heaven and she knew her Punky (me) and family were safe. Thank you Grams, from the bottom of my heart, thank you.

In September I was laid off from a job that at I loved. A job that saw me through tough times and I worked my tail off for. At first there was hurt in my heart when I began to see it coming, but then God opened my eyes to what truly was happening. He was not only saying, "Jillian, it's time to rest" but also "Keep trusting, I have a perfect plan for you." 
And you know what? 
I have never been happier in my entire life! My life is filled with family, fitness, music, cooking and time to reflect on what has been and what is to come.

God gives us sparks of hope and when we fuel those sparks with trust they become a flame that ignites a life of success through faith.
img credit - mindstep.deviantart.com


XOXO
Jillian