One Year Later (a blink of an eye)

When the Bible speaks of life as a vapor, or a mist, the writer, James, was not mistaken.

In the blink of an eye, here we are…one.year.later.

James 14:4 ESV

…yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes.

The month of June will always feel different because of all that transpired in June of 2023. Much of which was packed into a single week.

June 2023: a reflection.

Friday, June 23rd

1) Matt was disconnected from his life-saving impala. The impala was placed as a temporary fix until Matt was able to receive an LVAD. It was not to be though because of a significant brain bleed and, sadly, the impala had run past its course.

2) My daughter-in-law’s father fell from a cliff while attempting to repel himself down. The distance of the fall was approximately 50-60 feet. This turned into a search and rescue to save him. Today he is alive but wheelchair bound.

Saturday, June 24th

Matt passed away at 8:37 am. 💔

Sunday, June 25th

The same daughter-in-law received a message from my son that he was in a hospital somewhere in Paris, deathly ill with malaria, but he didn’t know where he was. We spent that day trying to locate him on the other side of the world. We even called the U.S. Embassy. We did finally locate him and he was in serious shape. His kidneys shut down. Other organs tried to follow suit. He praises the Paris hospital for saving his life, and today he is with us. Not without some lingering issues, but he is happy and healthy.

Friday, June 30

My brother was diagnosed with leukemia.

Saturday, July 1st

Matt’s Celebration of Life

Three days later, July 4th

My son-in-law was taken to the ER. He was having a hard time catching his breath. His heart was pounding and his chest hurt. It was later determined to be a reaction to medication he had been recently prescribed.

When I reflect upon each of these, I can feel every bit of emotion as if they were happening today. One year later. Three hundred sixty-six sleeps. How did the year go so fast?

These were life-changing events. Pain, anxiety, questions, and sadness continue to fill the hearts of many, yet blessings abound. Jesus was, and still is, ever-present.

We don’t always under the whys and how comes, which often makes it tough for us humans, but we can trust that God is in control of each situation.

Our lives are truly vapors.

A year has come and gone but the lessons, gifts, the people we love, the memories, and blessings continue on. ♥️

Andi