Before and After

"Draw near to Him and He will draw near to you", James 4:8.

While my sisters were here, July 29th through August 2nd, they posted scripture throughout our house to serve as reminders to us, each day, of God's presence in our lives. James 4:8 is the scripture on our mirror in our bathroom, that we see each and every morning while getting ready for work, and each and every evening as we're getting ready for bed.

I have thought over and over again, in the last month, of how impossible the journey is that lies ahead. I have thought how any one single diagnosis that Tessa has received in the last month would have been devastating news to us before. It is very difficult to try and step outside of our situation and look in...as those of you that are keeping up with our journey, here on this blog, but I feel that it is incredibly important to share with you, that our approach to each diagnosis is not an approach of strength that we have found within ourselves, but an approach that has been gifted to us, as we have learned what it truly means "to draw near to Him". The approach that we would have taken before, is almost irrelevant to discuss, because this chapter of our lives that we are in now, looks very different from the chapters we were in before.

Half the time I walk away from my posts and I wonder: where in the world that came from; how in the world are we not devastated by the news we have received; how in the world tomorrow looks hopeful; how in the world we feel such Freedom during a time that would seem to impose such Bondage...and tonight, on my mirror, I feel like I have found the words to summarize where our hope comes from and how we are able to do what we do.....we are drawing near to Him. There is a particular reason why James 4:8 is posted on our mirror, because to begin and end each day without the strength that is available to us, would not only resemble more of the approach we might have taken before, but it would prevent our outlook of Hope and of Freedom.

For me personally, there has been so much freedom in discovering....knowing God's purpose for my life. There is so much freedom in knowing that every piece of the puzzle that makes up my life as a daughter, as a sister, as a wife, as a mother, as a friend...has been intricately pieced together for this very moment. I feel honored to know that this is what my God had planned for me all along. I feel blessed to have found my purpose for my time here on earth and look forward to the day that I will stand before my Heavenly Father and have the opportunity to thank Him, for the gift of drawing near to Him and the testimony of His promise to draw near to us.

So, What in the world is going on? Well, it's a whole new level for me, for us, for our family...but from what I can tell, it's changing our lives and having somewhat of an impact on the ones we love around us....so I say... sit down, put your feet up, stay awhile, and we'll all watch and see what our God can do with the before and after!

~Whitney