A Year Later… God is still Good..!

I cannot believe it has been a year since our lives have completely changed.  There are moments in life where time is known by a before and after.  Of course, the main before and after is in relation to Christ… what was your life like before Christ and how is it different now that you know Christ?  Of course, some other major events include graduation, weddings, children, amputations (ok most people don’t have to deal with this one), etc. At times these events are joyful ones that we have chosen but other times they are tragic events that we would never choose… yet God still uses them for our good. 

One of the most difficult events I have ever experienced is Shane moving out.  After months of trying to figure things out and try to help him understand how much we love him we had to let him go and make his own decisions.  This resulted in a snowball effect of events… including me quitting my job, moving in with my parents, escaping to Argentina for a month, finding a new job at Kentridge… etc.  We didn’t just lose our son in all of this… we lost friends and family who have chosen to believe the lies… the one thing we didn’t lose is our hope in God. 

Even though Shane no longer lives with us we pray for him constantly… that he will know the truth… that he would seek after God and find healing in Him… that he would make decisions that are in his best interest.  We have hope that one day we will be reconciled to him but until then all we can do is pray from a distance.

Looking back on this past year… I can see the many blessings that God has bestowed upon us.  Matthew and I are both in a healthier place than we were a year ago.  We have been surrounded by a loving support system which includes my family and our church.  I not only have a job I love but a second job that I love as well.  Matthew and I have drawn closer to one another and found our strength in the Lord.  We have been able to spend more time working with the youth and watching them grow and develop. 

God continues to be at work in our lives… we are not perfect but we are growing and it is an exciting road we are on.  We still have struggles but I have more hope than I did a year ago.  We are still fighting L&I and Social Security but I am trusting God to provide for our every need.  I have more peace and joy than I did a year ago.  This is not the path I would have chosen but I don’t doubt that God was in control and continues to be in control… He is good and will use everything for our good..!