While I sit here with no certain plans for the next 48 hours, a dear sister in Christ has plans for brain surgery on Thursday.  Heather will be having surgery to remove a tumor in her brain which she found out only recently that she had.  Life was "normal" and then came news that would change life dramatically.  I've followed Heather's blog (you can sign up for updates through email) and my life has changed too (in a much easier way) as I've read her heart online.

I think the thing most convicting to me, has simply been the realization that if it were me that were going through something like this... well, my life would change too.  I asked my husband how our life would change if we found out that one of us (or our children) got terribly ill, had cancer, or something similar where death seemed closer than the day before.  He told me that he'd quit working, we'd spend all our time together... the list went on, but basically, the answer was we would spend every waking moment making every moment count... cherishing everything we got...  and then I got mad...

I got mad at the obvious question...

Has our life (Mike and mine) become so out of control and busy, that  it would take something so dramatic as an illness to make us slow down and cherish the precious moments?!  To realize that we're going about life, taking it for granted... expecting another day... another time to witness... a different time to share Christ... another time to hold my children... another moment to passionately kiss my husband...

I don't want to have to have an illness in our life in order to get our priorities straight and live life as the Lord would want us to... it's wrong to be so involved in things (even good things) that you can't slow down... that you feel trapped...

I don't know what Heather will do after her surgery... how life will be different for her and her family.  But I do know that her life has touched mine... and I will never be the same.

If you're unfamiliar with "A Mother's T.R.E.K." then please take a moment to read more about it and then join me in setting aside Thursday, May 3rd in honor of Heather.  She will be in surgery while her husband, family and friends wait for her to come out.  I don't know Heather, but I've read enough of her posts to know that she would be thrilled to know that there are others who aren't "just" praying, but celebrating time with their loved ones because her life reminded us of how precious time is.  Whatever you choose to do on Thursday, please tell your children about the life of this mother, and pray for Heather, as well as the whole family (including Emma Grace, which is a story in itself).  And then, in the quiet moments you find... evaluate your life... your time...

... are you who you want to be?

... and what God planned?...

Still Seeking,
Amy Verlennich