My daughters are excellent writers. I'm going to take advantage of that and share what they wrote about our Sisters Retreat in Newport. We had such a wonderful time. We missed Janelle, but we were so happy all the rest of us could be together. I'm thankful for their good husbands who covered at home so they could come. I'm blessed with the most wonderful daughters and daughter-in-laws.
(blog post taken from Emily's blog)
(blog post taken from Emily's blog)
Meredith shared a tender mercy experience that really resonated with me and I wanted to share, and Juila wrote it so beautifully, that I'll share that here:
"I loved something that Mere said that I've been thinking about a lot. She told the backstory of her signing up for this marathon and how it was a big goal but she was willing to put herself out there and do it. Then a couple of months ago she got shin splints and then while she was running the race, her injuries were so bad that she had to walk most of the way. She felt so deflated that after all this training, she couldn't run her race.
She kept having the thought, "this was not the race I was supposed to run." Then it dawned on her, that there are some things in our life that happen and we think, 'this was not the race I was supposed to run. This wasn't supposed to happen.' Then she thought of Viv and her situation and how this wasn't the run she planned on having but she was doing it; as hard as it is.
Ondalynn and Mere dedicated that race to Viv. When they were training, they sometimes didn't want to because it was so hard. Then they would think of Viv and all that she is going through and think, 'if Viv can do this hard thing, then so can I.' I just love the idea that we're all running in a race and sometimes it's not the race we signed up for but we do it anyway because there is so much growth on the other side."
I think of my mom who has suffered with Polio all her life and will continue to, this isn't a race she signed up for or wanted to run, but running it anyway - but with so much happiness, energy and love.
I think of my sister Danielle who suffers from endometriosis and is running the race of infertility and experiences chronic invisible pain.
I think of friends and family members who run the race of depression, anxiety, and other mental illnesses that pray for relief but it doesn't come right away.
I think of my friends who running the race of being single and longing for an eternal companion and marriage.
I too am running my own races of struggles - and the rest stops don't come as quickly as I'd like, and the weather is sometimes too cold and too hot (figuratively speaking), but I know that God performs miracles in my (and everyone's!) life as He has does for His children in the past!
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