C Me As Hope

This past weekend was a whirlwind of activity and excitement.  In addition to regular life stuff like soccer games, homework, bible study, training for a marathon, etc., we were planning for Lang’s Survival party as well.  All the extra cleaning, planning and organizing was well worth it because the party was awesome!  The day of the party I was so with it.  I got up early and got some homework done.  Then I got all the tables set up outside, complete with tablecloths and centerpieces (which were Humpty Dumpty figurines, thanks to Lang’s brilliance).  Once everything was perfect…it started raining.  Now I have been told that it never rains in Tucson…well…those people are liars.  Because apparently, if you are planning an outside party and finish setting it up, it will start raining.  So Darian and I frantically pulled all the tables under the covering and I began to grumble.  At first my grumbling was quiet but as the day carried on, it got louder and louder.

See the reason for such early preparations was that Darian had a soccer game at 1pm…on the other side of town (45 mins away)…and we were going to barely make it home before the start of our party…at 3pm.  Putting my anxiety in my secret hiding place of my mind, we trekked across town to Darian’s game and feverishly cheered him on.  Precisely at 2pm, we scampered off to our car and (following all road safety laws) we hurried home to “get our party on”.  We raced in the house at exactly 2:45pm.  As we all changed clothes, re-set out the tables and completed all last minute touch ups of the house…our first guests arrived.

At that moment, all the chaos melted away and we were present with why we were having the party.  We had wonderful people coming to our home to celebrate Lang’s survival and our families journey through the past year.  Through out the evening, we laughed, drank, loved, met new faces, and remembered what God had brought us through.  There were a few tears but only tears of joy and gratefulness.

My favorite part of the evening was when all our guests (about 30) joined hands and prayed.  I started the prayer (which is huge because I don’t pray out loud with others) and Lang finished.  I am glad to remember the past year and move on.  I am excited for what is to come in the next year.  I feel that God has prepared us (Lang, myself and our children) for a mission.  His mission.  So I plan on living my life to the fullest, with admiration, appreciation and empathy, all the while letting God use me for whatever He sees fit.

It didn’t rain again after that morning but even if it had, it wouldn’t have put a damper on the celebration we were all experiencing in our hearts.

Carla