I have so many blog post subjects that I want to write about so I really should start writing more to get all of my thoughts out, but that takes time and nap time (specifically) is only so long! Next post will be a cancer update – coming tomorrow!
I started a new journal today called “Write the Word” and it is awesome! I’m convinced that our lives are not just coincidence, any of it. About a 1.5 years ago my family drove to New Jersey to visit my husband’s family and where he grew up (Toms River and Seaside Heights). After our visit with family, we drove even further to Boston to visit our dear friends there and spend the weekend with them. Then we drove ALL the way home with a 6 month old! It was crazy, but we had so much fun! Thank goodness our son was a trooper in the car that trip! Wish I could say the same for every trip!
On the way up to Jersey we stopped in Richmond, VA where a dear friend from college, Lauren, lived. I had completely forgotten that she lived there at the time. We only followed and kept up with each other through Facebook and Instagram for the most part, but have kept in touch since college. Since our halfway stop was in Richmond, I got to spend a good hour or two at dinner with her and catching up on life. I am so thankful for that dinner! She pulled up to my hotel to pick me up and the first thing she handed me when I got in the car was a bag of books! We both love a good book! Her best friend, and also a mutual friend of mine from college, had breast cancer too. I remember her sharing with me about her breast cancer journey and how she has been doing since. We talked most of the time about it and that was 1.5 years ago since we had that conversation. Was this coincidence? Absolutely not. The funny thing is even now when I remember this conversation, I remember all the details of everything we talked about. At the time I wanted to know more about our friend’s experience, but for no other reason than pure curiosity. Funny how that works right? How the Lord ordained my meeting with her, a fun time to catch up on each others lives in a town I never would have imagined I would travel to and we ended up having a conversation that would stay with me for years later.
Fast forward back to this morning when I started this new journal that Lauren sent me. It’s been on backorder awhile and she had hoped that it would have gotten here sooner, closer to when cancer made its appearance, but the timing couldn’t have been more perfect. The first verse to “write” was Ecclesiastes 3:1-8… I’ve known this verse for longer than I can remember, but reading it again today took on a whole new meaning. I went beyond verse 8 to 11-12 and what it said there said so much more… read it below, then I’ll discuss more!
For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted; a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; a time to seek, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away; a time to tear, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; a time to love, and a time to hate; a time for war, and a time for peace. – Ecclesiastes 3: 1-8
And then it goes on to say in verse 11 – 12…
He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also, he has put eternity into man’s heart, yet so that he cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end. I perceived that there is nothing better for them than to be joyful and to do good as long as they live – Ecclesiastes 3: 11-12
I just couldn’t stop reading and digesting and wondering. Throughout the seasons in my life- the hard ones and the happy ones, what have I learned through my life as I look back on everything that has happened? Here are a few things that I am very certain of:
*God’s timing is always perfect.
*The events in my life haven’t happened by chance and while I may not see the reason for it now, I will one day.
*BUT that “one day” may not be until I am home – in Heaven.
Going further with these verses, I read a different translation (NLT – the ones above are ESV) and my bible has study notes and I was reminded of a few things that I can easily forget in the midst of tough times… I know I already said it above, but this is NOT our home. God placed eternity in our hearts so that we will never be fully satisfied here on earth. The lack of satisfaction requires us to lean into him. Because we are created in His image, we can only be satisfied by the eternal. We are always going to be let down in most ways here on earth. But, thankfully, God being the awesome Father that He is – He does give us a glimpse of how beautiful our earth is to long for our home that we will see one day but can only dream of right now.
Lauren and I now keep in touch, we talk in some sort of text (or snapchat!) form, almost everyday. I love her realness to talk about absolutely anything… makes me laugh just thinking about some of the conversations that we have had recently. I am so very thankful for her friendship. And our mutual friend, she’s doing great too! She has been finished with surgeries and chemo for awhile now. She has a beautiful, sweet almost 1st grader whose smile literally lights up a room! I’m so thankful that years later I have reconnected to her and learned about her own experience with breast cancer. Her help and encouragement for me has been invaluable. I could not have made it through post surgery without her support and encouragement. Well, I guess I could have but I wouldn’t have wanted to have to do it! 🙂
The Lord is intentional with everything he does in our lives.
Let me say that ONE MORE TIME!
The Lord is intentional with everything he does in our lives.
It can be so hard to see and understand in the moment or even years later, but that’s the cause of our own selfishness looking the the sense of what WE only want to see. We we will not know what its truly like until we get to Heaven.
I have another post (I’ve already written) about suffering coming soon… its all connected y’all. In this crazy life… its temporary here and sometimes its hard and tough and really, really stinks at times, BUT suffering can help make us who we are, teaches us, changes us, molds us. I truly believe it.
Stay tuned! I promise I’ll post more frequently. I also need to do a cancer update soon!
In the meantime… all the Write the Word journals are sold out but you can go to this link (click here!) and have them notify you when they’re available. I highly suggest it! I’ve only done one day and love it!
Carly Wisnewski 