madison, mississippi

my sister is moving. she and her family and our "beau" are moving to madison, mississippi. my heart aches. i mean... she is MY emily. i do not like to share her. i have never liked to share her and it was hard enough when she got her own life, got married, had kiddos also, and then had this whole new set of friends in birmingham. emily does not need me. contrary to my past beliefs. she can handle it. her life. her life of joy and great difficulties. she has these three beautiful children, a wonderful husband, great friends, a child with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, and an illness of her own...ulcerative colitis, and possibly some other autoimmune disorders. ok now i feel like crying a little.
God works bad things for good. FOR HIS GLORY...and if you can listen to him [excuse me] if you WILL listen to Him...BIG SHOCKER...wait for it...HE BLESSES YOU!
wow. OK so, how is all of this a blessing? I don't know?
will we ever know? well, sometimes the blessings show themselves as REAL OBVIOUS.
for example: you follow the Lord's leading (through prayer and petition) and He opens doors. they are just flung wide open. so obvious that if you do NOT go through the door you would be a darn fool!
insert mini-sermon here:
now, because this is my hot button...BLESSINGS DO NOT ALWAYS COME IN THE FORM OF GREAT JOBS, BIG HOUSES, HEALED ILLNESSES, AND UNBELIEVABLE WEALTH............... [i KNOW! isn't that weird? because that is not what is being preached from some pulpits or on tv in massive "amen" whispers and shouts in dome stadiums?
here is their formula:"trust REAL HARD while naming and claiming God's word TO HIM or better yet AT HIM (the king of the universe)in the LORD with all your heart [wailing, naming, claiming and FEEEEEEELING REALLY FAITHFUL] and lean (only) on your own understanding. in ALL YOUR WAYS acknowledge HIM [and what HE is going to do FOR you] and He will put you on that path that you asked for in the FIRST PLACE!!!
sounds GREAT. but. see....it's just not biblical.
the passage actually goes (notice i call it a "passage" not a "formula"?
Trust in the Lord with all of your heart, and lean NOT on your own understanding. in all your ways acknowledge HIM and HE will make your paths straightProverbs 3:5-6

ok, so back to paul and emily and their move to madison, mississippi. paul trusted in the Lord as to what they are to do and they are following His will. YOU CAN'T IMAGINE ALL OF THE THINGS THAT HAVE FALLEN INTO PLACE TO COMFORT THEM...AND US (FAMILY) IN THE PREPARATION FOR THIS MOVE!
job, location, house, school, family reactions, friend reactions....there is not one SHRED of a reason that this move should not happen. yes, their are still details to be hammered out. i am SURE that their will be tears, discomfort, fear, anxiety, doubt...but the Lord promises us that he will hold everyone through it.

OH, i will miss them. the idea that i can drive 15 minutes and be with them will be gone. the cousins will not be able to have "play dates" etc. birthday parties will require a commute rather than an afternoon carved out of the calendar.
i will hate watching my mother miss them. and most of all...i will miss beau. this part makes me cry. Em and i can talk on the phone anytime. we can send pics back and forth. but i can't watch beau run and jump and play. EMILY, you better get a good video camera! a you tube account maybe?

"sing praises to our God sing praises...sing praises to our King sing praises. for He alone is Lord, for HE alone is worthy of PRAISE. ohhhh SING PRAISES."
-third day

i will choose to praise the Lord in all things. the ONE in control of ALL things. without Him... life is meaningless.

important side note: Beau will continue to come to Children's Hospital at UAB for his incredible doctor!

ps. neglected to mention that KATE one of my other sisters (the bilingual, funny one) is moving to Honduras for like TWO years! more on that later!