thanksgiving.

Thanksgiving is a beautiful time of year: the leaves are falling, the air is cool, and the food is good. I completely remember this exact time last year. I had flown back home for the long weekend and changed my mind about school. It was a huge huge decision, with a lot of ups & downs - not just emotionally, but logistically as well. But somehow, with a lot of heavenly help, I made it back home and switched universities.

I am so thankful for that switch! My family is so precious to me, and I wasn't about to let 4 years go by without being close enough to come by for a visit.

(I apologize in advance - the rest is not a very cheery post for this holiday, but this has been weighing heavily on my heart. )

But for a few, Thanksgiving has taken on a different meaning. A married couple in my church gave birth to a baby with serious birth complications this week. It was announced this morning that their little baby is surviving only on life support, and that a decision about his life must be made. By the context of the announcement, either today or tomorrow the parents will be seeing him for the last time. Hearing about this baby was tough - but seeing the face of the mum, as she went up to the front for prayer, broke my heart. Never before have I seen someone in so much pain and anguish. I almost wished I hadn't looked because I won't be able to forget it.

I'm at a loss for words now... I can't even imagine what they will be going through in the days to come. I suppose that only endless prayer and faith will be their guidance over these next few weeks.

So with this in mind, I'm even more thankful for my family and the blessings of health and vitality we've been given. I don't know where I'd be without them.

D.