3:16 - Day 15

Day 15: Bible verse

John 3:16 - For God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not die but have eternal life.

I know... I know...

This verse either reminds you of the wrestler Stone Cold Steve Austin or seems like the easy answer because it's the most popular/recognizable bible verse in the history of favorite bible verses. You might be thinking, "Oh, she's catholic, she doesn't read the bible so that's why this is her 'favorite' verse." Two years ago you would have had something. (By the way, Mom hates it when I joke about catholics not having to read the bible.) But, I think the reason I wouldn't have claimed this as my favorite bible verse before is because I hadn't realized the truth in it yet.

As most of you know, my dad had a very quick and difficult battle with cancer. In the two months that he fought I received two, "It's not good, you might want to come home" phone calls. That's four hours in a car, each time, driving down the road wondering what will be there when I arrive.

At the very end, my family and I spent night and day at the hospital for four days. Each of us taking turns sleeping in various positions in a recliner, couch, roll-away bed or chair next to dad's bed. I probably would have done that forever if it meant I got to keep him here, but that was me being selfish.

The last night that he was with us here on Earth, that verse kept running through my head. "For God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not die but have eternal life." Three o'clock in the morning, with my head on his bed, holding his hand, listening to his raspy breathing, crying. In hindsight, probably one of the first times my heart was truly breaking. I was struggling with questions like, If God loves me so much why would he do this? Why would he let Dad suffer? Why would he let us live in a world were such feelings even existed?

And then it dawned on me.

God himself has felt this exact same heartbreak. "he gave his only Son." He knew exactly how my heart was feeling. Who better to turn to? He let His one and only Son be crucified on a cross so that some day a sinner like me, imperfect and too smart-mouthed for my own good, could join him for eternal life in Heaven. He knew I'd disappoint him, act ungrateful, fall down, repent and repeat. Yet He still loved me enough to make that sacrifice.

It's humbling to realize that kind of love.

Certainly, that night was difficult, but learning to live again afterwards was just as hard, if not harder. After all, the world is short one of my most favorite people in the whole world. But I keep this revelation close, believe with all my heart that Dad is home with God and trust some day we will be joined  together again in eternal glory.

Thanks for being mine - Day 4

Day 4: Your parents

I'm convinced that God blessed me with the absolute best parents in the world. Were they perfect? Of course not, how many of you...I meannnn...us are?

Did they make me furious, push my buttons, tell me "not only no, but hell no!" and embarrass me?

On several occasions.

Did they love, support, teach, feed, clothe, encourage, guide, tolerate and build me up?

Again, yes, on several occasions, sometimes while they were making me furious, pushing my buttons, telling me no and embarrassing me.

As a child I looked to them for all of those necessities a child needs from her parents. As a teen, I mainly looked to them for money. As an adult, I found friends – two special people who knew, loved, understood and respected me for the person I was becoming.

They taught me how to live: Granted, I was ten years old before they took me somewhere where I could ride my first escalator, about the same age when I finally learned how to ride a bike without training wheels and at 17 I finally got a job where I didn't take naps during an 8-hour shift...good grief, they're lucky they ever got me to move out of the house! But we always had some sort of family time. There were times to work, but also time for God, traditions, family and friends and making memories.

They taught me how to laugh: Look at these two clowns!

Is there any wonder I turned out the way I did? We are never short for laughter in this family.

And most importantly, they taught me how to love: I never wonder if my parents love me. I'm still convinced I'm the favorite. After all, I had them all to myself during four years of high school and they still claimed me as their own. Hugs, kisses and "I Love You's" were never far away. There wasn't a recital, ballgame, art show, program, banquet, bake sale or CYO fundraiser that they missed. They've listened to me cry on the phone while hundreds of miles away from home and provided the pervertible shoulder to cry on or those perfectly timed words a girl just needs to hear, like, "Wouldn't it feel good if you could just tell those people to go to hell?" "Yes, Dad, that is exactly what I wish I could do."

I've seen their marriage vows lived out – in sickness and in health, for better for worse, until death do us part – and know their relationship with God is what got them through those times.

So I guess to any of you parents out there, just starting out or entering the dreaded teen years: You'll be loved for the things you give them, just as much as you're later loved for the things you didn't give them. Those young eyes and ears are taking in everything you do, because until it seems uncool, they want to be just like you.

Thanks for being mine, Mom and Dad.

Birthdays = Awesome

Ok, it's been something like two weeks since my birthday and I've yet to blog about all the ways people made me feel super special. That all changes now. Hold on tight, this might be lengthly.

I went back home to spend my birthday with Mom and let me tell you, that, was a good idea. She woke me up on Saturday morning with an actual piece of crispy bacon. (I realize I haven't been woke up a lot of different ways in my lifetime, but I'm going on the record saying being woke up with a piece of bacon to eat is easily #1 or #2).

After making my way upstairs we sat down to a Garrett Family Tradition, Birthday Breakfast! In my 28 years of life I would probably venture a guess that 22+ of my Birthday Breakfasts have consisted of french toast and crispy bacon.

We then went to Hays to do some shopping. I was in the market for pretty pots for my nearly dead indoor plants, but due to too many choices I left empty handed because I couldn't make a decision.

However, I found these awesome frog things.

I also found some possible plants that I could keep alive, Just Add Ice Orchids (just like it sounds, you give the plant 3 ice cubes a week and you have a living orchid plant) and cacti.

We then did lunch at Al's Chickenette, seriously the best fried chicken ever! If you ever find yourself in Hays America, eat there and thank me later.

Oh, and then Mom and I stopped at a place that had puppies for sale and she fell in love with this doxie puppy. I wanted her to get her and name her Clara Belle, but the dog was $250 and Mom informed me that Clara Belle was a cow's name, not a dogs name. THAT'S WHAT MAKES IT FUNNY, RIGHT!?!

I miss Clara Belle.

When I got back home to KC on Sunday I had a package, from one of my greatest friends since preschool, Alison. Inside, 48 fruit rollups!!!!

She read on one of those facebook surveys that I love fruit rollups and when she saw this box, she couldn't resist getting it for me. So let this be a lesson to all of you, that not only are survey's fun to fill out, but rewarding too.

Thank you for making me feel so special, y'alls!

There are a couple of other birthday centered activities involving a bet gone awry and the Blazin' Wing Challenge, but look for those later in the week.