As I walked by photos that are displayed on the wall of our home, I realized the photos displayed something very different to me than the photos that are hanging in the home of my parents.  In the home of my parents, the photos generate warm and fuzzy feelings that are moments in time that are captured and that bring a smile to my face and inner peace.  In my home our photo gallery brings feelings of overcoming adversity, a wall of strength and endurance, highlighting what we as a family have endured.

Looking at my kids’ photographs each were things that they were passionate about and were all things that brought them much anxiety and despair.  The negative side of that was how they were all things stripped from them, which made no sense.  All of which were hurtful, none of which should’ve been hurtful.

I think about similar pictures in my high school career.  It was nothing like the journey of my kids.  They were all positive, all of the things I was passionate about, and all of which Jesus was present. 

How is it that all the highlights in my kids’ lives, things they were passionate about, became negative?  How is it that friends who were super close became estranged?  Like many kids, mine never wanted a confrontation, they did what was asked, they wanted approval from others, and in general be actively involved but not the center of attention.  Very simple things that did not require much.  

As I looked at the pictures of their accomplishments during their high school career, the only common denominator other than high school is that all these passions ended very poorly.  They were stripped of everything that they were holding close to their hearts.  Things that at various times in their life gave them a reason to live.

Why?  I don’t know, but I have a guess that they were taken in a direction that stripped them of their idols.  They were passionate about their sports, their friends, and their environment.  I will never know if Jesus was putting them through an unusual amount of obstacles in order for them to learn to rely on him, or if evil was placing roadblocks in their way.  Either way, both of my kids’ high school years presented much adversity and little encouragement.

My kids are fighters.  They have learned to succeed and move on through adversity.  Quickly learning that things don’t necessarily make sense.  That not everything is kind and full of love.  Learning that you don’t always succeed when you put in the effort and forgiveness is not always accepted, but personal forgiveness is always necessary.  All things leading them to trust in Jesus.

At the start of my daughter’s junior year, she was crawling on hands and knees trying to be able to physically get up to go to school, to get to the restroom, and to get down the stairs.  We have a newly plastered wall that reveals she didn’t always make it down the stairs.  Why is she alive?

Why was my daughter who ended up in the ER chosen to stay here on Earth?

Why is my daughter whose goal in her high school career was to have friends stripped of every amazing friend that she developed at her high school?  Each and every encounter was stripped away from her, most of which made no sense.  Why is my daughter still standing?

My daughters are not still alive because of adult or peer mentors.  Although there were numerous people who reached out and helped them through those years, and prayed for them through those years, I believe they’re still here, because Jesus has a plan for them.

A plan for them to prosper a plan for them to live their life as an example, leading others.  Jesus has a plan for you too.

None of us know when it’s our time to leave this earth, but I know for sure that I don’t want to leave this earth without Jesus.

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