A year ago my world came crashing down. I received a text from my parents’ neighbor letting me know that she was praying for us. I immediately knew that there was something wrong with my dad. I called my mom and my fears were true. After being rushed to the local hospital and running some tests, they decided to send him to UAB. I remember the terrible feeling in my stomach after each call I received meant more bad news. I remember walking in to his hospital room on Father’s Day and seeing him hooked up to a vent and thinking why would God let this happen. I remember looking at my husband and saying, “I can’t live without my dad” and wholeheartedly believing that. I knew there was a possibility that life as I knew it was over and I just couldn’t bear it. God then gave me eight weeks with my dad to mature my faith and for me to see that his body had endured all that it could. And as extremely hard as that was to witness, it gave me reason for me to believe that He worked it all for good.

Before my dad got sick, life was good. I had everything that I had always wanted, so I began to push my faith aside. Don’t get me wrong, I still loved Jesus and spending time with Him, but I wasn’t devoted. God knew my faith needed strengthening. That it would take eight weeks to transform my heart to be ready for what God set before me. Death and unimaginable grief, but with a perfect peace that covers it all. A day hasn’t passed without me missing my dad or longing to see or talk to him. And I’m sure that will never go away until I see his perfect face in Heaven. Until then, still I will trust God and know that whatever that comes my way He will work it all for good. Romans 8:28