{inspired'11}: Day 2 - What is my highlight of 2011?

{inspired'11}


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{My Prompt Response}


l {What was the highlight of your 2011 and why was it so great?} l

I am not going to lie…. 2011 has been a very hard year for our family. I think I can comfortably say that it has been the hardest year in fact. However, on a rainy day it is impossible to miss the rainbow that God so beautifully displays for us all to see. It serves as a constant reminder of his promise that indeed everything will be okay.

As I battled this year for the most basic thing….to live…. I too could not miss the MANY rainbows that God placed before me. To pick just one highlight for 2011 would be impossible. I think that 2011, in fact, was the highlight itself - perhaps the highlight of my entire existence here on earth thus far.

The ministry that God personally completed in my own heart was astounding. I find myself more focused than ever. I find myself knowing exactly what God has called me to do. I find myself with a certainty of what my purpose is in this world. I find myself with sheer and defining convictions that are no longer muddied by the world’s expectations.

I also watched amazing things happen within my family. I watched my boys bond to an even greater level. I watched them mature and grow in their own faith. I had the privilege of a front row seat as God extended their wisdom, grace, and love. I watched how they helped take care of one another and how they doddled over their baby sister. I guarantee there is no greater joy in this mother’s heart than to witness these changes in her own children.

Yes, things were so hard. They were beyond words hard. I remember telling Jason that I could really imagine what dying felt like because I hurt that bad. I am beyond grateful to God for giving me the will to live for without that I would have given up long ago.

I remember feeling such elated joy as I finished chemo and then even more so upon finishing radiation. It was like I could finally exhale the breath I had been holding for 9 months and say – It. Is. Finished. I also quickly realized that I would have never felt that ecstatic joy if I wouldn’t have gone through the trial itself.

What was your highlight of 2011?

You can post your comments below (even anonymously) or you can email them to me at andreagressman (at) gmail.com  

To view the other {inspired'11} prompts check below:

day.1

Day 17: Post Surgery (Day 2)

Late last night the wonderful pain med's that the doctor had injected me with slowly faded away into the land of "no pain" as I slowly entered the land of "pain". I am not kidding you, I could not even move my arm. I felt like a pitcher who had just pitched a "no hitter" in the World Series. Not that I would know what his arm actually felt like but I can definitely use my imagination, and in my mind that is the way I felt.

So, I laid there for a long time not able to sleep because, believe it or not, I could not get into my favorite sleeping position. How silly we are with our little preferences. But it is what it is and so I laid there watching Netflix, which joined our house about a month and a half ago, and boy am I grateful!

Don't ask me what I was watching because it is embarrassing. Okay, I will tell you. I was watching Prison Break.I know I know. You were thinking it was something girly like "What Not to Wear" weren't you? Maybe next time. But for now I am hooked on this little show and really it is so silly. I am only on season 1 but I think I saw something like 5 seasons available. My goodness, how does it take 5 years to break out of prison and can anything else go wrong for that guy. If I had that much bad luck I think I would have hung it up by the end of season 1. And seriously, you know the prison system is totally not ran that way. Those guys just wonder around doing whatever they want, whenever they want. Then that guy goes behind the toilet that he so cleverly removed to break the wall out of in his prison cell which leads into the prison abyss for like the thousandth time and yet he never gets caught! And yet, I keep watching. Crazy how these little shows just suck you right in isn't it.

Today was good despite the shoulder pain. Some friends came over to see me and that was so nice. I hadn't seen her since all of this happened. She did some cleaning on my house, which it is hard for me to get use to other people cleaning my house but is such a blessing right now. The kids were able to play together and that was a good break for them.

Then, another wonderful thing happened. I don't know how many of you have been to our house but our driveway was terrible. We live out in the country and we have super long driveway, probably at least a quarter of a mile, and it was just rough. Anyway, our dear sweet neighbors called some friends of theirs who own an excavation company and they came over and graded our road for us. I just cried. We have been blessed so much by our family, friends, and now people we don't even know, it is overwhelming. I know to some it is just a driveway, but it is so much more. The thought that someone would take the time out of their day to make a difference in ours....well, I am getting all teared up again. To be honest, I feel so undeserving of all of this. Jason and I see so many bigger needs in our town that it is hard to have this much focus on us but man, we do feel loved. Thank you all from the bottom of our hearts for all you are doing. For the meals, the devotionals, the gifts that just light up my day, helping us with our home, babysitting our children, grading our road, praying for us, the list goes on and on and I know I am forgetting so much more that has been done for us. We love you all so much and as Jason said, we could work for the rest of our lives and there would be no way we could repay what has been given to us.

Okay, on to something a little lighter. Here are a couple of "Funny of the Day's" that will hopefully make you laugh.

1.) Ky saw a dead bug somewhere and was telling Creide, "Don't touch it, you might get bug guts on you." Creide looked at him and in the most serious tone said, "If I do, will I turn into a bug?"

2.) Because of my shoulder being like it is I could not put on my own deodorant. So, I do what any wife does and call my husband in to give me a hand. He has the baby in one arm and the deodorant in his other hand and he is trying his best to hit the pit. Finally, he gets the job done and I thank him for his time. He says, "Well at least I am good for something." It truly is the little things in life you take for granted like putting on your own deodorant.

:-)