A few things I want you to remember... in one month, one year, or in one decade. Do you want me to make a list? You like lists these days so I suppose I will start there.
1) Watching the sunrise over the mountains on your way to Richmond was breathtaking. You prayed that the Lord would protect your day, and open your mind to new ideas, thoughts, and techniques in what you were going to learn. You knew that the Lord was with you because you felt it in a warm and true way, and you noticed your heart ache to be closer to Him as you admired the dark morning turn color and the blue ridge come alive underneath the glow of the rising sun. It was a great morning... it was a gift in conversation and scenery.
2) Even when you don't want to, and you are tired- those boys can make you laugh. They always know when the tears are flowing more freely, and they always turn a moment you feel kind of lost in your thoughts and emotions into a giggle with a ridiculous song, gesture, sarcastic witty comic, or thought. You laugh with them. You can cry in front of them, and even times because of them... but they make you laugh. And laughing Kari, has always been your most favorite thing. Never forget it.
3) You fought. You chose to move forward and keep going. You may continue to struggle with worry, or being a planner... your view of things tangible and black and white are part of your very fiber. But you know, your silent struggle, and the moments its just you and your thoughts, your fears, and your dreams... it is entirely gray... and that is no longer a secret. You have fought for hope, and recently you've seen it grow. You have fought to put Christ first, and you've seen His provision. You have fought to trust and let go of doubt, and you will see how that changed everything. You have fought for friends, and you have fought for truth- and you have always been honest. I pray as you grow up that you will still be very much that girl. Promise me, you will still be honest? Promise me, that even though you have felt alone in your vulnerability you will still fight to be authentically open?
4) In Five Years I hope we will be able to laugh about the things that drive you crazy now, and as you tackle what will drive you crazy later, you will be able to draw on the encouragement that everything... everything worth worrying about is worth letting go of- letting it leave your anxiety, loosening your grip, and truly giving it away to the only One who can do anything about it. I hope you are able to still laugh at yourself, and I hope you are still able to see that every little choice mattered, and every big choice facilitated what needed to happen.
5) While you admire God's creation in Nature in your pictures, don't forget the countless images you have in your collection of faces. Faces that belong to people. People that are part of your story. Look at the documentation of Birthday Parties, Weddings, and Holiday's and admire the fabric of friendship you have in your life. Remember to stop and notice more then the sunset... look at the moments captured that tell countless stories, nuances of moments, and reveal what exists behind each perfectly crafted smile... you are loved. You have always been loved. You have somehow been able to facilitate healthy relationships, in spite of your "craziness", and some of those faces? Some of then have changed the complete landscape of your life, and have started you down a different path... just because they encouraged you to try something different, something better, something reflecting more of who you are. You are loved. You have thoughts, and you have ideas... but those faces and all those places you've been with them will mean more to you in the long run then any sunset or shooting star- because they have done more then touch your heart, and they have inspired more then a thought admiring Creation. They've held you, they've carried you when you couldn't go any further on your own, and they drew you closer to Christ and have allowed you to understand His masterful hand from a much more sensitive place: your heart... and that is more complex and wonderfully beautiful then any Ridge on the Blue skyline. Remember those faces. Remember... to always fight for what is real, and that is always always love.
Love Love...
Kari
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