Tuesday, March 25, 2014
Julie, Bobby, and a hard year
Well, last week Julie (our daughter) and Bobby Gilbreth had their 9th wedding anniversary. And to be honest, it was a hard year.
Their son Jake had Kawasaki disease and it was a long week in the hospital. Julie endured her third year of hard health issues. Jake is evidently doing well, tho he will have to have annual heart tests for a few years. And Julie is doing better and better every day. Finally found a Dr. who could diagnose, treat, and offer real hope for a healthy future.
But that made it a hard year for Julie and Bobby. Long and tiring. Money pressure. Stress on their relationship. Not really what the signed up for. Not what they expected after year 8. But it is real life in a hard world.
They made it thru year 9, and someday they may look back at this year as a defining moment for their family. So here are some of the things I think -- and hope -- they learned this year.
God is the only one you can depend on.
You better lean on each other.
Kids are a precious gift.
Prayer works.
Family is the best thing in this world.
Church family is next.
It does get better.
Someday we will all be together in a better place.
Don't take things for granted.
Because if they learn these things, someday they will look back at 40 years together and marvel at what God has done. Just like Mimi and Pops do. Or they will see 65 and 69 years anniversaries like the grandparents. And we all had years like they did last year. It's life. And we all made it thru. Just like they did.
So I pray for a better year this year. A year of love, health, joy, peace, and hope. But you made it. You survived it.
9 years and counting.
Thanks God.
Their son Jake had Kawasaki disease and it was a long week in the hospital. Julie endured her third year of hard health issues. Jake is evidently doing well, tho he will have to have annual heart tests for a few years. And Julie is doing better and better every day. Finally found a Dr. who could diagnose, treat, and offer real hope for a healthy future.
But that made it a hard year for Julie and Bobby. Long and tiring. Money pressure. Stress on their relationship. Not really what the signed up for. Not what they expected after year 8. But it is real life in a hard world.
They made it thru year 9, and someday they may look back at this year as a defining moment for their family. So here are some of the things I think -- and hope -- they learned this year.
God is the only one you can depend on.
You better lean on each other.
Kids are a precious gift.
Prayer works.
Family is the best thing in this world.
Church family is next.
It does get better.
Someday we will all be together in a better place.
Don't take things for granted.
Because if they learn these things, someday they will look back at 40 years together and marvel at what God has done. Just like Mimi and Pops do. Or they will see 65 and 69 years anniversaries like the grandparents. And we all had years like they did last year. It's life. And we all made it thru. Just like they did.
So I pray for a better year this year. A year of love, health, joy, peace, and hope. But you made it. You survived it.
9 years and counting.
Thanks God.
