I have had a lot of time to think recently about what the word "friend" means to me. I have been blessed with so many amazing friendships. I truly feel gifted with the people in my life. I have had the opportunity recently to really step back and evaluate my life. We have forever changed as a family unit. Justin is very ill. He just honestly may not live as long as we thought he would. This really puts thing into a whole new perspective. We will never ever stop praying for a miracle...but sometimes reality just is what it is. "Pettiness" is just not an option for us right now. Keeping score is not an option. We just have only so much to give at this time.
The Lord prompts us to value our friends needs above our own (like Jesus did). However, He does not ask us to keep a tally of this. If someone makes a monetary donation or if someone sends an encouraging text...these are equal in God's eyes. But only if they come from a place of true love. We all have different abilities and gifts in which we are able to bless others. I feel that if we spend our time seeking ways to serve HIM...this will come so simply. A true friend is quick to ask for forgiveness...and also quick to forgive.
What does this all mean for us right now?
It means that we see so many incredible people that come whole heartedly to us with their hearts and arms open. But it also means that we see those who come with a possibly different "agenda." Is it our responsibility to judge them? ABSOLUTELY NOT!
Do the McElhannon's make mistakes? Heck yeah! Do we sin? Sadly so. Do we forget to keep our eyes on Him sometimes? Yup. Do we have it all together? Not even a bit.
Do we have people that love us anyways? Oh yes we do. And that is truly one HUGE blessing from the Lord. We count each friend as a specific gift from God. This includes the friends that we talk to or text everday. This includes the friends that we meet for dinner weekly or visit with in our living room. This includes the friends that we just bump into at church or HEB. This includes the friends that we don't talk to for months on end, but who pray for us daily. This includes the friends who we have let down or the ones that have let us down. This includes the friends who see our broken parts and do not try to fix us...but rather just love us for who we are and who we are striving to be. We have true brothers and sisters in Christ and we will NEVER stop thanking our God for them.
In past seasons of our lives we have made it a priority to do good works. We have tried to make those works about Him and not the outcome...but at times we failed. We are not perfect and we never will be. We have lost focus at times and we have stumbled and we have let others down. But the Lord just kept loving us. He wont stop either. He doesnt care how many facebook friends we have or how many texts we get a day. He cares about our hearts.
Our hearts have changed so much and we give him every bit of the glory. Most of our friends have jumped on the ship and are "on board" with us and our new journey. Some are not...and that is OK. Many parts of our lives right now are flat out unbearable....and God has placed people in our lives that help us get through it. They laugh with us cry with us sing with us pray with us and walk alongside us.
Now onto more serious business. Dr. F has discovered that Justin has bacterial overgrowth which is causing new and frustrating complications for him. He is already on some pretty hardcore antibiotics for his fungal issues etc. and now he has had to add a FOURTH antibiotic to his regimen. He is having some blood sugar issues that are being managed by his new diet...but he could use some prayers that this does not worsen. We have a tentative appointment with a pulmonologist (tentative only because we are still researching other drs) next Wednesday. Thats all for today.
