Start today… (Laurie Donahue)

My daughter is training for a marathon. On Sunday she ran 20 miles. That was three and a half hours of non-stop running! I am totally amazed. I told her that I could join her for about one block! But it occurs to me that with a little work and a lot of patience, maybe even I could run a marathon. (I have friends my age that do, but I am not planning to, mind you) Nevertheless, it would be possible. It would not be an overnight accomplishment and would take some attention to training every day. Even if I didn’t feel like it I would need to train some. And it would require starting. But the point is, that if I trained a small amount every day, before I knew it, I could be running 3 hours at a time. It occurs to me that most things in life are like this, including the disciplines of a daily walk with Christ. Praying, reading Scripture, kindnesses to others… Practicing daily in smaller amounts will produce the success in growth. I am all for starting today!

Some Week (Laurie Donahue)

Some week! Every time I go outside, I see the same baby bunny on our front lawn. It has been there about two weeks. In that time, I think it has doubled in size. It doesn’t let me get too close. I walk toward it and it scurries into the bush, where mama bunny is waiting and watching. Blueberries in our yard are ripe and a handful in the morning starts the day. It is so fun to watch new life! New babies are being born all around me and dear friends are blooming in expectation of their new families. Engagements, marriages, expressions of love…

Then on Sunday morning we got a call. A family that we have been friends with for many years received tragic news. Their 22-year-old daughter lost her life in a dune buggy accident.  How does one process that? We, as believers, think everything should be wonderful after we receive the Lord. But what about this tragic news? Why does this happen to someone so full of life?

Our Christian community is reeling: Facebook Bible quotes, expressions of grief, food for the family, hearts reaching out in love. What is the right thing to say or do? In one sense, no one can really fix this for someone else. Each person goes through their own personal grief and response. Still it is so important to support one another… to share not only our joys but also our sorrows.

In the midst of dealing with great loss such as this, I with many others have used the euphemism, “she lost her life.” It occurs to me this is the most inaccurate and abrupt phrase possible for a believer. A believer, in death, gains the presence of the Lord for eternity. That is hardly “losing life.” One who trusts Jesus as Lord and Savior to exchange his own sin, failing and weakness for the perfection and righteousness of God gains everything…never more obvious than in death.

I am reminded of something this week. We grieve and feel so, so sad. Such highs and lows. But God does not change. His love is perfect and He loves us perfectly! And that doesn’t end in our physical death. No, a believer does not “lose his/her life.” And you won’t hear that from me again!

Hi I’m Laurie

For those who don’t know me, I am an author of 5 books and I live in Southern California with my husband Tim and a couple of daughters and our 14 year old dog, Jessie.  I love the Lord, I love my family, I love to hike and would love for you to talk to me on this blog! I would just like to take moment to mention that you can sign up on Facebook page: LifeSong Publishers for lots of fun stuff also! Blessings and I’ll be back!

Laurie Donahue