This woman has been such a beautiful part of my journey. We were connected through my sister in law and remained mostly facebook acquaintance/friends. Then pain brought us together and we began walking more closely with one another and praying very intentionally for one another. We texted and called when we just needed to cry or vent or when we had no idea what to do but just didn't want to be alone. This lady is so strong and compassionate and beautiful.
And she is a fighter like me.
She fights for the good and beautiful, for her family and for faith.
As soon as Chris moved out, she got a plane ticket to come out to visit on a weekend that I would be by myself. She was able to get a ticket for the first weekend of October, so just a month after we began 50/50 custody. It goes without saying that that transition was excruciatingly painful for me (honestly it still is, though I am more used to it because of time). It was such a blessing to have a friend come love on me during a time that I was both incredibly BUSY (volleyball and substitute teaching) and hurting.
Despite getting the worst ear infection ever, Jacie gave her all to spoiling me and listening to my heart.
We visited the Mother Cabrini Shrine.
We stopped at Tommy Knocker for yummy hard cider and burgers
She is just such a beautiful gal.
You would never know she was in incredible pain (from her ear) in all these pictures.
The views on the way up and down were incredible.
Once again, great job, God.
Thank you, Jacie, for thoughtfully and practically finding a beautiful way to show me compassion and love during a very very difficult time in my journey.
This lovely fall hike was such a blessing. God's creation is such an incredible way to see in such a real way how BIG and powerful our God is.
It wasn't a long hike, but it was a lovely one.
All weekend, I was reminded of how much God loves me and how IN the pain with me he is. Jacie was WITH me even though she was in pain herself. We had to go to the emergency room and drive all over looking for a pharmacy that would fill her prescription at 11pm at night. She was SO uncomfortable and yet she fought valiantly the entire weekend to be present to me in my pain. It was so humbling and it was so Christlike.
Thank you, dear and wonderful friend, for being Jesus to me.
We went down to Colorado Springs to the Garden of the Gods
Jacie was feeling a little better by that day, but still in some pain, and yet, once again you would never have known. She hopped up rocks and hiked vigorously. She was a champ.
Her mama was there visiting her uncle who was really sick as well. She came with us for the Garden of the Gods excursion.
Jacie, I am SO proud of us. I am proud of our willingness to do hard things so that God can grow us into more beautiful, compassionate, and kind women. I am so proud of us for not giving up when it would have been so easy to. I am so proud of us for choosing CHRIST even when that was very difficult and didn't seem to offer any reward. I am so proud of us for throwing ourselves into friendship and generosity, and encouragement for one another throughout this journey of life and all it's ups and downs.
Thank you for encouraging me to grow.
You are such a huge blessing.
