Gabby - Update 3: Week 2 Blog
This past Wednesday, which was 2 days ago, marked a 6-year anniversary for my family and I of the loss of our mom. June 19th is now marked as an anxiety-increasing and greatly-dreaded day for me and my entire family. Usually, my body will start shutting down and I cry over the smallest thing, or I have a hard time expressing any emotion. This year I decided I did not want to continue to have this reaction. So I began making that my prayer. Asking the Lord to help me not shut down my emotions, but to freely grieve and allow the Lord to be my strength and comfort. And let me tell you, the Lord answered my prayer with more than I could have hoped for or imagined.
The day started off by a few of my close friends coming up to me and letting me know that they knew what today was, and that they were praying for me. I felt the strength of their prayers, and it began to lift my load. I started my day as a SLAM intern, and all of a sudden I was told that Miss Jen (one of my mentors) was outside for me. She took me to coffee and gave me the freedom and peace to be able to articulate and process how I was feeling. It stopped me from the process of burying my emotions and helped me to use my words to share how I felt.
I came back to the Academy (where we were working) and my dad and sister were waiting for me. My leaders came up to me and told me that they all changed my whole schedule around so that I could see my family. Now, mind you, we are all on internship. There is usually no way of being able to stop everything, and just to see your family and spend time with them. But because of the love that my leaders have for my family and me, they blessed us with time together as a family.
Later that night, we had an amazing worship time. The second I walked up to worship, and the music began to play, I felt all my friends' hands being placed on me. I felt the strength of the Lord from their prayers. I came into that day being so overwhelmed, burdened, and afraid of what was to come. But I left being at peace, light, and renewed by the Lord.
Thank you for leaders who are sensitive to those who are brokenhearted. I am incredibly abounding with joy because of the prayers and conversations that happened on Wednesday. The Lord really answered my prayer, and I could not be more thankful for God's peace and ability to carry our burdens with us through hard days.