My Friend Jeanie

I'd like to single out a friend of mine for her selfless and incredibly sensitive heart. A friend who deserves so much more than a blog entry.

My friend Jeanie sent out an email to me on Mother's Day, early Sunday morning. For those of you who missed the fact, Jonathan and I have been fervently trying to conceive for 22 months. Jeanie's email was titled simply "Praying for you." It wasn't pages long, but in her paragraphs she communicated compassion for me. She conveyed her understanding that perhaps I may be sad on mother's day through her own trials the day has brought. And she reminded me God is "near to the brokenhearted." She told me I'm an example and she loves me, and she prays for me.

Simple words, when one considers them. And yet they so filled my heart with joy and appreciation for this precious girl's friendship. For who she is.

Why I openly weep upon reading the email was something different though. This gentle, caring girl is spending her very first mother's day without her dear, faithful, Godly mother. The Lord took her mother away from her 9 months ago yesterday, after a long battle with cancer where her example was clearly one of Hebrews 11 in action... dieing in faith, having not received healing, but with absoute trust in God's Holy and Good character.

On what must be one of the three hardest days in the year for Jeanie, she looked at the Body of Christ and thought of anyone but herself. She looked at other's pain or heartache, rather than even consider her own (which is far greater than mine, I KNOW). How selfish I am not to be more like her! How her example inspires me to be other-focused, to think of serving others and not myself! To not nurse the own pains of my heart.

I know why Jeanie did this, how she has that maturity - she has learned at her mother's feet, in her life and by her death Kathy Bowers exemplified caring for others, living as Christ did. On the cross Christ prayed for those killing him, that they'd be forgiven. Isn't that the height of not thinking of yourself? I only pray that I can learn from these women and my life would be ever more made like Christ's.

Last Mother's Day, Jeanie made this tribute on Mother's Day. I'd encourage you to read it if you haven't, because this kind of life changes hundreds of those is touched, by inspiring deeper faith, perserverance, love and Christ-like character: http://girltalk.blogs.com/girltalk/2006/05/a_tribute_to_ka_1.html