Letters from the past...

I miss Xanga where it had a place for what music you are currently listening to....so I will just add it in myself. Adele. Amazing.

I can't sleep, so I have been filing away some paperwork that has been sitting in the "to file" pile on our counter for quite some time. However, I got sidetracked and pulled out the file labeled "special". It has cards, quotes, anything I felt I needed to hold on to.

There are two things in particular that I thought I would share that touched my heart. The first one is a card from my mom and dad for my 17th birthday (only 4 months before he passed away). It's in his handwriting, which makes it extra special. It reads:

Dearest Diana,

You are such a special girl & daughter! God has blessed you in so many ways, & it is such a joy to watch you grow up - the years ahead of you will be so exciting!! God has also blessed us by giving you to us -- you'll only understand the depth of our love for you when you have children of your own. We love you!

Mom&Dad

What is a bit sureal about this, reading this now - is that he already knew he had cancer at this point - but didn't know the prognosis. I wonder what was going through his mind as he wrote this card...was he wondering if he would be able to watch me continue to grow up - or did he know in his heart he would be watching me grow from Heaven above sooner rather than later? Either way...his love shines through, and I can feel his love embrace me when I read it....

The second letter I want to share is from when I was a camp counselor at Portage Lake Bible Camp, and my very first week of campers were 6 and 7 year olds, most of whom had never been away from home for even one night before -much less 4 full days!

On the last night, I had them all write a letter to God. I told them to just tell Him whatever they were thinking or feeling - and I saved all of them. They are all precious, but this one really portrays the innocence:

Dear God,

I love you and Jesus very much. I wish that we could do that one song with the lions at chaple. Please help me get over my cold, and help me stop coughing please. I love you so much. I didn't hear that prayer that they said last night so could you please let me go to heaven anyway. Please forgive everyone for their sins, even the devil. Please forgive me for all of my sins also. I love jokes and I could tell you some sometime if you wanted me to. Please help Tera with her friend problems. Please also help me with that to. I would like to have most of my friends like again. Please also help me fit in a lot more. 

Your friend, Grace

Ah, where do I even begin? If only we could all be so honest in our prayers to God. What a warm heart, what an innocent child, what a blessed soul - i love everything about this letter she wrote.

I know sometimes I over-think my relationship with God - when really, at the core, it's all about love...I need to get back to that. 

......goodnite