The invitation

Every morning I wake up the first thing I think about is Nathan. My thoughts recap the events of the last few months we had together; from how intense his recovery was from the October 27 car wreck and our experiences at Herman Memorial Trauma and his stay at the rehab center/nursing home to our last lunch and day together sitting at Red Lobster in Baytown and shopping at Old Navy on the Thursday before Good Friday. Although intense, is he is alive.

Today I woke up thinking of the invitation I received in the mail yesterday from LifeGift, the organ and tissue donation organization who we gifted Nathan's organs to. They are cordially inviting me and my family to join them in June for a celebration ceremony for the heroes who have donated so that others could live. I was so shocked to open that card initially. I wasn't considering a celebration like this and it caught me totally off-guard. After sleeping on it, I woke up to a calm sadness. It was strangely comforting.

I'm absolutely positive that we made the right decision to donate to LifeGift, and I have absolutely NO REGRETS about it, but this invitation forced me to think about Nathan in death. I'm taking this as one more gentle nudge from God to make the next step in the journey to peace. At least that's how I'm choosing to think about it. And, I'm sure by June  I'll be ready to go.

Father in Heaven, thank you for your gentleness, compassion, mercy and grace. I accept your invitation to take one more step towards peace. Thank you for guiding my emotions with such love and care as you are allowing reality and loving embraces from friends and family to so harmoniously collide. I will praise you everyday in the midst of this storm Father God until it is a calming rain. I look forward with complete faith that radiant sunshine is on the horizon. In Jesus precious and holy name, Amen.