Sometimes there is something that happens that leaves you speechless. Such a thing happened on Madelyn’s birthday last week.
I got so excited about being able to do things for my girl. I had all 25 balloons from the package I ordered blown up, even though we were only meeting a small group of family members that day. Driving through Greenville amidst a sea of pink is something we will definitely remember. 
😂But I wanted them all. I wanted them all for her. They represented so many things I wished I could give her, more than just balloons. After we released them, we had several left over still in the car, and Matt’s sister tied 3 more extras to our car for us as we took our time spending our last few minutes with our daughter and sister. As we were walking toward the car, we saw all three balloons loosen themselves only to become caught in the same tree. The odds of that are unlikely enough, but what happened next was mesmerizing. Two balloons found themselves close to one another at the edge of the tree, and one balloon was further towards the middle. While the two together remained firmly in place, the other fluttered from branch to branch, in a dance. Our Madelyn. She moved delicately but also with intention. And then, she broke free. I cried out in delight as we watched her float up to the sky. After a time, we watched her brothers follow her lead, going to a place they knew because they watched her go first.
Today was one of the hardest days I’ve had in a while. God does build strength in you when you walk through something really hard, but the hard never fully goes away. It’s still suffocating and feels more than I can handle at times. The devil has been fiercely attacking as of late. But while there is deep hard and a lifelong battle ahead there is even deeper joy. There’s emerging from those tear-filled moments of sorrow and weakness with renewed hope. There’s a special sign from my God and my little girl, reminding me that they are both with me, and also of where I’m going. And that image, that sweet pink balloon, placed just so with a specific purpose—my Madelyn—rises up above all the rest. And then, I’m strong again.
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