Circle of Life

I just wanted to put out an update to ask for prayer. John's Grandma Agnes out in Montana is not doing well. It looks like she might get to see Ellie soon... We know that she has been longing for Heaven for quite some time, so this is a bitter-sweet time. Our prayer right now is for God to take her quickly and with minimal pain and trauma. We would also love prayer for Loretta, Reni, and Belinda - for strength and wisdom - as they care for Grandma. Belinda just flew out to Montana. Also, please pray for all of the family who are too far away to be there.

Can you believe that Saturday will be two years since Ellie died? Wasn't it just a few months ago? Two whole years without our little warrior princess... Somehow it just doesn't seem possible. Loretta was talking the other night about this funny face that Ellie would make when she knew that she was going to get her way on something that she totally shouldn't be getting. I can't even describe it, but it was cunning and endearing all at the same time. I've been remembering a lot lately about that funny side of Ellie... how she was equal parts sweetness and willfulness. Towards the end of her life, Ellie started making a joke about her blind left eye. When she wanted to be really ornery, she would close the good eye and "stare" with all of her might at you with her left eye. Someone finally caught on to what she was doing and indignantly asked "what are you doing? Are you giving me the dead eye?" Ellie laughed so hard at that, and giving the dead eye became her favorite pastime. She had the strangest, funniest sense of humor. I can picture like it was yesterday how Ellie would watch "Night at the Museum" and get so tickled over something that she would sit up and slap her leg with her hand and then repeat the line like she was hearing it for the first time.

Two years later, we find ourselves remembering our joyful, comical, and loving little maniac, and I can almost see her sitting by her great grandma's bed, shaking her head over all that we don't know, just waiting to take Agnes by the hand and show her the wonders of eternity. I would love to tag along for just a minute and get a peek, but that exasperating child just rolls her eyes at me and gives me her perfected, I-may-only-be-a-child-but-on-the-inside-I'm-all-grown-up look, and her eyes sparkle over this ultimate secret that she gets to hold over my head for the rest of my life. It figures that Ellie would get to have all the answers before the rest of us. She wouldn't have it any other way!