Dear Readers,
First off, I want to thank all of you for the encouragement, prayers, and love that you have blessed me with since Monday. I have been so blessed by each and every word you have said! Thank you.
I know this world is not perfect...I know that some days are hard, awful, terrible. In fact, my family teases me, saying I "dwell on the sorrows of the world". I personally look at it the same way Roger Arnett did. "It is our responsibility to help bear the great burden of grief that rests upon the world." Because there is always someone hurting. Every single day. There are always orphans waiting, and there are always people dying. Every day of our lives. It would be ignorant for me to pretend that's not true. And some days that makes me just cry.
However. I don't believe God placed us on this earth to whine and moan and groan about all of its sadness! Although every day brings about trouble and sadness, each sunrise also begins a new day of beauty and majesty and hope in the One who created this world we live in.
Yesterday could have been a day where we all focused on the sadness of the world. We spent the morning at the hospital...watching very sick, very sweet kiddos walk past me as I came out from my appointment. It would have been easy for me to come home and felt sad for each of those precious little kids who I'm sure would rather be playing than at that hospital. It would have been easy to forget the marvelous gifts God has blessed the world with, and just focused on the pain that is also here. 
But that was not His plan for that day.
Not too long after we got home from the hospital we were enjoying a visit with our sweet friend who went to Argentina with us. While we were talking, there was a knock at the door. Mom went to answer it and we continued talking. After a few minutes I heard her say "Claire!"...I got up to see what it was and saw my sweet friend standing there (who I was thinking "Is in Ireland right now!")!! I was shocked but was so elated to see her sweet face in person that I just ran in there to meet her!! I couldn't believe my eyes. I kept thinking I was dreaming or something crazy! Had I fainted again? Haha!! But it really happened! I hadn't seen her for about, I don't know, eight months...and so it was just the biggest blessing to hear her voice and hug her!! I still am having trouble believing it really happened. It was one of those blessings from the Lord that is just too big to hold in your hands! Or wrap your mind around! It was the best surprise ever, and I will always remember it and how wonderful it was!
This blog post is not even doing justice to it. Seriously. It was such a wonderful gift.
And you know what else?
Benjamin was supposed to get his cast off at 3:00. My dear friend got there probably about that time.
I can't even imagine how upset I would have been if we had missed her!! I could cry just thinking about it.
But, as Betsie ten Boom says, "There are no what-ifs in God's Kingdom".
The Lord knew this wonderful surprise visit was going to happen even when I didn't. And He had it all under control! Benjamin got his cast off as soon as my appointment was finished. And we were all home at 3:00. God is so amazing. He blows my mind! This visit blessed my heart, while at the same time strengthening my faith.
You know what else blows my mind? The goodness of this world. Because this is one of those days where the good outweighs the bad. By far.
I pray that even if your week didn't include a wonderful surprise visit, that you are still able to see the joy this weekend that God has for you!!
Your Blogger who is still smiling from the surprise,
Claire