Dream Big

This is one of my favorite pictures of Aspen.  This is how I picture her in Heaven..arms wide, her wrinkly nose smile, and pure joy, running up to the arms of Her Father.

It is really surreal that it has already been 7 months since the crash. In a way time stands still. It is so easy to be transported right back to that morning and all of the feelings, memories and trauma. I still find myself waking up in a panic and having to bring myself back to reality. On the other hand, time does move quickly and life doesn’t stop, even when you feel like it might. I wish I could say things are getting easier, that the grief is less, but some days are honestly harder. The brain fog is starting to lift a bit and the reality of our journey is ever present. I feel like I have started to grieve the hope of the future and the things we won’t ever get to walk through with Aspen. I am sure this is something that will last a lifetime as we walk through different seasons of life. I think we are all dreading the holiday season at some level. It will be another new series of “firsts”, and those are hard. We are still trying to learn how to walk in sorrow and joy. They are such contrasting emotions, but so closely tied.

The Lord has been so kind and continues to connect us with others who can help us on this journey. We are getting more opportunities to share Aspen’s story, which is both exciting and overwhelming. It is a big deal that these places are trusting us to share and not something we take lightly. We are so thankful for every life that is impacted and we know her story will continue to change lives.

I was visiting with a few people today about ways we can share her story. They encouraged us to dream big. It’s really easy to get so focused on what is directly in front of us that we forget to step back and ask God what else He might want to do. I think that this is a message for everyone. What does God want to do with your story that might be “outside your box?” Are you limiting Him because you are so focused on what is directly in front of you? What dreams has He placed in your heart that He wants to awaken? Your story matters. He will use whatever you’ve walked through in life to make an impact, He doesn’t waste anything. Will you join me in dreaming for what seems too big or even impossible?

“Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us.” Exodus 3:20