Things shift. In our lives, we experience struggle and mystery, but we also encounter transformation and love. In July 2013, my sister died from a long-term illness. That day was the worst and best day of my life. I lost a person that I loved dearly, and it broke me. But my sister received her miracle. She had  underwent so much suffering and was finally granted a time without it. God took her to Heaven.

When my sister died, I felt like someone took my heart out of my body and stomped on it. Heaviness followed me each day. I held onto Jesus in a way that I never held onto Him before. I needed His strength and guidance to live through the complexity of the situation. The blessing is that I survived the heartache. Indeed, I still think about her, but I hold her memories in my healed heart.

September 2014, I am in a Master’s of Social Work program. Last year, I was sobbing, and I felt like I was sleepwalking through life. Now, I am busy and balancing the demands of work and school. I am learning that I am much smarter than I know, that I am capable because of God’s strength. Today, one of the instructors told the class that we were accepted into this program, so we are capable enough to do it. I needed this revelation, as I had been thinking about how nervous I was about even being in grad school. I thought, “Do I even belong here?” Well, I do belong here, and I am eager to learn and change as a human being, as a human services professional, and as a Christian.

Things shift. From dark to light, from sadness to joy, I am experiencing the curves of life.