I’ve lost count of how many times I have set down to write this post. I’m not even sure where to begin other than God truly does work in the most mysterious of ways. He places trials in our lives to draw us closer to Him, and though we will never understand this side of Heaven I’m reminded now more than ever that’s all in His timing.
“Where there is excruciating pain, God offers extraordinary power”
On Saturday, April 21st, just eleven short days ago, Justin and I received the heartbreaking news that my mother-in-law had passed. We were awakened by a call from my father-in-law around 2 o’clock that morning saying that he had found her unresponsive in their home. It was hard to make sense of what he was saying over the phone, so clinging onto hope Justin and I got dressed and rushed to his dad’s side. Once there our biggest fear had become a reality; Pam suffered a heart attack that ultimately took her life. She was young, only 57 years old. Though we’re at peace knowing she is in a better place, this has been such a *hard* loss for our family! Pam was a wife, mother, sister, aunt, grandmother, friend and the most selfless person I’ve ever known! She was loved by all who knew her, many of whom called her “momma”, and was always the one who brought our family together. Never once did I hear her complain! Pam was such a special person and touched the lives of so many.
In the past week I have felt too many emotions to even consider writing on topics I normally post about on Style Souffle. Social media has especially seemed irrelevant at this time in my life. Before I get back to regular posting I wanted to share what’s been on my heart lately, as all of this has really brought everything into perspective.
First, from the bottom of my heart, thank you to each and every one of you who have reached out, shared your condolences and who have and are continuing to pray for our family. Your prayers are being felt and the love of this community has made Justin and I feel so loved. So again, thank you!
I’m sharing this with you all for a few reasons. I know that there are some of you reading my story who have gone through or are currently going through life-shattering pain. My heart breaks for you. I know what you’re feeling and I hope this post helps you too. As of late I’ve found it all too easy to get caught up in work and lose grasp of reality. Perfectionism is one of my biggest weaknesses. This has been especially apparent since I started my own business. I’ve always given the excuse that this is just how God made me. It was starting to weigh on me, driving me to exhaustion. Things that I once enjoyed were starting to become a chore because of the pressures I was putting on myself. Loosing my mother-in-law was a huge wake up call for me. I took the past eleven days to spend time with my family, reconnect and realign my priorities, and I wanted to leave you with this: Pray. Be thankful for you health, your family. Don’t take a single day for granted. Keep a smile on your face despite adversity. Think twice before complaining about small things. Be kind. Be selfless. Compliment others. Mend broken relationships and call up an old friend just say hi! Life is too short and we are not guaranteed tomorrow.
Love,
Taylor-Rae