Once upon a time, there was a happy young couple. They had a little girl who was obnoxiously happy all the time, and they lived comfortably in a two bedroom apartment above an elderly relative who was an amazing artist, a former show dog breeder, and a lover of cooked cabbage.
But, as happy as they were, God wasn’t done with them yet. They were expecting another baby. The man said to the woman, “We are going to have another daughter, and we are going to name her Kelly Joy.”
About a week before the due date, the woman went to the doctor for a routine check-up on the pregnancy. The doctor found that the baby was in distress, and labor was induced to bring her safely into the world.
Sometime around 4:30 in the afternoon on October 9, 1992 (which also happened to be the woman’s mother’s birthday), a little girl was born. The umbilical cord was wrapped around her neck and she had to be rushed off right away. That same day, another baby, a boy, was born in that same hospital, with the same complications, and he didn’t make it.
But Kelly Joy survived and was a healthy baby, even if she didn’t like to sleep. She battled anxiety for years, but came out on top. She finished high school in the top 10% of her class and graduated college as valedictorian (okay, so there were only two graduates, but still) with a Bachelors in Missions. Her obnoxiously happy sister gave Kelly Joy two obnoxiously happy nephews that she loves to death.
I am Kelly Joy, a name that means Joyful Warrior. I am far more than a conquerer over the things that have held me back, because I have Christ Jesus on my side. He makes me brave, He gives me joy, He shows me what is right and what is wrong. He directs me to do the things that are best for me and for His Kingdom. He has never abandoned or forsaken me. He never will.
Life has its setbacks, and we won’t always understand why. But we can rest assured knowing that God is in control. He knows what He is doing, and I can only see a tiny piece of the picture. One bit at time, He will reveal it to me, and, until I see the next piece, I have to trust Him. In the end, the picture will be beautiful, far more so than I could ever imagine or create on my own.
Thank you all for the encouragement over the past few days. You have no idea how much you have helped as I cope with the loss of the World Race. I have no clue how long this blog page will be available for me to post, but I will continue to use it to keep you all updated until I get a different blog page elsewhere. (If anyone has any recommendations for free blog sites, let me know!)
