1,000!!!!

What have you done a 1,000 times? Have you brushed your teeth? (Let’s hope so.)  Have you done that many loads of laundry? (Likely…or, at least, your mother has for you.)  Practiced your letters in cursive? (It certainly felt like that in school.) Have you accumulated that many books? (I have – wish I had 1,000 more!) Run that many miles? (Some of us have…many of us never will.) Moved that many times? (Okay, even I haven’t done that, but I can guarantee I have packed and unpacked well over that many boxes.) Posted that many blog posts? YEP!!!!

For this is my 1,000^th blog post. 1,000. Over ten years (since January 2006) of birthdays, Christmases, summers (and winters) at camp, moves, books read, friends, family, the darkest valleys of my life and the intermixed joys and now even a little girl peeping over the bed at me as I type this. 1,000 memories.

For in a lot of ways, as I flipped through the binders that hold these blog posts, that’s what they are: memories. Memories of Allyson’s kids just born, learning to walk and talk, now running all over the place and reading books to me. Memories of my siblings as they celebrated birthday after birthday until they’ve all reached adulthood and I wonder where the time has gone. Different places I lived, people I’ve met on my journeys, locking keys in my car and seeing God’s protection in everyday life. Some things I don’t need to be reminded of – valleys that have made me who I am, mountains I thought I’d never see the top of (only to realize there’s a higher one beyond to still climb!). If 11 years of life can be summarized in 1,000 blog posts then my life is thus.

 I’ve pondered for weeks what exactly should be said at this moment of achievement. Lessons I’ve learned? Things I’ve laughed at reading them again? Sorrows that still hurt? I guess a lot could be said. But if the past 11 years have taught me anything it is this: God never changes. Ups, downs, clarity, confusion. Laughs, cries, peace, restlessness. It has all come and gone. And it will again. But through every single moment of it, this I learned and know: GOD NEVER, EVER, EVER, EVER CHANGES.

Amen.