Defining Moments

I wrote a few days ago about that moment in the ultrasound room when we learned that our baby likely would be born with Down Syndrome and that he would also have a heart defect.  Since writing about it, I've been thinking about it as a defining moment in my life and reflecting on other "moments" that when combined, have molded me into who I am.

To me a defining moment, is not only when something changes your life - but in the bigger picture, part of what makes it so "defining" is how you respond in that moment...  I can only hope that I respond with grace, humility and love when life's defining moments continue to meet me day after day and maybe someday after many more lessons learned, I will be able to add meeting those moments with wisdom to my list. 

At times, I believe that I might be too reflective, internalizing too much... taking on the weight of my own troubles and deep in my soul, I sometimes take on the problems of others too.  Over the course of the last 12 months, my life has changed more than I could have ever imagined... it has taken an entirely new shape - we have new surroundings, new people in and old people out and a future that I never expected for myself is beginning to unfold - and the stuff with Luke has only been a portion (in some ways, just a small portion) of what's transpired.  This year, not only have I have learned the power of prayer to assist in freeing my soul, but for the first time in my life, I have become a regular with turning my troubles (and those of others that weigh heavy on my heart) over to the Lord.  I have begun to find it hard to fall asleep at night if I haven't said my prayers yet.  It's become the one way that I've learned to find peace... and asking for someting that is given so freely is a pretty easy place to start. 

As I meet my future moments head on, I hope that I respond in ways that allow me to be true to me.  I hope that I act in a way that I can always be proud of and that I make the most of my defining moments.

As a side note, I love country music... always have, always will. Long before one of my favorite artists, Luke Bryan was the newest fad and singing "Country Girl Shake It For Me", he sang a song called "Pray About Everything" based upon one of my favorite verses Philippians 4:6-7.  The chorus is below and it's something that I find myself singing when I need a dose of encouragement during the day...

Don't worry 'bout nothing
Let it go, see what tomorrow brings
Don't worry 'bout it, stress about it, fret about it
Don't worry 'bout nothing
Let it go, see what tommorrow brings
Don't worry 'bout nothing
Pray about everything
Yeah, pray about everthing