"He comes alongside us when we go through hard times, and before you know it, he brings us alongside someone else who is going through hard times so that we can be there for that person just as God was there for us." II Corinthians 1:4 (The Message)
I remember clearly when I discovered this verse and it became a beacon of light for me. There are times when I have said to God, "Okay, we've learned enough now that we can help people who are going through hard times like ours - we don't need any more!"
DC and I were 25 and 30 when we married. We had both made it through 4 years of college without finding that special one. When we met, each of us had experienced enough of life to know what we were and were not looking for in a mate. We didn't date long before we knew that we would be "Together Forever" (the song from "I Do, I Do" which was sung at our wedding).
It wasn't long before our little family was complete - two adorable little blue-eyed blondes, one of each. Perfect.
We went through the typical growing pains of any young family - those were very busy years and for the most part very fun. It's one of those deals - if we had known the future, we might not have had the courage to face it. I can remember, as the kids got old enough to stay home for a few minutes alone, DC and I took walks together, and our conversation often turned to how blessed we were compared to other families who were going through such tough times.
Then life hit us smack in the face - with both kids. Life became incredibly difficult for a season, and we all continue to live with the consequences of those situations. But we live in hope and trust for their futures and ours.
In the meantime, both subjects - eating disorders and addictions - are near and dear to my heart. I read books on both topics and love reading about positive outcomes. I have recently completed these three books:
If you know anyone with an eating disorder of any kind, or if you have dealt with one yourself, the above two books are most encouraging.
If you live with or are close to anyone with addictions of any sort (which includes eating disorders), the following book is gripping, enlightening, disturbing, and uplifting.
If you are a more recent follower of this blog, feel free to e-mail me at dawn.carlson@colostate.edu and I will be glad to send you Kristen's and Kevin's stories by e-mail attachment.
Even though Kevin is in treatment for the second time, I feel that his story has great merit, and I hope that we can continue to write it when he finishes his time in Teen Challenge.
Please, if you are a believer in prayer, put Kev and Sema on your list as he comes up to graduation on July 30, then heads into a 6 month aftercare program. He and Sema have huge decisions to make and need direction from above. I am convinced that God has a special plan for Kevin, since He has spared his life at least 5 times. He is doing so well and has such insight. I can hardly wait to see what comes next.
Thank you!
