Do you ever feel like you're one day late in saying or doing just about everything?!?!?  I sure do!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

As I was thinking of all of you this morning, I was hoping your Fourth of July was wonderful and full of some sort of special memories!  We spent ours at a church picnic followed by what we like to call "Redneck Fireworks."  Not that the guy shooting them off is a redneck, but all of us who line our yard with lawn chairs to watch his display of colored lights pretty much fit that title!  We had homemade ice cream sitting on an old stool in the middle of the  yard next to a wagon full of hot dogs and hot dog supplies.  We spent a couple of hours just enjoying each other's company, watching great fireworks light the sky all over our little country town, and listening to our teenagers all talk and laugh on the porch.

The reality that we don't have any "little ones" running around sunk in deeply with all of us last night.  With Olivia at church camp, it bumped my friend's son who is 15 into the "youngest of the gang."  He was one of Nick's biggest buddies, so Nick's absence last night kept overtaking both me and Tim in deep sighs between our laughter. 

I'm thankful that I know where Nick is.  I'm thankful for all the memories I have hid away in my heart through the years about this special boy.  I love when friends share their memories of Nick. 

I'm  so thankful that he was my son.

And I'm especially thankful that God promises to turn our mourning into dancing.

But even more than that, I'm thankful that God is never one day late at doing anything!

His timing is always perfect.  His promises are always true.  His love never fails.  He's before me, with me, and after me.  Yes, He does give and He does take away, but He brings beauty from every gift and one day all of the gifts He has taken back will be placed in front of us for eternity!  No more goodbyes!  No more tears!  Until then, we have to trust that He knew when, where, and how to reclaim those who were already His so that somehow through our pain and their legacy His Kingdom could grow. 

Today, one of the girls in our youth group is getting Nick's favorite verse (Joshua 1:9) and a red balloon tattooed on her wrist.  In a few weeks another boy from church is doing something very similar to that on the back of his leg.  At the church picnic, one of Olivia's little friends found a penny with her birth year on it!  Today, I received a text from another friend who has also lost a son saying that she has found pennies all weekend!!!!!  I know without a shadow of a doubt that Nick is still making people smile and drawing them closer to God.

That's what I have to cling to today.

I may be late for lots of things, but I cling to a Heavenly Father who is right on time!

So, once again,

Happy Fourth on the fifth!

I love you all!