A [short] story of hope for Good Friday

Good Friday is a day that always sticks out to me. For the last several years, it's rained. That in and of itself has always been very symbolic to me; I envision our Heavenly Father mourning the loss of His son, as we all are. But there's another component of the day that is meaningful, and it started on a Good Friday three years ago...

Our Wiley had gone in that day for exploratory surgery to try to troubleshoot an issue he'd been having. At about noon, I got a phone call from the vet, and he told me it was most likely cancer. I felt my entire world crumble around me. I didn't want to imagine a life without my gray fuzzy baby. We were advised to just bring him home and let him live out the rest of his life. That night, after Good Friday service, Justin and I drove up to Lexington and waited an hour and a half for a table at Bonefish Grill. But we didn't mind; the gray, cold, rainy day matched our mood perfectly. We toasted Wiley and shared a lot of good memories and, let's just be honest, had a damn good meal! 

When Wiley came home, he was very lethargic and sick; the surgery took a lot out of him. He was jaundiced. He didn't eat for a few days. He spent that whole next week at the vet getting some extra care. And then he turned the corner...Today, I have a happy and healthy gray fuzzy baby! (It ended up NOT being cancer, praise God! But we still don't know what it is. He takes meds every day and he's a rockstar!) 

I'm sharing this today because I want you to know about the God I love, and the God I love, yes, He did die today. He was buried today. His disciples mourned Him today. But then, on Easter Sunday, we REJOICE!!!!!!! I'm sharing this today because I know we need to hear about hope and good in the world. Jesus is MY hope! There is hope when all seems hopeless. I'm sharing this today because I believe God answers prayer, and I nearly kicked down heaven's doors praying for this little one. The God I love cares about EVERYTHING in your life! 

Today is a sad day, yes. But let's have hope, too!