Precious Moments

Today was easily one of the most incredible days of my entire 19 years of life. Being this young, most of my friends haven't quite entered into the marriage/baby-makin' stage of life. However, two of my closest friends spent the day in the hospital and gave birth to a beautiful, healthy and rather huge (9 pounds, 1 ounce - 21 inches long) baby boy. I spent hours waiting with two of my best guy friends and we were so obnoxiously antsy while waiting to see the baby. But let me tell you, when Kelly was wheeled out with Hunter in her arms, I melted instantly, and so did the boys. There is something about witnessing new life that changes something in your heart. The boys and I went to Skyline for dinner afterwards and ended up in a pretty deep discussion about life and such. First of all, life is an awesome and beautiful thing taken for granted way too often. We are each placed here on earth with a purpose in mind, and to get a hold of the fact that the three of us will be helping shape Hunter's life is pretty crazy. It doesn't make us want to grow up faster, but it made us take into account the seriousness of our relationships with each other, but more importantly, our relationship with God. We know we were created first to love God, and second to love others, and we agree that we want this boy to experience an insane amount of love and we want to see him grow up to be a mighty servant of the Lord. In all of this though, I couldn't help but remember my sweet friend Sally and how she would have been the brightest face in that room (other than Cory & Kelly's). Sally Jo Varney was the sole greatest person I have ever had the privilege of meeting, and she went home to be with the Lord just a little over a year ago. Sally knew what it meant to live life to the fullest, not only in the sense of doing adventurous things because she loved them, but in the sense that she saw every single moment as a chance to love others into a relationship with God. Love is a choice and Sal made it every second of every day. She wasn't perfect, but hey, nobody is or was or ever will be except Jesus. But Sally strove towards Christ-like perfection in her actions, thoughts and words. I want to leave that kind of legacy behind. Maybe it's selfish, but I want baby Hunter to grow up knowing me not as his aunt who will always spoil the mess out of him, but as a woman of Christ. A woman who made it a priority to reflect God in all the ways that I can. I want to leave a legacy that shows the great work of the Lord. I don't want people to know who I am, but who God is in me.