Its been a while since I last posted.
A lot has happened.
A lot has changed.
The best roommate ever, Matt Groomes, has moved out to start a new life in Tallahassee, Florida.
I went on vacation.
My air conditioning at home went out.
My air conditioning at home was repaired several HOT days later.
I lost 23 lbs.
Gained 5 back.
Lost 4 more.
My dad had a stroke. This is the biggest happening. It was life altering. Not just his but everyones'. But isn't that just how life is. Our lives are like a big body of water. Currents and flows underneath but still and smooth on top. But throw something into the it, and you get these ripples. I'm not sure your if you have ever watched these ripple but they keep going. You can eventually see them lapping at the shore. It may not be giant waves, but the ripples are there.
But we Burkes are a strong, close knit family that God brought together and nothing can tear apart. So we all team up and help with his progress in physical, speech and occupational therapy. I watch as I see the vows that my parents took and then renewed in October being lived out again and again. Sickness and health, Good times and bad. And the whole time smiles on their faces because they are together. To see their love for each other. Their caring touches. Their need to have each other in the same room. Makes me, their child, their 35 year, grown man child, feel safe. Always has. Always will. Because that is the foundation that our life was built on. You don't run from hard times. Because we have a Comforter, a Healer, a Provider, a Strength, a Friend, a God that my parents made sure was the center of our family. And now that ripples are occurring, we are not worried. We are not stressed. Because we are HIS. He has given us each other.
I look at the world and see so many "blended families" and see how they fail. How there are "his" and "hers" but we were always just a family. We were all US. OURS. Maybe its the vows we, the "kids", all took that day so long ago too. And I am so thankful for the life that I was given. I could be a poster child for so many things. But instead I have a story of love conquering all. A story of victory. A story gives me HOPE in knowing that the effects of the stroke will go away!!!
WHY?
Because the day after my dad had his stroke he woke up singing this song:
Look what the Lord has done,
Look what the Lord had done,
HE HEALED MY BODY
HE changed my mind
HE saved me, just in time
Oh I'm going to praise His name
Each day is just the same,
Come on and praise Him
Look what Lord done.
And I know that this ripple that is affecting all of us right now till eventually go back to the smooth calm surface, because it always does.
