Keeps Me Motivated Monday, 2

Last week, I started what I thought would be a weekly posting of what keeps me motivated as I work to improve my health.  I thought it would be focused on wellness--physical wellness.  However, as I considered what to write about this Monday, I recognized I can't have physical wellness without spiritual wellness.

So I'm sticking with the motivational aspect, but I've decided to expand my parameters.

To write about Jack is really not my place; I'll leave that to his mom and those who knew him well.   I will simply share: he is a boy I admire, he is a boy who has made me laugh, and he is a boy the world greatly misses.  I look forward to meeting him in Heaven.

I am motivated to be more like Jack, to live my faith so even the youngest around me recognize I know Jesus.  Really, what is more important than that?

As I start another new week in this blessing of life, I keep Jack in mind.

For the Donaldsons

John 11:25

Jack, Operation Christmas Child and a Puzzle

     My blog friend Anna's son died suddenly a small number of weeks ago.  She lives in the D.C. suburbs. From this far away there is little I can do to comfort her.  My prayers have included her family often. 

     Jack was 12.  A firm believer in Jesus, it turns out his favorite charity was Operation Christmas Child.  Last year, my class collected three shoe boxes for OCC, so this year my new group is doing it again, but this time with Jack in mind--I'm hoping for more boxes filled in his honor, and so Brad and I are doing one in Jack's memory.
     I asked Anna what Jack would have put in a box.  She wrote, "Lego, a superball, and one of those number puzzles with the little tiles that slide."  I told my kids I'd buy the latter for the class boxes.
     Brad and I were out doing errands yesterday, and we went to six stores looking for the puzzles.  Everyone we spoke to knew what we meant, but no one had them.  I came home and went to three stores on-line, I scanned their favors and found nothing.
     Sigh.
     I wrote to Anna, wondering if she knew of a store that carried them.  (I thought everyone would.  BTW, never go to a party store this close to Halloween for anything but a Halloween errand.  I have to admit, I was relieved Party City didn't seem to have them as the line to check out was at least 50 people long.)
     This morning, I googled number puzzles and found this!

It's wall-sized and retails for $175. Seriously.  Sure wouldn't fit in a shoebox.

I googled a different way, can't even remember what words I entered in the image search, and I found these:

And I cried.  I ordered enough for the boxes, for Brad's grandkids, and even one for Brad who also used to love such brainteasers.

Thank you Discount Party Supplies of Jackson MI.  Thank you.  (I'm going to call their customer service number later this week to thank them, I am!)

Pray matters, and somehow I believe this "yes" to a little prayer will make a difference that will unfold through the kindness to children far from Aurora and D.C.

In Memory of Jack Donaldson, Age 12

I hate God's perspective stick.

Hate it.

This week was hard for me, I found myself exhausted by Tuesday and pushing to make it through each day and night, and yesterday I decided to take a break from blogging.  Something had to give, and this little piece of my world would be it for a week or so.  I was tired,  and now I'm sick, so it turns out a break from little tensions might have been a good idea.

But that break is over because my heart is hurting for a woman I have never met. Hurting beyond passing fatigue and pressures of everyday life.

I have to share this here, because it's the only venue I have to spill beyond the tears already spilling from my eyes.

Perspective?  Today I logged into facebook to learn that a fellow blogger's son had drowned in a creek in the DC area.  I've been reading her blog for about two years now, she is talented, funny, creative, self-deprecating and normal.  Her kids are annoying, funny, bright, well-loved, and beautiful.   Her writing was always honest and real.

Her son has died.  That's truly more real than I can stand.

In the Washington Post article I found about Jack's death, his mom was quoted:

“He said he didn’t understand why people were afraid to die,” Anna Donaldson said, “because heaven is such a great place.”

So often in life, on blogs and facebook, we ask for prayers.  I'm sitting here, states away from the mother and family of this beautiful boy, asking for the same for them.  Hoping and praying that the faith this boy held onto so strongly holds them right back as they begin to grieve a loss they will feel for their lifetimes.

Praying is all I can do for them, but I believe it matters, it matters most.  Jack is firmly in Jesus' arms and now knowing for certain what he expressed to his mom.  Heaven is the best.