Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. – II Corinthians 3-4
November 11, 1981, is one of the happiest days of my life. It was the day my oldest daughter, Michelle Emily, was born! She was a happy child, and she did well in school. She graduated in the year 2000, Y2K, when all the computer programs were predicted to crash. I will never forget; we had enough firewood and water for ten years!
Michelle wanted to be a pharmacist, and she and her best friend were accepted to Southwestern Oklahoma State University and were roommates. She loved college, worked hard, and was accepted into Pharmacy School. She started dating her roommate’s brother and they were married in May of 2006, and Michelle graduated from Pharmacy school that December.
I became the proudest GIGI in 2008 when my first grandson, Mason, was born followed by Carson in 2010. Michelle and her husband struggled, as many couples do at first, they were young and had two children. Sadly, their marriage ended in divorce. As a single mother with two children, her world was rocked when her ex-husband passed away. Thankfully, she had her faith and family in these trying times.
When Michelle started a new job, she sat behind a man named Brian whom she eventually met and married. Brian has taken both boys in as his own. He loves them and guides them like a father should and makes sure that Michelle and both boys are cared for and loved. I was blessed again in August 2021 when my youngest grandson, Bryson, was born. Their marriage is definitely a gift from God. They love each other so much and for a mother to see the struggles and heartache her daughter has endured; is a huge blessing.
As I have watched Michelle through the years, I have seen the guiding hand of God at work. We know that our faith does not promise easy times and Michelle has had her share of troubles and sorrows. Through it all, God has walked with her, comforting her, caring for her, and even bringing her peace in the deepest of trials. That is the joy we have as a people of faith. We do not walk alone. God is with us. Just like the season of Lent, God walks us out of the darkness into the great joy of Easter.
Gabrielle Moon, Executive Director St. Luke’s Children’s Centers
