fleeting

it has been an eventful past ten days...both good and not so good. starting on the 10th, we learned that friends of ours had their second child, and the baby was born with down syndrome; another set of friends welcomed their first child, perfectly healthy; another friend suddenly lost her mother; two friends underwent surgery, both seemingly successful, but with one of them going back for a second surgery tomorrow; and my mom arrived last sat. both eman and i have been talking about these events, and have been praying for those who desire prayer, and communicating with those we needed to, and our hearts have just been so heavy. as happy as i am to have my mom visiting, my mind is constantly wandering to our friends who have suffered shock, disappointment, and loss. i am so thankful that they have close-knit communities and for some, a relationship with Jesus...i cannot imagine going through such trauma without Him. their hope in the Lord is truly amazing, especially when it is far easier to give into bitterness and anger. but all of this, reinforces the fact that life is fleeting, and there are no guarantees.