Courtney Davis went home to be with Jesus on April 2nd at 7:00pm. Thank you to all of you who have been praying for the Davis family with us. It's so hard to understand why the Lord lets the life of a child end, but one thing we know is that little Courtney's life, though short, had such great purpose. Our God is sovereign and nothing happens outside of His will. Her story has touched so many lives, including mine, and changed them forever. I cannot fathom what this family is going through right now, but it's so good to know that the Lord carries us through the things we cannot bear and gives us peace when having peace does not make sense. How anyone goes through any of life's challenges without the Lord is beyond me! When I reflect on the lessons I've learned through sharing in the Davis's pain and struggle and watching their amazing faith, the key point that stands out is that we are all like Courtney. Our lives are all but a breath on the timeline of eternity. We haven't been promised a certain number of years on this earth and we haven't been promised that there would be no pain or suffering. In fact, it's the one thing we know for sure, living in a fallen world. But what does this fact mean in our lives? It means, we should not waste a single moment living for momentary pleasures or self-centered pity, but rather, we should live our lives in joyful service of the Savior of our souls, drawing closer to Him with each passing day! For it is with Him that we will spend eternity, if we have accepted Him as our Savior. He has called us into a personal, daily, life-altering relationship with Him. That is where we find salvation, that is where we find fulfillment, and that is the ONLY place we find our eternal purpose. What else have I learned? That every blessing, one of the greatest of which is our children, comes from our Father in heaven. We should relish every moment we have with them, recognizing that they are not ours, they are the Lord's. We have been entrusted with their care and raising, what a tremendous gift and responsiblity! But they are not ours, they are in far better hands. So I must pray for my children, love them, guide them, teach them, and live my life as a living example of what it means to abide in Christ. But the hardest part is, I must lay them at His feet, recognizing that His plans for them may not be mine, and His plans might tear my heart in two, but He is worthy of my complete trust. Please continue to pray for the Davis family, the hard days ahead of them. The body of Christ is an astounding family that I'm so glad to be a part of. If you do not know the joy of knowing Christ, it is my prayer that the Holy Spirit will soften your heart to the truth through Courtney's story and other stories of His love.

Amen