Monday's Memory: The One With The Crazy Connection

This incredibly special piece hangs in my bathroom where I can see it every morning. Not coincidentally, it hangs where it is in full view when I step on the scales.

If you look closely, you can see the wrinkles in the paper and the scuffs of the frame.

It will never change. It's how she gave it to me.

Martell found it in her daughters possessions after she tragically died, and for "some reason" hung onto it. Well...when I willingly entered in recovery she knew the reason. She gave it to me with the statement that she was sure Jennifer would have wanted me to have it.

I was humbled, honored, and grateful. For weeks, it hung in my bathroom and I thought no more of it than a treasured gift from a friend and her daughter who I will never meet this side of Heaven.

And then I invited my "support group" to my house one day. The first two to arrive were Martell and LaJuana. LaJuana being the interior designer immediately started walking through to see what new additions and colors I had added since the last time she had visited. For some reason she walked into my bathroom.

I'll never forget the tone of her voice.

"Where did you get this?"

She and I were alone upstairs at the time, and when I told her that Martell had given it to me and that it was originally Jennifer's she was really quiet...

And then Martell came up the stairs. LaJuana then explained to the two of us that she had created those papers--the paraphrase of the verse in that particular style and font for a young women's retreat she had done for the church that Martell and her family had attended at the time of Jennifer's death.

Full circle.

The odd thing was that LaJuana told us that she didn't think the retreat had gone well, and all these years had just hoped that one person was helped by what she had done there.

Knowing LaJuana, many lives were touched that she'll never know about.

But I have been encouraged and inspired by that retreat for years now.

(Martell, LaJuana and I on women's retreat later that same year. THAT is a story all it's own that I will share here someday...)