With a heavy heart, but Hope for the Future

This week, we lost a beautiful, kind, loving, talented, funny, and important young woman. It's strange how it's so easy to take someone for granted. Even people who did not know her well were touched by her life and devastated by her death. She brought so much joy into the hearts of others that it's hard to imagine there was so little joy in her own. Her Facebook wall is absolutely flooded with posts of love, prayers, encouragement, and sadness. I think everyone feels some guilt and a lot of regret. So many people, including me, wish we would have told her how she affected us and how she was so special and full of potential. I wish I could have told her how strong and brave she was; how she could get through anything life threw at her. I wish I would have told her that and I wish she could have believed me. But regrets don't help anyone. I think one of the best things we can do to honor Faith and her memory is to lift up and encourage others. I feel like we miss out on chances to say important things because we're scared or we think it will be awkward or we just don't think about it. But wouldn't we rather risk an awkward conversation to tell someone something we love about them then risk losing a precious life? I think the only person who didn't believe Faith was an incredibly rare and beautiful human being was Faith. We all get so tied up in our own selfish agendas that we let people slip through the cracks. So please, just take a moment to think about the people in your life and everything truly amazing about them. Then tell them. Be it your best friend, your parents, or a stranger, just let them know. Every person is so important in God's intricate plan. No one is worthless and life is too short and too beautiful to leave words unsaid. So please, go out and live life in joy, encouraging others and bringing glory to God, in honor of Faith.