Gladys Reed Bush, acquainted with sorrow.

Today is Aunt Glady's' birthday. She was my ideal of humility and love. The softest heart, open to all. She was the closest thing to Jesus I'll probably ever see here. She was my mother's best friend. She died in 1982. I still miss her but she had gotten so rundown, I was very happy for her when she went home.

I wonder, Jesus was a man acquainted with sorrow. There was always a background sadness in Aunt Gladys. She was fun, hopeful and never a downer but she was sad. At least I knew she was. She was so loved by everyone in her life, except maybe her son that took her for granted.

I have to wonder if the closer you get to Jesus, the more you become "acquainted with grief." Jesus knew and knows the end from the beginning so he has a hope we can ask for but not own. We won't get that perspective until it's over. That's a lot of faith if you become really acquainted with sorrow.

We walk by faith and not by sight...but boy, is it easy to see the sorrow. If we open our hearts and let it all in, it takes a great faith to not be overwhelmed and lose hope. A faith that we can only receive. Nothing that we can manufacture in ourselves.

It's a very hard thing to choose to see other people's pain and not run from it. We all naturally do it like pulling our hand back from a fire...but if our loved one is in that fire we choose otherwise. At least I hope we do.

I wanted to be like Aunt Gladys and Aunt Paula and I think in some ways I am. In the good and the bad. I really want her humility but that's like asking for trouble. Whip me, beat me, make me humble. LOL.

Happy Earth-Birthday Aunt Gladys. I love you so much and am so grateful for you - you are a big part of who I am. The best part of who I am. I look forward to eternity with you. Kiss Aunt Paula for me.