Why Me?

 I got to go to dinner tonight with my Uncle, Michael Koontz, and cousin, Mak who are in town for the Furniture Market. It was one more reminder of how blessed I am by the people in my life.

 Uncle Michael is a wonderfully talented interior designer with a fabulous store in Ocala. It was the coolest place to go to when we were little. There were a million places to hide and it was fun for me and CJ to pretend what furniture we would have in our future homes. As an adult, it is still the coolest place to go and imagine what we want to put on our houses! Uncle Michael and Aunt Diane would take me to see plays at the Bob Carr in Orlando when I was growing up. They also have the coolest house on Little Lake Wier.They go to all the Gator games. One of my favorite things about them is how honest they are. They don't say things just to be polite, they are always genuine. And they love Jesus. I had the privilege of reading an article that Uncle Micheal wrote in Ocala Magazine from journal entries written while he was battling bladder cancer a couple years ago. It was wonderful, just like him. After reading it, I couldn't help but think, "Why is it that God has surrounded me with the most amazing family and friends?"

I have written a lot about my parents and my brothers and sisters, who are all very special. I am blessed beyond belief to have them. The thing that blows my mind is that God just did not stop there. I have the fore-mentioned Aunt Diane and Uncle Michael (Diane being my biological mother's sister). Uncle Michael has a sister and brother-in-law who loved me so well. Sharon and Edward McClellan (along with their kids, Mollie, Mickey, Madison, and Emily) treated us like grand kids. They taught us how to ride horses and took us to the mountains. Sharon always let us play dress up with any of her clothes. She talked to us like we were grown ups. Mollie and Mickey took us to rodeos. Emily and Madison took us to MGM. But it never mattered where they took us- CJ and I just loved being with them.  I also have Uncle Turner and Aunt Suzanne. They live in a house built by my great-grandfather in the historical district of Ocala. It was (and still is) a cool place to go visit and explore. I love that Uncle Turner refers to himself as "Your old Uncle." My dad's sister Susan lived with us for a few years and she let me join her in her room every night to watch tv with her. My half-sisters Trisha and Melanie would drive long distances to pick us up and take us to their homes or to a family reunion. I loved spending time with them. Trisha looked just like Liesel in The Sound of Music. They introduced me to the movie Swiss Family Robinson.

Then there are the people who are family, even though they aren't really family. You know what I mean? My mom's close friends were also amazing. There's Jan, who is one of the funniest people I know and Teresa, the kindest  woman I will ever meet. Funny...they both let us play dress up in their closets....I guess this may be the trick to winning a young girls heart. God gave us the Delk family in Orlando. The Munn's, Bartelt's, and Smith's in Winston-Salem. People who just love well. People who are okay with a drop-in visit. People who you just watch tv with.

I am just overwhelmed. Why do I get a giant support system of loving, fun, talented, people when so many people only have crummy, abusive, destructive people in their lives? My prayer is that God can show me how to love people as well as I have been loved. That He will show me people who don't have people loving on them and give me the blessing of sharing the love of Christ with them.

When you think back about all the people God has placed in your life- what and who has He used to show His love to you?