And You Will Know When It's Time to Pass the Key

I was given a "Believe" key for Christmas from my precious daughter-in-law. She told me that she knew my faith was strong and that I looked for ways to encourage others. Therefore, she also knew I would enjoy wearing the key until I knew it was time to pass it along. I pictured myself being placed in some stranger's path one day and passing the bracelet on to them. But God had other plans.

Kathy! My beautiful, precious, funny, giving, unselfish, and for all appearances stable college roommate received the bracelet. I knew she had her challenges in life as a caregiver for a parent and having been twice divorced. But it was Kathy! Nothing ever got her down and I often envied her ability to stay "up" no matter the circumstances. 

Kathy came to visit with me for a couple of days - just a break from her routine and to have some time together. We are BFFs, after all! We were getting dressed to go out to dinner, and she very boldly and directly told me she had a drinking problem. My head spun. This was not a manner in which she would ever have joked, so I knew it was true. As we sat and she laid out this life that she had kept so well hidden from EVERYONE, my heart was breaking for her. There was no intervention, no DUI or other catastrophic incident that had gotten her to pay attention to her problem. It was her health. It was fear and shock that she was in the physical condition she was in... things that she, and I, and her family all were attributing to other issues in her health and life. 

Kathy addressed her drinking. She is attending AA meetings and has shared the truth now with her family and has asked us to help hold her accountable. I know her so well. I know her faith and her strength will see her through this. She knows God will walk down this road with her. She does, however, need each and every little boost that she can find to help her on this journey. She needs to be reminded that her belief in herself and in God will be the weapons of choice as she fights this battle. 

Kathy loves the bracelet and the message to "believe." She also loves, as do I, the idea that God already knows each person that will be receiving this key as time goes on and how this key can provide encouragement in their lives. God is so good. And I "BELIEVE" in the power of these keys!!!

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