Memorable Moment #3: Courtney

"But He said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong."

~2 Cor. 12:9-10

I graduated from college in May 2008. What a day that was..... It was exciting to be meeting a goal for myself and my parents.... It was exciting knowing that I never had to sit through another boring business class.... It was the first time a lot of my family had visited us at our house in Arkansas.... It was a day I will never forget for these reasons, but also because it was the last day I saw my good friend, Courtney. When you are married and in college for a degree and not to party, you quickly find others that are like you. Courtney and I met in our first semester at the University of Arkansas. We were in a couple of the same classes and seeing a familiar face everyday was comforting. We quickly became good friends.... coordinating our schedules for the rest of our time at the good 'ol Walton College of Business. We would go to lunch, share paper/reading responsibilities, and entertain eachother while we were bored out of our minds in class. Although I knew a lot of people, she was my one really good college friend. We were so much alike and so I knew that we would be great friends for the rest of our lives. We were running around together at graduation trying to find out where we were supposed to be. We had to separate because she was a marketing major and I was management, but we planned to get together afterwards so our families could meet. Little did we know how crazy it is after a college graduation. They made us file out different doors... Nobody could find anybody. Long story short, we didn't find each other. We just talked on the phone and decided it was impossible. A couple weeks later, I saw Courtney driving down the road and that reminded me to call her. We talked about her new internship and how we wanted our husbands to finally meet. Nate and I were going to summer camp that next week so we made plans to go out to eat the Saturday we got back. I got a call on Wednesday from Courtney's dad telling me she had died in a motorcycle accident.... I was in disbelief. Everyone was already asleep when I checked my messages so I spent half of that night in the bathroom of our little room. The next day I talked to her sister and walked around in a trance. My good friends Hanna and Allie were there to give me a big hug, which I really appreciate. Courtney was funny and full of life. She and her husband Matt had just bought a beautiful new house.... She showed me where their babies would sleep. She taught me how to let loose a little... when I would be coloring in the lines she would draw a sloppy line across the paper. Nice. She made me feel comfortable in an uncomfortable place. She was a lot like me. More importantly, Courtney loved to see people come to know Jesus as their personal Savior. She helped in the baptistry every Sunday at her church. She was passionate about her faith, family, and friends. So instead of going out to eat on Saturday, we went to Courtney's funeral. It was one of the hardest things I have ever had to sit through. Isn't it funny how life can change so drastically so fast? I still think about her everyday and miss her greatly.... But I also think about how she isn't missing us because she is in the presence of the Lord. What a great peace. I am so thankful for Courtney and our friendship.... She will forever be in my heart and part of my life. Her testimony continues to reach the girls in our ministry.... We are not promised tomorrow. Live everyday.... Really live.