My favorite story to tell

I want to start sharing small parts of my life story, slowly. I want to provide to others some insight to all of God's accomplishment in my life. I want to share different things he has already done, details of what he is doing right now, and times I am confident that he will still be a part of. I have shared much, but this will be one of the earliest stories from my life, of God's goodness and complete blessing. There isn't another way to explain it. I've been waiting to share this first story to you because to me it is incredibly awesome. There is part of this story that never completely made sense, but now through a cancer journey it has come full circle. It's a story of beginnings, friendship, hard goodbyes, and God's divine hand in choosing for us every single human being that we come into cross with. 


I grew up in Apple Valley, Minnesota until the 5th Grade. There is SO much I clearly remember about the days there, and SO much I don't. All good memories though, almost every single one I have, EXCEPT the day we drove out of our driveway for the very last time . The tears that poured down my face as I had to say goodbye to my best friend in the WHOLE WIDE WORLD. Sounds familiar right, and goodness it still hurts so bad to say goodbye. I'm terribly poor at it, clearly. Bethany was my favorite, we played endlessly, we dressed like twins, we had SO much that made us SO alike. She always fit right in with our crew, which wasn't easy. We went to summer camps together, we conquered Awana, and confided in girlhood stories and secrets. Have you had this childhood friend? Have you told them how much they impacted your life? She was such a gift to me, and little did I ever know how much....

I moved far away and between the miles, lack of ways to stay in touch, and growing up, we managed to always keep a relationship. I went to see her, she came to see me. We made what seemed impossible work. And here we are, over 20 years later, and our story is sweeter now than I could have ever imagined....

This is a little about my Bethany. Her words first and then some of her beautiful story. I asked her If she would be my first to share. A part of herself on my blog and a part of our story. 

"Here goes nothing...  

At age of three I was diagnosed with Alopecia Areata, a hair loss disease.  I didn't realize until I was in my late teens/ early 20's how much my disease had shaped and impacted my life!  Starting back in my early years, my hair loss and bald spots made me a pretty nervous and self-conscious kid.  I had a handful of close friends who knew about my disease and accepted me as I was... and so they were always my lifeline.  Joanna was the very first friend in my life who just grabbed my hand- and took me under her wing.  I will never forget the first day of 1st grade. I was at a new school, and all the other kids seemed to know each other from Kindergarten.  I was in the back of the room with a penguin sweatshirt on, and a broken arm; and Joanna came and asked me come to sit by her and her friends.  From that day until the summer after 4th grade (when the Wilkinson's moved to Missouri), we were inseparable.  

But here is the thing about life, some people, no matter the distance or time that goes by... still just mean the world to you. And Joanna has always been one of those people to me. Her friendship had such a lasting impact on me- that she has been and always be just like a sister to me.     

Life if so funny.; there are thousands of memories, and hundreds of friends and people I have met since the day I met Joanna.  Yet so much of it I have forgotten.  But I still vividly remember so much of those 4 years.  Camp, birthday parties,  Awana’s, what teachers we each had at school, riding in the Wilkinson’s van- and Charley singing ‘this is the song that doesn’t end’ from Lambchops!  It all just seems like yesterday."

I am just amazed at the way God works, how he knows our best interest way before we do. As soon as she heard about my diagnosis she was again by my side. She told me if I needed her she would be here in a heartbeat. She told me as I lost my hair, had any issues, or needed support in this area she was my expert. As I manage my hair thinning now she sends me special shampoos, gives advice, and shares herself and her story. I don't know if I will completely loose my hair, or if in the future I will have a treatment that will cause this. What I do know is that this part of my journey is already taken care of. She has reminded me everything is for a purpose and a reason. She has reminded me how hard it was to say goodbye but how faithful God has been in always bestowing the best memories and how distance will never break a love like we shared. And that's when I see him, so clearly, perfectly really, telling me that he has EVERYTHING in control. And that's also when I am reminded by my brothers words, He is so big, we are SO small. I've thought so many times how scary it feels for everything to be our of control and seemingly falling out of place, but then I stop and realize, no Jo everything is falling right into place. 

Bethany, I wonder often recently about our friendship. Why did it ever come to pass, for was it for such a time as this? We could not have written this as part of our story. All that you have endured, all that you have learned and the beautiful wife, mom and woman you have become, through so much adversity and hard. I never appreciated your story, never asked you how hard it was, never could have identified or related to you. Then cancer, disease, hard, and YOU came to me. You shared, you supported, and you encouraged. You won't ever understand how much but my friend YOU are and have ALWAYS been a blessing to me. 

As I share some of the different ways Gods worked and is working around me I encourage you to stop and ponder, where is God right now in your story? What are some of the great things he has accomplished through you that you haven't even had a moments time to notice, isn't it about time we give some thanks where it's due, for me it's way past time. Cancer changed my pace and allowed this space into my life. What my eyes have been opened up to are things that were always going on, I just had never time rest in the beauty of what our creator was doing. So much of my life needs better respect of what he's doing, clearly executing his plan. We have little idea of the way that our lives are intertwined with others to simultaneously show his goodness, blessing, and glory in the end. And I was the best most days, at just plan missing it. If there is any encouragement that I can offer, it's that we just never know the blessings he will pour out as we accept his plan. For some reason, Bethany and I were never allowed separation. Our relationship lasted, and the efforts and times we shared, although so small in times, have become huge in his kingdom, let that never be unnoticed friends. And that is why I share this small but huge part of my story and it's why I will do my best to open up for you to see some of the intricate design of who God is making me become.