❤ Journal Entry from January 21, 2016 ❤
Wow! Tonight I am really missing my sis. I'm not even sure why it hit me tonight. Usually there is some kind of trigger, but tonight out of the blue, I just really wanted to make a trip to Akron Children's to see my sis.
On most days it is still very hard to believe that my sis isn't here on earth anymore. It feels like any day now, I will be able to make the trip to Akron Children's or walk across the yard to visit Kayli on a break from the church office. It feels like I just have a cold and can't go visit because of the risk of passing germs to her. It feels like she is just away at college and any day now she will home for a break. Now I know these aren't true and each day, each event makes it sink in more...my sis at heart is living with Jesus.
Wow! Tonight I am really missing my sis. I'm not even sure why it hit me tonight. Usually there is some kind of trigger, but tonight out of the blue, I just really wanted to make a trip to Akron Children's to see my sis.
On most days it is still very hard to believe that my sis isn't here on earth anymore. It feels like any day now, I will be able to make the trip to Akron Children's or walk across the yard to visit Kayli on a break from the church office. It feels like I just have a cold and can't go visit because of the risk of passing germs to her. It feels like she is just away at college and any day now she will home for a break. Now I know these aren't true and each day, each event makes it sink in more...my sis at heart is living with Jesus.
❤ Journal Entry from February 20, 2016 ❤
Today as I stood at my kitchen sink doing the dishes, my eye couldn't help but drift to the picture sitting on the window sill. The picture is one of Kayli and I from a year ago. I had printed the picture and made Kayli and I matching frames that proclaimed the words "Sisters at Heart." This picture and frame found its home on my kitchen window sill almost immediately after we moved into our apartment last November. I would often see that picture and it would remind me to pray for Kayli or send her a quick text. Now it serves as a reminder that Kayli is gone and that can bring an empty ache, when I think how I won't see her again here on earth. But then I have to give myself a shake and remember, Kayli is LIVING with Jesus!!! There is NO WAY she would want to be back here in her cancer filled body. On these hard days I need to stop and think "Who else may be having a hard day? What can I do to brighten it?"
Today as I stood at my kitchen sink doing the dishes, my eye couldn't help but drift to the picture sitting on the window sill. The picture is one of Kayli and I from a year ago. I had printed the picture and made Kayli and I matching frames that proclaimed the words "Sisters at Heart." This picture and frame found its home on my kitchen window sill almost immediately after we moved into our apartment last November. I would often see that picture and it would remind me to pray for Kayli or send her a quick text. Now it serves as a reminder that Kayli is gone and that can bring an empty ache, when I think how I won't see her again here on earth. But then I have to give myself a shake and remember, Kayli is LIVING with Jesus!!! There is NO WAY she would want to be back here in her cancer filled body. On these hard days I need to stop and think "Who else may be having a hard day? What can I do to brighten it?"
The Lord has taught me so much about loving people through hard times over the years. Quite a few of those lessons came through Kayli's life. No beating around the bush...loving people during hard times is tough. Whether hard times mean a relationship conflict, health problems, jr. high hormones, life changes, a death, or you fill in the blank. There are so many tough things that we each encounter and we need someone to come alongside and encourage us. Just this week a friend texted me and said I was on her heart and that she was praying for me. That meant so much!! It doesn't take much sometimes to lift someone up.
We each need to train ourselves to be on the lookout for those around us who might be hurting. They are EVERYWHERE! Now, I am not saying that I do this perfectly. I have my days when I want to curl up in my bed and feel sorry for myself. But that ISN'T what the Lord wants us to do. He wants us to look for ways to serve and love on others. And guess what? You (as the giver) are blessed as well. I have learned that the best thing for me to do when I'm having a hard time is to love on someone else. It doesn't have to be anything huge, but it helps put things into perspective.
Now I hesitate to start making a list, because like I already said, I don't do this perfectly. But I know I always need ideas of how to love on other people. Here are some ideas to get your creative juices flowing:
❤ Pray for people and let them know they were on your mind.
❤ If you see an item that reminds you of a friend or family member, pick it up and surprise them with an "I love you gift."
❤ Randomly send a text or email to a friend with a fun memory or picture.
❤ Know that a friend is in the hospital? Check the hospital website to see if they do eCards. ( A lot of children's hospitals do this.) You go on the website fill out the form and the hospital volunteers will print off the card and deliver it to the patient's room. Sending a joke or funny story is always a good option to make them smile. A verse from God's word is always good to include.
❤ Offer to babysit for a young family FOR FREE so mom and dad can have a date night!
❤ Be creative...Pintrest has hundreds of cute ideas!! (See pictures below for some other ideas)
❤ Do you have some exciting news to share? Make sure to include a friend or family member who is going through hard times. Let them be excited with you.
❤ Surprise a friend at work or home with a coffee, smoothie, shake or another treat they like.
❤ Make it a point to look around when you walk into church. Who is sitting by themselves with no one to talk to? Go over and talk to them. Make them feel loved and included.
❤ Invite a family from church over for a meal.
❤ Bake cookies and take them to an elderly person who can't get out very much...and stay to visit for 30 minutes or so.
❤ Remember a friend's birthday with a card or small gift.
❤ Be a listening ear when a friend or family member just needs to talk.
❤ Love on people like they are NORMAL and not just because they are going through a hard time. I know Kayli liked to talk about random things. She didn't always want to talk about her cancer or how she was feeling. We would talk about "What Not to Wear" or "Say Yes to the Dress," her newest nail polish or things happening at church. Now this is a fine balance; you don't want to ignore the hard stuff if they want to talk, but there are ways to open the door for discussion without forcing the subject.
I hope this list gives you a start, but look for your own ways to love on people. Make it your own!
Kayli's Sis at Heart,
Joy
We each need to train ourselves to be on the lookout for those around us who might be hurting. They are EVERYWHERE! Now, I am not saying that I do this perfectly. I have my days when I want to curl up in my bed and feel sorry for myself. But that ISN'T what the Lord wants us to do. He wants us to look for ways to serve and love on others. And guess what? You (as the giver) are blessed as well. I have learned that the best thing for me to do when I'm having a hard time is to love on someone else. It doesn't have to be anything huge, but it helps put things into perspective.
Now I hesitate to start making a list, because like I already said, I don't do this perfectly. But I know I always need ideas of how to love on other people. Here are some ideas to get your creative juices flowing:
❤ Pray for people and let them know they were on your mind.
❤ If you see an item that reminds you of a friend or family member, pick it up and surprise them with an "I love you gift."
❤ Randomly send a text or email to a friend with a fun memory or picture.
❤ Know that a friend is in the hospital? Check the hospital website to see if they do eCards. ( A lot of children's hospitals do this.) You go on the website fill out the form and the hospital volunteers will print off the card and deliver it to the patient's room. Sending a joke or funny story is always a good option to make them smile. A verse from God's word is always good to include.
❤ Offer to babysit for a young family FOR FREE so mom and dad can have a date night!
❤ Be creative...Pintrest has hundreds of cute ideas!! (See pictures below for some other ideas)
❤ Do you have some exciting news to share? Make sure to include a friend or family member who is going through hard times. Let them be excited with you.
❤ Surprise a friend at work or home with a coffee, smoothie, shake or another treat they like.
❤ Make it a point to look around when you walk into church. Who is sitting by themselves with no one to talk to? Go over and talk to them. Make them feel loved and included.
❤ Invite a family from church over for a meal.
❤ Bake cookies and take them to an elderly person who can't get out very much...and stay to visit for 30 minutes or so.
❤ Remember a friend's birthday with a card or small gift.
❤ Be a listening ear when a friend or family member just needs to talk.
❤ Love on people like they are NORMAL and not just because they are going through a hard time. I know Kayli liked to talk about random things. She didn't always want to talk about her cancer or how she was feeling. We would talk about "What Not to Wear" or "Say Yes to the Dress," her newest nail polish or things happening at church. Now this is a fine balance; you don't want to ignore the hard stuff if they want to talk, but there are ways to open the door for discussion without forcing the subject.
I hope this list gives you a start, but look for your own ways to love on people. Make it your own!
Kayli's Sis at Heart,
Joy
Gift Ideas:
Gifts I have either given or received
Joy (Miller) Steiner & Kayli first met when the Hostetler family visited the Orrville Grace Brethren Church when Kayli was one and Joy was six. The Millers and the Hostetlers hit it off rather quickly and in later years the kids began referring to each other as the "Millstetlers. Joy says, "I thank the Lord for Kayli and the friendship He gave us!! And even though I have cried buckets of tears over the past 14 years, I wouldn't trade the moments we shared for anything!"