Guest Posting

Many of you know and love Jill.  

I cannot begin to tell you how much she impacted my world in such a short time.  I miss her every single day.  This holiday season, her courageous story reminds me how important it is to never take a single day or a loved one for granted.  I remember joking with her and her need to cut the chit chat and get straight to the business at hand because she wasn't afforded the luxury of time.  

I have wrestled with the Divine purpose for my friendship with Jill--especially one with such a painful end.  Why would God allow her to come into my world for such a short while and then allow her to be taken away?  

It's still hard for me to wrap my brain around the fact that she's not here.  

And how much that reality just. . . .sucks.   

But, I also choose to believe that God has a bigger purpose. 

And even though at times His purpose comes with the worst pain and loss imaginable, I know that He is always working for the greater good.

I hate the way Jill's life ended.  I hate it with everything in my being.  

However, I'm thankful that her situation allowed her to reach those of us who failed to completely understand the important things in life until meeting someone like her.

Shame on me for having to learn through that lesson through terrible things like loss and death.  

However, if I know anything about my pal, Jill, I know she would be most pleased with us remembering her this way.  It would bring her great joy to see us learn from her death for a greater purpose.

She loved us so, so, so much, didn't she?

So, in addition to being incredibly thankful for Jill and the joy she brought to all of our lives, I'm extremely thankful that through her death she taught us all how to live.  

My guest post today on Caroline's blog was written in honor and memory of Jill Hollis and the tremendous impact she continues to have on our lives.