363 ~ that is the number of days that have seem to have flown by and have crawled all at the same time. 363 ~ that is the number of days I have moved forward with one foot in front of the other and forged on with some days being better than others. Very few without at least one tear shed. Never one without saying ~ Hi Daddy because I know he is with me every single day. How do I know that you ask? Because my Daddy told me he would always be with me and he is and numerous times he has shown me. He was always a man of his word and continues to be every single day.

Miss M said to me out of the blue one day ~ Momma, I wish people knew Pappy’s story. She’s talking about the story of our journey from the end of October, 2016 to April 21, 2017. Someday, I will share our story. But not today. It is a beautiful story. One that needs more time dedicated to it than what I have to share with it at the moment. I will tell you this, God had His hand in it all and continues to to this day. Just like this upcoming weekend for instance. My brother, his family and their church planned a church retreat in Tennessee back in February with the travel date of March inviting Miss M to come along. Then due to circumstances I am unaware of, the date was changed to this weekend. When my sister-in-love told me the dates it was changed to, I said PERFECT. God knew that Miss M and my brother needed to be out of town and not here. I said – thank you Jesus!

Yesterday, when I pulled in the garage and I looked around and saw my Daddy’s name on several banners and the yard sign I had made for his business, I cried. I even had the audacity to say out loud through my tears ~ why? God knows why. He knows everything. And as His daughter, I trust Him just like I always trusted my Earthly father. I never asked him why ~ I knew better and I know better than to ask my Heavenly Father why. But as a child does ~ I made a mistake.

Proverbs 3:5-6 King James Version (KJV)

⁵ Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.