Sam

This is my "little big" girl, as we always called her (photo by son-in-law Steven Johnson). That's cuz she grew to be about six inches taller than my oldest daughter and she always was a big strong Swedish-looking girl, whereas Anna Maria's features were always on the lower end of the growth chart. I just went to see Sam Monday evening, a one and a half hour drive over the mountain and through the hills to Hornell. It can be a bit treacherous this time of year, but I was grateful for mild weather. Snow and ice came the next evening.
Ana (Sam) is grieving the loss of a friend. Gerry died about two weeks ago now. For Sam this is the fourth friend she has lost. She also still grieves over a friend's baby that died about two years ago, a baby Sam cared for often. So it's been a hard week for her, but she's working through the grief in a very healthy manner. And for that I am grateful. I told God that I wondered if he wasn't giving that poor child too big a burden to bear and He reminded me that "He who began a good work in Sam would be faithful to complete it."
I found that interesting because Sam herself told me that she'd be okay, that God never gives us more than we can take. She then reminded me of her high school years when the stress from her burdens became so great that her little body shut down. "If you're not careful, you're going to lose her," the doctor said at the time. This past Monday as Sam reminded me of those days, she said, My body nearly gave out on me, Mom, but even then I didn't quit, remember?
And I guess that story tells you quite a bit about my little-big girl. She usually is more concerned about others than she is about herself.