If wishes fell like rain, then certainly I am a storm. I am the product of preachers wishing the next generation knows the Word better than them. The red letters of Christ’s words flow through me like my own blood. I am the product of past generations wishing for education to be available to all. I have opportunities to further myself that were once unimaginable. I am the product of my mother wishing that her daughter would be ok. I climbed mountains with her as my rope and Christ as the anchor at the top of the mountain. Christ guided her, who in turn guided me through my education. These wishes flowed together to create the storm that is me. A woman guided by God who now knows nothing can stand in her way with God guiding her. His breath blowing me where He needs me to be. His voice whispering His guidance into my ears.
God weaves His blessings together with the strings of hardships in this life. The strings of a learning disability have been used to form a great work ethic. The strings that once held my family together caused a path to the other side of America. While the move was hard, it was my moment of serendipity. My life had a new meaning and my relationship with God grew. I felt a joy that I had not felt since my parent’s divorce. God guided me to the people I needed to grow closer to Him and rediscover the purpose He has for me. Life is once again beautiful.
The door cracked open, revealing a long forgotten room. Lilly gasped as she looked at her late brother’s room, still just as messy as when he was alive. Michael had been 14 years older than Lilly, and today he has been gone 14 years. His once tiny sister now a woman at 18 years old with her blonde hair always braided down her back. “Hi, Michael. I miss you. Mom is terrified of me leaving for college in a few weeks. How is it that a ghost I don’t even remember has so much control over my life? You messed up. You initiated a fight with a bigger guy. Yet here I am, boxed into this stupid house,” Lilly whispers as she looks at a senior picture of her brother. He has that mischievous grin on his face, and his green eyes sparkle with glee at his plan. He has a plan to get out of Holly Hill, South Carolina. He has a plan to change the world. A plan that was shattered in mere seconds all those years ago. Neither Lilly nor their mother talk about Michael much. His name turned into a hush shared by the walls. His face only known by pictures scattered around the house. His memory locked in his mother’s mind, where they can never be harmed again.
