Family letter 2010

Pretty sure this is the final version:

Dear Friends and Family, December 2010

Searching for a common thread for our family from the past year, it’s hard to ignore 5 visits to the ER, 2 casts, a wheelchair, a burial and Thanksgiving day in the hospital. But that would not be the whole story. It would only be the small, surface story and a sad one at that. The whole story is much deeper…Thank God!

Our awareness of the larger story helps us see that even (or especially) in the crisis, tragedy and trauma of our lives, God is working in ways that we hardly ever understand in the moment. Yet, in hindsight, we are in awe of His love and His ways that are beyond our thinking. So we press on, projecting the knowing of hindsight into a faith in the present; that our Father loves us and toward the future; that He will continue to work all things for our good.

Jacob (fractured foot) is getting rave reviews at school once again and seems to be setting the Steele height record each year but still looks up about a foot to Clark (pulled muscle) who enjoyed being part of varsity football this year and moved to the other side of the line as a tight end, now heavier and almost as tall as Dad ( 2 finger injuries) who has restructured his business and just plain glad he has work like Kara (broken leg, bruised everywhere else from a major car accident) who is now an adult(!): working part time, at jr. college part time, and being a good friend full time including to Cheri (severe anemia, surgery) which she really needed as she has had most of the tragedy and trauma this year including the passing of her mother in September, which was completely unexpected. Sometimes life is like the breathless run-on sentence you just read but Marilyn’s passing was like the end of a chapter. A too-sudden end that required putting the book down and absorbing that reality.

Life will go on. It has. But it’s different now. It’s deeper and more fragile. We are reminded of our mortality…then reminded of our immortality. Then we rest, and He restores our souls. And we are so thankful. For Him and many of you that have reached out to our family. We are humbled and encouraged by your love.

Our hope and prayer for you, us and everyone is that we continue to find rest in God, that we continue to follow Jesus as the Way, the Truth, and the Life, and that our awareness and desire for the larger story would cause us to keep seeking the Writer of our story.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

The Steeles: J, Cheri, Kara, Clark, and Jacob