I Must Be Close to Dehydration

After being at the air show yesterday where we could not carry in water and then stuck in traffic for over an hour before we could get someplace to get a drink made more thirsty than I ever remember being in my life. I thought I tanked up and recovered last night, but I may have drained my body dry again tonight...after crying for an hour straight!

Let me put your mind at ease. We have NOT had a family tragedy. But I will give you a few hints as to why I cried for an hour straight:

• Sunday night
• 7:00 PM
• ABC
• Extreme Makeover: Home Edition

OK, I like the show because it always touches my heart (read: always makes me cry), but I don't like it because it always "touches my heart". Whenever possible, I watch America's Funniest Videos, and Amanda likes to watch that with me. Of course, right after AFV, Extreme Makeover: Home Edition comes on. Amanda also likes to watch this show. She wanted to watch it tonight, so I figured I'd slip away and do a little reading while Brooke is at Life Group and Amanda is watching TV. For some silly reason, I thought I could watch the intro and then go read. Well, duh! That was indeed silly. I watched enough to hear the story:

Maryann Gilliam and her six children of Armada Township, MI, lost their father in a tragic, unexpected death on Christmas Eve.

David Gilliam simultaneously worked several jobs to support his family in order to fulfill his dream of becoming a firefighter and EMT. He was one state test away from getting his instructor coordinator license when he suddenly died. As a result of her husband's autopsy, Maryann learned that the basement of her family's home was contaminated with dangerous levels of toxic spores. Her doctor advised the mother and her six children to vacate the house for health reasons. The community has rallied around the Gilliams; since David's death, the family have lived with several family members, neighbors and friends. Currently they are living with Maryann's sister.

So within the first 3 minutes of the show I was hooked and I was crying! For the next 57 minutes I watched this family get a new home, watched big construction worker guys cry like me and saw a family taken care of like their husband/dad would have wanted. So I hugged Amanda and we cried when she went to bed after the show.

It's good to have reminders of what is really important in life...even if it makes you cry. Thank you Jesus for my family.