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Happy Go Stuckey

Tethering Grace & Togetherness

Another Valley From Which to Give Thanks…

December 9, 2010 by HappyGoStuckey 6 Comments

 A couple of weeks after we moved to Georgia, I found myself reflecting one day on trials or “valleys” and the goodness of our God. After almost 18 months of uncertainty about where and when the Lord would lead us, we were all of a sudden, where He LED us.

And then we went, and here we are.

As I reflected on all that God had done to provide for us a way to move, a place to live, a church to attend, my favorite grocery store nearby, not to mention a very good job for Lance– I was blessed beyond speech. So many times I sat down at my computer to share these joys with you and all I could do was Praise God and Thank Him for His timing.

Not many days went by before I found myself just the teeniest, tiniest bit homesick. Not for Wake Forest necessarily… though we DO miss it. But homesick for the trial. I found myself actually missing that feeling of knowing little else except that “God is GOOD and we trust Him.” Both of those things are just as true today as they were six months ago, but I know I’m not the only one who finds it less of a struggle to completely RELY on Him when we have so many unanswered questions then when things are a bit smoother. It is in those times that our relationship has the potential to grow so sweet as we are constantly and painfully aware of our helplessness.

I can honestly say that I PRAISE GOD for those many days of knowing very little of our future. I know that there will be a piece of those days in every day to come as we look to Him for our every need. Though it seems as though we were just in a period of unanswered questions, I thank Him that we find ourselves in another right now. I thank Him that there will undoubtedly be many more.. and that He will be faithful in every one.

As for today, I do not know why God chose to take our precious unborn child after only a handful of weeks of rejoicing that we would, again be parents. I don’t even know what to say but that it hurts my heart. But I will rest in the promise that He is good and we trust Him. My heart is filled with joy that this sweet Stuckey Baby will never know pain or suffering and that He or She has already seen our Lord face to face. And I cannot deny the fact that I am thankful for every little and big reminder that we are completely reliant on God for our every need. I am ever grateful for His grace. And I am even more thankful (if that’s was even possible) for my Lance and my Lucy. 

And for you… and your prayers.

And since you’ve patiently read through these many paragraphs, I shall reward you with a picture of our little family. 🙂

Just a few shots of Lucy’s antics…
Having Ourselves a Merry Little Christmas…

Comments

  1. Pam says

    December 9, 2010 at 9:00 pm

    Oh Cindy! I am so so sorry! My heart breaks for you and Lance as I know exactly the pain you are feeling. I know the heartache you have even though you also have the trust and peace that the Lord brings during this time. And how precious to know that Baby Stuckey is face to face with our Lord (and probably dancing along with Baby Weber #2)! Love you! Praying for you!!

    Reply
  2. Debbie says

    December 9, 2010 at 9:10 pm

    Cynthia,
    Thank you for sharing your heart. My heart hurts with you and I so want to be able to give you a hug. So I will trust our Good and Faithful God to wrap His arms around you and hold you for however long you need to be held. Trusting Him in the valleys of our lives causes us to live out our faith in front of a world that does not know the comfort only He can bring. May we all be found faithful!!! I love you dearly!!!

    Reply
  3. Elaine says

    December 9, 2010 at 11:37 pm

    You put into words so well the same feelings I have had over the last couple of months. We too had spent so much time waiting and trusting that it seemed a little strange to be at a point where we had answers.
    I am sorry to hear your news. While I don't know the particular pain you are feeling, I love you and am praying for you.

    Reply
  4. Tara says

    December 10, 2010 at 3:21 am

    Cindy, I am so sorry! What a beautiful post that captures your grief yet the hope that we have in Christ. Please know that I am praying for you!!!!

    Reply
  5. Caitlin L says

    December 10, 2010 at 10:11 am

    Cindy, with what beautiful and amazing grace you guys are walking through this trial. My heart grieves with yours and is so sad over this heartache, but as you said, your little one is dancing with the Lord joyfully right now. Thank you for your testimony of His goodness and being so transparent in sharing. Thank you for trusting Him and giving Him glory in the midst of so much pain. Love you so much.

    Reply
  6. Evan says

    December 13, 2010 at 5:12 pm

    Hey Cindy

    I was deeply grieved when Lance called me last week to give me the news. Christi and I have been praying for you and Lance the last few days. I appreciate you posting this. Even from the perspective you and Lance shared while still in Wake Forest. You and Lance were always an encouragement to us and we always valued your input when we were there and since our move and yours. Please know that we love you both and let us know if there is anything we can do for you.

    Reply

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Hey There!

I'm Cynthia and I'm so glad you're here. I am an introvert with an extrovert's love of gathering people together. I love good books and capturing moments. Whether you visit me here or on my own front porch, I'll be the one holding the Iced Coffee for us both.

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Joy is the courage of people who don’t have all Joy is the courage of people who don’t have all the answers, yet.

While you sit in a season of waiting,
the calendar can often be a cruel companion, reminding you that days go by, weeks, months— with what feels like very little change in the right direction.

Perhaps you can easily assent to: 
“Hope deferred makes the heart sick,

but you strain to see just how it will be when: “...a longing fulfilled is a tree of life.” (Proverbs 13:12)

Wherever you and I are today— whether we wander, wait, stand firmly planted, or some pressed together combination of all three — we can take heart.

We are not alone.
And this will not be wasted.
What seems to be an unending blank space, an indefinite pause, is a space for new things.

Long before all is made right, and whether or not it all is tied up neatly with a perfectly crafted bow— we can know this:

We do not have to know the outcome to be faithful today.

✨Joy is not disregard for reality as much as it is obstinacy against despair.✨
Hi 👋🏻 I’m Cynthia and I’m a bit weary. T Hi 👋🏻 I’m Cynthia and I’m a bit weary. There. I said it. These days I’m gravitating to the true & the beautiful as rest for my weary self... and I wonder if you are too.

So much so, that I’m starting a new little offering, it’s called “The Feast: Wonder for the Weary” and the first issue goes out this weekend. It’s a bit more personal (okay this first one is WAY more personal. 🤭) It will be a little bit of everything, all with the goal of offering REST to both the feasters & foragers alike. If you’re already a subscriber— no need to do anything, if not— click through my bio to “keep in touch” and join the feast.✨
We are a people of both lament and praise. We hol We are a people of both lament and praise.

We hold questions without answers— yet we hold them in hands already full of good things.

We hold our daily bread, our daily gifts, and we hold the daily closeness of the God Who Sees.

The God who is no stranger to our lament, and Who Is the reason for our every hope.
He does not grow weary of our asking. Of our need to be told again, He will. 

You friend, are not invisible.
You are seen and cared for by the God who does all things well. (Even when they feel anything but.)
Married love ambition: making the kids roll their Married love ambition: making the kids roll their eyes at our “gushy-ness” as often as possible. 

President & CEO of the Lance Stuckey Fan Club— in every season, but especially on days like today.
Rainy day Mocha date, courtesy of our own toasty k Rainy day Mocha date, courtesy of our own toasty kitchen.😍🌧📚

On this chilly Saturday, we spent entirely too long browsing for books at our library and then all came home to a fire, mochas, and cocoa, respectively. Of all the things we do not know at this very moment, we know the gifts abound, and are worth counting.

PS, if you haven’t spread whipped cream on a foil-lined baking sheet to freeze, and then cut out cute shapes with cookie cutters to top your coffee or hot cocoa, may I suggest you get thee on that at once.
“If God sends us on strong paths, we are provide “If God sends us on strong paths, we are provided strong shoes.” — Corrie Ten Boom

✨File under, things to save in a fire.✨

The prayer journal pictured here contains six months of the hard & the sweet.
Six months of prayers asked & answered for ourselves and for others.
Six months of seeing through prayer, not how it changed our circumstances necessarily but how it changed us.

I always appreciate a record like this— being able to clearly see the paths we are led down, rocky though they may be? Priceless.

The ways God has come near us & drawn us to Himself again and again are written on these pages and I’ll treasure it forever.

Also pictured: Psalms Illuminated Scripture Journal. Highly recommend. Thank you always, @allifarnell
“The world is indeed full of peril, and in it th “The world is indeed full of peril, and in it there are many dark places; but still there is much that is fair, and though in all lands love is now mingled with grief, it grows perhaps the greater.”
J.R.R. Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring

While scrolling through my photos today, my heart was heavy to realize how far back “before” was.

Before masks and distancing, before loss, before other, more personal bits of hard. Multitudinous change, neither all bad nor all good.

With our free time, we’ve introduced our girls to Tolkien, Bilbo, Frodo, and especially Samwise the Brave. They are officially hooked and we are delighted to watch them discover another world where evil doesn’t win, and the courage of the small matters much. {they close their eyes at the Orcs and we haven’t had a nightmare yet!}🤞🏻😂😬
I’m leaning increasingly more into the analog th I’m leaning increasingly more into the analog these days.

It started with the Sourdough and a dozen different kinds of jam last year.
I suddenly find great calm in activities that stand in direction opposition to hurry, the textbook definition of ✨work in progress.✨ And really, if you could see the other side of this piece, you would believe me. 🙃

Thank you to @thebarmyfox for making embroidery so accessible!
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