They each know someone with bipolar...

Here's what I find so interesting...Well a few things really but let's start with this. Every single person I've talked to personally about the book I'm writing says this to me, "Oh, I know someone who is bipolar" or "Oh, I have a family member who is bipolar." That just amazes me. Even though I know the statistics say approximately 6 million people have bipolar, it still just boggles my mind that God continues to bring me people who validate what it is we are doing with this book.

So the second thing that I find so interesting is how God uses struggles in our lives that we never, ever anticipated using ourselves. I've always wanted to write books, but never imagined that I would be writing a book on bipolar and marriage. Of course, I never imagined we would be dealing with this illness but here we are right in the thick of it, so why not write a book about it?

The third thing I find interesting is how God has given us peace through this process. I mean when I think about where we were when this whole thing got started, to where we are now...again, it just boggles my mind. Not only have we written a book that chronicles very intimate details of Grant's diagnosis and treatment, but we've also shared some significant marital strife because of his illness. And we haven't had one disagreement about it. Grant's 100% on board saying, "If one person is encouraged by this, then it will have all been worth it." That is a miracle in my opinion, especially since he's a guy and guys don't generally want to share their stuff, especially not with potentially a whole lot of readers.

God has used this process to continue the healing in our marriage and in each of us as individuals. Oh, how I never would have imagined being where we are today, and can only say that I'm amazed at how God works and how he uses things in our lives.
It could have been so different for us. Grant could have died that day, leaving me behind to grapple with an illness that I really knew nothing about. But instead God intervened, and carried us through the most horrific storm we could ever have imagined. To try and sum it all up in one final chapter feels almost impossible...the story isn't finished yet so how do you say, "the end".

And so that leads me to the fourth thing I find interesting. Maybe we don't say "the end". Maybe we say "the beginning" instead. Because that's exactly where we find ourselves today...at the beginning of something new, something wonderful and bright and alive with hope. We are at the cusp of some new chance at love and life and we want to embrace it fully, living here in this moment knowing that tomorrow is in God's hands, trusting that He will provide and meet us right here right now.
So, I can't say, "the end", because it's not the end...it's the beginning. And I'm so thankful for that.