Good morning…
Yesterday renown basketball player Kobe Bryant died in a helicopter crash at age 41. I jotted these notes as I listened to the news report. “Legendary advocate for boys sports and girls sports alike. Poised. Self-aware. Hard working. Man of the world. Determined to prove himself. Endured grueling rehab so that our last image of him on the court was close to vintage Kobe Bryant. He scored 60 points in his last game. Left the game at peace. The next morning he had cup of coffee, went to church, and said thank you for his career. A huge make shift memorial quickly grew. Adoring fans chanting Kobe. Floored. Heartbroken. Sports icon and more. More than just a person. Kobe spent his life moving out to make a difference.”
I know someone else who spent her life moving out to make a difference.
Three years ago my dear, bright-eyed friend Julie Harlan died of stomach cancer at age 41. Unaware of her cancer, she and I shared lunch the week before she received her shocking diagnosis. Julie told me she was cutting down her work hours to pursue her dream of beginning a non-profit organization to help underprivileged kids in the city of Atlanta to experience God through outdoor adventures. Within a handful of weeks, enduring grueling treatments, Julie left earth for heaven. As described by a man in the video below, God wired Julie to instinctively know: “When you take a child and you sit a box on top of them, all they know is what is inside the box. But if you remove that box then the rest of the world is at their fingertips.”
Take a moment to watch the touching video shown at our third annual Julie’s Dream gathering on Saturday night. See Julie’s bright smiling eyes and hear the stories of the grateful children whose eyes and ears, hearts and fingertips are now exploring the God of all creation because Julie Harlan dared to dream big.
How beautiful is the person who comes over the mountains to bring good news, who announces peace and brings good news, who announces salvation and says… “Your God is King” (Isaiah 52:7, NCV).
…Sue…
