Just a Closer Walk with Thee

There is a woman I've known since I was in fifth grade.  She introduced me to the clarinet and later to the oboe.  She opened the door for an opportunity to be a part of something musically beautiful, and I will be forever thankful for that.  She was there as I, and my classmates, grew and discovered.  She was my band teacher.. but she was always so much more. She was, and is even more now, a friend, a mentor, an inspiration.
I can honestly say that my favorite place to be through high school was on the couch in her office.  It was a safe place for my friends and me to be, a place of comfort so much deeper than those worn cushions.  She understood us as so much more than students. There, among the sheet music and reeds, I felt so at home, so welcomed.  We talked and laughed, discussed and learned about things beyond textbooks, we prayed. Her faith was apparent to me then, and it inspires me now.
God only gives you what you can handle.
You've probably heard it, you've probably said it.. I know I have.  Many times over the last year I have wondered Just how much one person, one family can handle.
She's been through a lot. And, not just her.. but her family also.  She has faced so many challenges and faced them with strength and courage and faith.  I'm sure, as anyone who is human would, she's doubted and she's been afraid and she's broken down.. But, she never lets it get her down for long.  She comes back stronger and more determined and with more faith and trust in God.  She shows me how to let go of my worry, if only for a little while, and trust that everything will work out as it needs to.  When I find myself struggling with the little petty problems in my life, I think of her.  And I say a little prayer.. a prayer for her and her family..

I am weak, but Thou art strong;
Jesus, keep me from all wrong;
I’ll be satisfied as long
As I walk, let me walk close to Thee.

Just a closer walk with Thee,
Grant it, Jesus, is my plea,
Daily walking close to Thee,
Let it be, dear Lord, let it be.

I truly believe that God brings people into our lives for a reason.  People to help us along this road of life, to help us grow, to walk with us.  I am blessed to call my band teacher my Friend.  I'm so very glad to have her in my life.  I am a better person because I know her.