{Matt Mooney} wrestling

I am beyond honored to have Matt Mooney guest blogging today.

I’m certain you’ve seen his YouTube video.

After all, it’s has over 3 MILLION views and counting.

If you haven’t seen it, you need to by the end of this post.

If you have seen it, I know without a doubt that you cried by the end of it.

I can go to Vegas on that.

Matt and Ginny are truly an inspiration.

And I don’t say things like that lightly.

I am in awe of their faith.

Their honesty.

Their love.

{New to this site?  Read the FAQ‘s to get an idea of what this is all about.}

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“Life Rearranged”.

I like that.

It resonates with me; and yet it feels a bit too cute for me to take part.

So, I take out the red pen of my mind and begin to try and find a title that seems appropriate.

Life torn up. Life screwed up. Life left the building. The Life I never knew I wanted. Life.

I realize I cannot do any better.

And here is a sliver of the story that has rearranged all of me and continues to do so:

In the wake of Eliot’s life, my wife, Ginny, and I grappled with many foes including our grief, our faith, and our marriage. In these times, all that I thought I knew, I now questioned.

In the palatial arena of my mind, I slipped on a mask, a cape, and nylon hot pants in order to wrestle with God. My spandex outfit was not the only thing that made onlookers cringe, as I took my grievances straightway to the Father. I leapt from the turnbuckle, assuaging Him with questions including where had He gone and why was He not answering my cries for healing and life. I knew all along that I was outmatched by my opponent, but only rage emboldens more than liquor, and I kept coming.

And a strange thing happened. I lived. It seemed that God welcomed the match as He humbled Himself, allowing this child to swing away. And I, like Jacob, walked away from the ring with a limp and a blessing. The heavyweight belt I received from taking my greatest pain to Him was intimacy not answers- a paradox I explain with the following:

I know God more, and understand Him less.

Time has not healed all wounds, but the passage of time has allowed me to see God’s redemptive hand toiling to make good from the wreckage in my life. In this world, he has shown me pieces of the work He will one day finish in full- making all things new. One of the greatest evidences of His labor this side of forever has been our involvement with 99 Balloons– an organization we founded to build a community of people working with special needs children and families. The vision has grown from a local respite night to now include work on a national and international level.

If you would like to help join us in this work there are a few ways to do so. You can obviously give- because changing the world is not always free. Also, we are seeking to learn of any individuals, organizations, or churches doing great work with special needs children in the United States and beyond (info@99balloons.org).

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As Matt said, the fundraiser this time around is for the foundation that he and Ginny started.

“Among the many gifts he [Eliot] brought his parents was a passion to help special needs children and their families.

99 Balloons Inc. was founded in 2007 to serve as a non-profit umbrella organization in order to fulfill this vision. rEcess was the first 99 Balloon’s initiative. The capitalized “E” in rEcess is no mistake. The Mooneys were on the receiving end of much help and assistance from others that enabled them to better care for Eliot, and that is what this night is all about- serving families in ways that help them better care for their children.”

I love that they were compelled to help others.

They are the whole POINT behind this blog.

“Life doesn’t always go as planned.  Help others anyway.”

I love that rather than wallow in their own despair (which I can imagine would be crazy easy to do), they reached out.

They lived the Gospel.

They ARE living the Gospel.

Goosebumps.

Tears.

Speechless.

Ginny has a jewelry making business called Addition.

And as always, each fundraiser hosted here at LifeRearranged is paired with a giveaway.

For every dollar you donate, you get one entry to win:

The eliot necklace.

“The design incoporates one unique, bright bead that stands out from the rest. There are 9 beads on each side to commerate his 99 days here with us.”

The more you give, the more entries you are given.

You can also enter to win by subscribing to the LifeRearranged blog and leaving a comment in THIS post letting me know you did. (1 entry)

So please…

Give.

Because it is good.

It is one way you can help.

It is one way you can support others.

It is one way you can love.

Because saving the world isn’t always free.

Love that.

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jeannett

I'm a mom to four. A wife to one. I believe in story. I love telling you about mine and would love to hear yours. There's really no sense in wasting our suffering and not sharing in each other's joy. We're all in this together...even if it doesn't always feel like it.

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