Why?

Have you ever sat back and wondered why me? Why am I in the spotlight? What is it about what I am doing that attracts so many people? As I journey through this process I find myself questioning why a lot. Today I had the chance to do something amazing and yet the whole time I was thinking "why me"? Why not her? Or him?

I'm just an ordinary girl who is on a mission. A mission that began in April of 2009 when my family found out our mom, Debra Jennings, had cancer. On that day we knew a war had begun. While it had affected our family before, this time it became personal. Surgery, chemo, radiation, more surgery, more chemo, clinical trials...it was a battle between us and that disease. She had a very resilient form of breast cancer called Triple Negative. Then suddenly, out of the blue in July of 2011 this woman who gave her all to her family passed away, still fighting the entire time. Throughout the entire journey our mom showed extreme strength and grace. Even now, looking back, I am in awe that this woman who I looked up to all of my life was even greater then I could have ever imagined. She is and always will be a hero to my family. God has truly blessed us by placing her in our lives. 

Losing my mother was the last straw...I can't sit back and watch cancer take away people prematurely. I can't. I won't. So I made a vow to do everything I could to save lives. I do not want another family to have to endure the pain we feel everyday. I don't want another daughter to not have her mom there to shop for wedding dresses, or a son who has no one to dance with during the mother-son dance on his important day. That's all I want...to save a life, to find a cure. And I know I am not the only one who feels that way so again I ask why me? Then a funny thing happened, as I was talking to a friend they proceeded to ask me..."why not you"? As I stumbled to answer he told me "every message needs a messenger for delivery and regardless of the messenger the message doesn't change. Why you and not someone else is simply because that is how God planned it. For His purpose which is bigger than we can imagine you are His messenger...so sit back and rejoice that you are blessed and highly favored." This whole experience is humbling. I am so grateful for the people that have given their support and encouragement. I just ask that everyone please bear with me as I learn to appreciate this journey by not questioning why...