Our Path

Girl meets boy at youth group. Girl thinks boy is young and goofy (14 months younger seems like a lot at 15), but there is something about him...Boy thinks girl is hot!:). They flirt, a lot. He asks her out, but says she will have to pick him up because he isn't old enough to drive yet...she thinks this is hilarious and laughs...they don't go out then. Fast forward 13 years, as they both live and learn, fail and succeed and grow in Christ. That dorky boy Googled me and asked me out again. This time I say yes. On our first date he says we are getting married. I laugh again, but secretly I think he is the one!  Two months later we are engaged and ten months later the dorky, but hot boy marries me!  I'm very thankful God had a plan bigger than us!  He knew I needed this man's gentleness and strength to walk me through many joys and an extreme heartache. Reinventing the Blackwells comes from a place of really having to trust and know that God is good in all things, even in death.  
     I was sitting on the couch on a beautiful Saturday morning, after a Friday at the lake with our little family and a night of backyard camping. This morning Stephen had made pancakes and we were planning our day. I had texted back and forth some with Zach, my twin brother, about our plans. About 30 minutes later I got two texts in a row from friends. One saying just that they would keep our boys. I told Stephen, "Hey!  This is weird, but we might be getting a date day!"  Then, from another saying they heard about Zach's wreck and were praying for us. I remember just freezing. I instantly knew he was on his motorcycle and this was bad. The rest is a blur. Maybe, Stephen can share that part sometime. Within 10 minutes, I found out my best friend from the very beginning of life, my twin and womb-mate, was dead. Instantly, from a stupid motorcycle wreck. 
      It has been 1 year, 10 months and 13 days. It has been horrible, stressful, and tear-filled, but also it is bringing me to a place of real truth, life evaluation and complete trust in God. A beautiful and scary place. We hope to bring you on this journey with us. The walk isn't easy, but I do believe Romans 8:28, All things work for good for those who know God and are called according to his purpose. 2 Corinthians 1:3 tells me God is a God of comfort, and I can testify to that.  Life is hard, life is messy, life is sad, but with Christ it is joy-filled!  We are reinventing our lives because Christ reinvented us!  Thanks for walking this journey with us!  

In Christ alone,
Robin Blackwell

In memory of my Zach Sewell