Update #90 1/2: Unparalleled Gifts

Hi friends -

For those of you on Facebook, you have already read this update.  Because of the craziness here at Disney (fabulously easy craziness that is!) of the last few days, I haven't had time to send this out via email as well.  (Normally, I do it the other way around…I email it first, and then post it to my blog, then link it to Facebook).  So…my apologies for the delay in getting this to you.  Further, I am including one picture that shows almost all – but not even close to all – of the gifts that we have received from (mainly) college friends from Grove City College.  I will be posting more pictures (in case you're interested in seeing them) to the blog.  Www.kristierush.blogspot.com  

Here's the much delayed update with my sincere apologies….

Just SOME of the gifts we received...
Back: Jeff & Debbie (Higgs), Chad & Kristie, Bob & Jan (Rich)
From: Matthew, Daniel, Jacob, Andrew, Ryan & Emilie

Ok. So. Saturday was – and still is - just about impossible to grasp.

Please read my Grove City College friend Jennifer Wimer Hill 's post as copied below:

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"Having a great Valentine's Day! Yesterday was a hard day. My dear friend Kristie Rich Rush shared the latest update in her 14 year battle with cancer that she had now officially become a hospice patient, and that she and her family were travelling to Disney for a family weekend and wanted our prayers that her body would hold up to the rigors that this would entail. But then, this MAGICAL WAVE started among ALL of our college friends. And out of sadness, a huge display of love was born. A great guy started a group message saying that a fellow graduate was now a VP down at Disney and wanted to help us coordinate a Valentine's explosion of love for the Rush family. This message grew and multiplied, and at my last count there are over 140 people involved in several message groups. Well, we all started calling the Disney resort and arranging for flowers, gifts, snacks, balloons, cards, Mickey hats, you name it, being delivered TODAY to them. The Disney Customer Service reps are having a BLAST with this, are familiar with the Rush story when we start off with the words "Kristie and Chad" and told us that they had a dedicated DELIVERY TRUCK which was full of our orders and a driver to set up their room, as well as several CS reps coordinating our orders of which they had actually run out of some items! It has been so much fun reconnecting with people I haven't seen in 20 years, enjoying the Rush Family reactions, and I really doubt that any other college community could pull off this big of an outpouring of God's love in just a few short hours yesterday afternoon. Way to go GROVE CITY COLLEGE classes of 1991-1996 or so! Read Kristie's blog at kristierush.BlogSpot.com <http://kristierush.blogspot.com/> - you will be touched and inspired - and please continue to pray for them as well."

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Now imagine coming back to your hotel room (after a FABULOUS day of zipping around Epcot in your now-beloved scooter) and finding a floral delivery woman unloading CARTFULS of flowers and gifts. I mean...like...a crazy amount of gifts...32 gorgeous floral arrangements, 10 amazing cooler/picnic basket gift sets, 5 balloon bouquets with stuffed animals, several fruit and food and treat baskets….

No seriously.  Picture that. 

Picture glancing around your room and wondering if you, somehow, accidentally stepped into a wonderfully stocked gift store.

Now...imagine trying to absorb that. 

And then, as you look closely at each card attached to each item, you realize that they all came from people who you went to college with 20 years ago.

People who know your story and are prompted by God to UNLEASH HIS LAVISH LOVE UPON YOU.

What would your reaction be?

Would you bury your tear-stained incredulous face into the also-amazed arms of the delivery woman? And hold on tightly as you both marveled at the wonder and beauty of it?

Yes. Me too.

And then what?

How would you then process all that?

Yeah. That's where I am too.

No words.

None.

Not a one.

So for tonight...i'm going to let that just be all that's said. I'm going to just receive all that love. And i'm going to do my best to fall asleep as I breathe deeply the beautiful fragrance filling our room.

Thank you to ALL who extended this crazy love to my family and me.

The note we included in the gifts that we
(and the Disney Resort Staff) gave away
to any guest on a scooter or in a wheelchair
or adaptive stroller.

Please know that, tomorrow, our entire family (including some of the Disney staff at this resort) will have the privilege of sharing many of these wonderful gifts with those we see - from little ones to grown-ups - who are also trekking thru Disney on scooters or in wheelchairs or adapted strollers. May the message of the radical, lavish love of God be proclaimed in ways that make eternal differences.

Can't wait.

To be the hands and feet of Christ is a privilege...a great blessing.

Oh...my...goodness..