Prayer Praise: Day 30

Micah 6:8 NIV
[8] He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.

I learned that Amber Davis, one of my colleagues from law school years ago, lost her battle to cancer recently.

As I read through the posts of our mutual friends on Facebook, tears came to my eyes.

I never would have thought when I had first met her that I would outlive her.

Amber had an innate ability to encourage anyone around her who needed encouragement. When we met in 2006, we were mutually going through the crucible of our first year of law school, often called 1L for short. Amber’s curiously and insatiable capacity to debate legal topics powered her through the challenges of learning the language of the law. Amber’s interest in the law prevailed, but mine didn’t, as I detailed later in my memoir. In retrospect, I recognized that the Holy Spirit had called me to do something else instead of pursuing law, and I wouldn’t be the mom I am today if God hadn’t redirected me.

Even so, I recall Amber discussing a Torts case in which the client had been injured in a skiing accident. Amber brought life to the dry, legal language of our case book during the class discussion.

I don’t remember what we were studying that day (perhaps it was negligence), but all I remember was Amber saying, “bunny hill” in reference to the slope in which the accident took place. We had been learning how to ask questions and think critically by arguing in the alternative, and she had synthesized the method of legal reasoning with ease and humor.

She may have spoken up in class every day. She certainly showed no shyness when expressing her opinion. I remember participating in study groups with her and her best friend, Margo. I looked up to her and admired her passion for the law.

None of us knows how long we may live on this earth.

Each breath is precious.

We don’t often contemplate our mortality, but each day is nothing short of a gift.

Amen.