Life

Each step of life is a journey that you choose to walk.

Each moment of life is another line, sentence, paragraph and chapter of the book called your life.

Enjoy all that life has to offer, good friends, good food, good coffee and as always wisdom and a good laugh.

~Jen





27 November 2010

And now...

a portion of the rest of the story. I just love Paul Harvey. I miss him as a broadcaster. But that does not have much to do with my story. So I'm not sure how much I blogged on over the past 10 days or so...I mean outside of music of the week or the Thanksgiving Countdown. I did enjoy the countdown, but then again, I love countdowns. And yes, we did have a very nice, low key Thanksgiving.

So let me back up to Wednesday the 17th. On Wednesday my phones were shut off. That happens...then on Thursday my car, broke down while taking my daughter to school & myself to work. That does not happen...often. Now mind you that I have no phone...hello feeling like it's 1995! There was a lady that stopped and helped us out. Funny story...she does not stop for strangers on the side of the road, but God told her to. So she did. Come to find out we had attended College Place at the same time & she had attended Blythe Island UMC with my Mother-In-Law. So she recognized me. To her & to me...it was a blessing.

So as the morning goes...I'm doing OK with it all knowing that God is in control & the He will take care of everything. Friday, I go to balance the checkbook and my life insurance drafted!! OUCH! I was not ready for that to happen and that quickly put us into a negative balance with other things left outstanding...

I panic. Wouldn't you? Well...I did and at that moment, I lost faith. I was completely devastated and I really was not sure what was going to happen next. I receive a Facebook message from an acquaintance, now a friend. She offers me her car to drive until I get mine back. God has just revealed Himself. I am overwhelmed and grateful. OH yeah...did I mention that I had not gone shopping in a couple of weeks and there is no food in my house! Yeah...that happen.

So I am praying for food, money, and faith...not in that order, but all three. It's now Saturday and I am at our Feed the Need (insert irony here). I am doing all right considering what is going on in my personal life, but deep down wondering how it's all going to come together. Another friend of mine talks with me and asks what is going on. So I share a bit of the temporary circumstance that my family & I are in. She tells me not to worry and that it's covered. I hugged her neck to thank her and she said, not to worry. That is what we are here for, to help each other in times of need. God reveals himself, again.

I get a message from my pastor too...on Friday. He told me to stop by the church, to pick up a few things. I did & it was enough to get through a week. I am so overwhelmed and grateful. I get home that Saturday afternoon after running some errands, and there is food upon food sitting in my living room! Now I am overwhelmed! God is proving to me that I can trust Him and that He does care for me and what happens to me.

Saturday evening...my friend has my daughter stay at her house. We all go...because we were going to go pick up a couple more things. Milk, Sugar, Coffee were the only things not in the house at this point, but my friend had us stay for dinner. Again, a blessing and God's provision. So Sunday I am at that point of tears by the compassion that people have shown by God's design and I am praying at the alter just to give thanks and to just have a moment with God...

I get home from church and I come home to a football game and happy faces. That was nice. Mike pulls me into the room to let me know that his Mom has given some money and a food card to help us get through. OK...now I know that there is NO denying that when God's children cry out, He hears. I am in tears and I really don't know what to say or do. I just thanked my Mom. We head over to the church Sunday afternoon for Thanksgiving dinner and it was just a great time of fellowship, again I still feel so grateful and overwhelmed that I just don't know what to do other than be thankful. I was getting ready to leave when I was informed that there were some bags for me to pick up in the other room. OK. So I head over to the other building to get what was there...and I was stopped by another friend who I just had to share all this goodness with. What I didn't know is that God had spoken to him as well to help us out. As I was sharing God's goodness & as he was ministering to me about what God has shown him, he hands me a check. Now I just don't know what to do! My God, you are so good and your bounty is never ending! How much I have received by your hand that all I can do is say thank you!

So with that...I cried.

So now it's Monday. I'm at work & having a good morning and hoping that I am encouraging at least one person who hears. We are preparing for a night of worship with recording artist, Jason Gray. I've met Jason before. Such a nice guy & I'm excited about tonight. So we are there and Jason greets us as we get everything else ready before our guests arrive and as we settle in for the evening...I tell you the truth every word that Jason spoke that night was straight from the Holy Spirit and ministered to me like nothing else. It was crazy in a good way.

Tuesday morning - I have read the first couple of chapters of JOB. I needed to read how a worthy person in God's eyes persevered through such a time of trial. It's comforting to know that God is present during each step of life, and He will not let go, all we have to do is ask Him to hold onto us. I have finished up another air shift with Bart and I get a call from Pastor Whit. He was unable to go to the concert on Monday and had asked me to get Jason's autograph. I had done that for my friend and when he came up to see me & to get his gift he asked how I was doing. I wear my worry on my face & would never be able to play poker. He saw me troubled and asked what was going on. As I shared and he listened and then he shared and I listened, it was so great to hear God speaking to me again through another person. Than to top that off, as I read my emails I read from another friend how she felt moved to talk to me on Sunday and didn't, but God spoke to her again to share with me what was on her heart. It was just the right words to read from her as well.

God is present. I am in Awe.

Wednesday morning...I get to work ready to work and singing praise and thanksgiving for all the blessings that God has given. There is another gift on my desk. Another food card. By who? I don't know. What a blessing. Thank you God. I talked with my mom. I share with her what all has happened. I knew I was still short money, and I did not want to have my mom give me money, so I asked her for a small loan. She and my Dad agreed. Another blessing...oh yeah...and mom gave me food too...Crazy! I know have about 2 months worth of food staples in my home. I have never, NEVER had that before. God is Crazy Good. By the afternoon...I had my car back and working. I told the guys at the shop that I would get it Thursday. No problem.

Thursday...Thanksgiving. We get up and are lazy all morning! Finally get ready and get the car. Then we drove out to return my friends car. She invites (quite persistently) that we stay for dinner. We did and it was nice. She shared with me part of her story. We have friends in common and Coca-Cola in common as well as singing. What I did not know is that she too, lost a child. I asked her if she'd be willing to share her story. She may. I pray she does. A gift of the prophetic is what she has and she is amazing and a blessing in my life.

So here it is Saturday well almost Sunday morning and I am finally able to take all these events and put them down. Glory to God and God alone. I knew that this... situation...was far greater than me, or anything I could do. I knew that it would have to come from God and God alone. He once again showed Himself, not just to me, but to my family, my husband, my children, and people around me. Thank you God for your Faithfulness and for giving me another reason to trust you, the one I should never doubt.

~Peace & Blessings~
Jen

3 comments:

  1. Wow...praise God. This is incredible, Jen. Sometimes I wish that we could have God grow us without the pain. :(

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  2. Jen,
    We all struggle and we all have times where we are in the valley. It is there that God meets us. It isn't always the mountain that we are able to feel Him. You my dear were truly crying out with all your heart and spirit to Him and you were willing to hear Him and you did.. So many of us during the time in the valley get so caught up in what is happening that we can't hear Him from listening to our own selves.. Jen you are a treasure yourself and we are not perfect, but what makes a person stand out is the ability to shine in God's light or let His light shine through us during our circumstance. You are an extraordinary woman and I can very glad to now call you friend as well. You are a special sister in Christ and I cherish you. I know God has great things in store for you and I know that you to must dance in your storms.. I am always here and will be more than willing to dance it out with you. Will will praise Him in the sunshine and we will Praise Him in the Storm.
    Your testimony is very touching and very well put, because you know it is in God's hands and He is seeing you through <3<3
    Love ya Jen and May you Shine Shine Shine in the glory of the Lord and may He continue to cover you in the soaking : )
    Tonya

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  3. Yes, Jason I agree I wish we could grow w/o pain, but would we really grow? I doubt it. I know He is not done yet, but there was so much good that came out of this situation that I had to share and testify.

    Tonya...you are a friend indeed & I'm so thankful for you and your family. Thank you again, for everything.

    Jen

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