Thankful for:

 

Journal Entry:

March 16, 2004

“Molly called.  She had suggestions for me as to job possibilities and is going to keep her eyes and ears open for me.  Worked on resume and cover letter-sent them to Bill to critique and edit.”

The first thing that came to mind when I read this is family and friends.  Where would I be without them?  From the beginning of this journey to this day God has place people in my life who have loved, encouraged, confronted when needed, and just been there for me.  They’ve laughed and cried with me.  Some of them have walked a short way on the path with me bringing just what I needed at that time.  Many have been by my side for the entire trip.  What a blessing they’ve each been in their own way!

I’m not going to try to name them all.  Many have been mentioned already before in this blog.  I’m sure I’ll mention others in future posts.  The thing they all have in common is a willingness to reach out to someone who was hurting and seeking and needing a helping hand.  They all took time out of their busy lives to make a difference in my life.  I remember each one of them to this day with thankfulness and love.  I am going to talk about the two mentioned in this entry.

Molly is one of my dearest friends in the world.  She’s become a sister to me.  She’s been with me through good and bad times.  She’s taken care of me through surgeries, helped me move, gone on trips to Georgia, shared many a meal, enjoyed Gaither concerts, and loved my puppy just to name a few things.  We’ve shared prayer concerns, family matters, joys, sorrows, much laughter, and some tears.  We can go weeks without speaking but if I need her all I have to do is call.  She’s truly a gift from God.

Bill.  What can I say?  I tell people he was the finest Christian man I’ve ever known and I’ve known some good ones.  Yes, I said was.  God took him Home 4 years ago last month.  I may talk about that on another day but today I want to focus on who he was in this life. 

This man was my brother-in-law.  He came into my life when he started dating my sister in February 1968.  From the beginning he treated this spoiled bratty little sister with respect.  He became my brother when he married Pat. 

If I tried to list all the ways he supported me over the years it would fill more pages than one can imagine.  He was there for me financially, emotionally, or with any questions or concerns I had.  I tell people he was my go to guy for legal or any other kind of advice.  He was always willing to listen to and give me great advice.

All of the cousins adored that man.  He became a father figure to my kids.  In fact, everyone in our family adored Bill.  He became the human rock of our family.  His faith in God was evident to everyone who ever met him.  His sense of humor was unique and always made us laugh.  His generosity was unmatched. 

The one thing I will always remember about Bill was his encouragement as I created this new life after my divorce.  I’d call him and say, “I’m not sure I can do this”.  His reply was always “why not?”  He never let me doubt myself or my abilities.  If there was anything he could do to support me he did it.  There was never any pressure to succeed, just encouragement.  If I tried something and it didn’t work out there was no problem.  Just move on to the next thing.

No, he was not perfect because there’s only been one perfect Person to ever walk this earth.  However, he was as close as I’ve seen in my lifetime.  I miss him still.

The point of this post is that God uses His children to minister to those who are lost, seeking, hurting, or in any kind of need.  His word tells us to

This just what so many people have done and are doing for me still today.  My hope is that in my words and actions I do the same for others.  It’s through the presence of God in my life that I’m able to share His love, mercy and grace with others.  What a joyful way to live!

Father,

Thank You for bringing so many wonderful people into my life.

Today I thank You especially for Molly and Bill.

Enable me to share the kindnesses they have shown to me with others.

In Jesus’ Name,

Amen.