Month: November 2023

“Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.”

Galatians 6:2 (RSV)

Yesterday I went to my jeweler, the one who sold my husband and I our wedding rings. He is an honest man and I trust him. When I retired, I had intentions to visit him and turn my diamond wedding band into a small diamond cross pendant to wear around my neck. It was supposed to be a birthday/retirement gift to myself, since I have degenerative arthritis and my fingers are too swollen to wear rings anymore. 

I put the visit to the jeweler off for several weeks after Jon’s accident, but yesterday, I finally found the time to take the trip to his store in Chicago.

The jeweler’s wife was in the store that day. As I was talking to her, I shared my story about Jon’s accident. She had two sons as well, but lost one of her adult sons in a fatal car accident some decades ago. His framed portrait was on the wall in their store. He was only in his early twenties when he died suddenly, and then she whispered to me that her husband never talks about it. 

Her other living son is the father of her grandchildren, just as mine is. They were even of similar ages as my own, hers are 12 and 7 and mine are 11 and 8.

In spite of the sadness of the subject, we both shared our stories with one another. There is a moment of comfort in sharing a grief held in common with someone. I realized afterward that what we actually did was to bear one another’s burdens as today’s scripture says to do.

The loss of her son leaves a sorrow for which she will always mourn. In sharing my more recent grief about Jon’s brain injury, we were able to comfort each other and bear one another’s burdens. God sends us people who are suffering in a similar way, like an ointment, or a momentary balm of comfort.

I left the store, not only with a beautiful new diamond cross, but with the blessing of having a chance to share someone’s burden which she has been carrying for decades. 

There is always someone else who is also going through whatever we are currently experiencing, and God leads us to the right people at the right time to lighten and bear one another’s burdens.  

May God continue to lead us in His perfect timing, to the particular people to bear and share our burdens with. We do not receive explanations, but we know that it is through many tribulations that we enter the kingdom of God. We also know that there is a blessing upon all who persevere in faith, through all adversities.

“Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.”

(James 1:12)

Lord, thank you for sending us people to bear and share our burdens with. Give us strength to persevere in faith, and to keep trusting that you love us and are with us in every trial we go through. Amen

COMFORT MY PEOPLE

“Blessed are they who mourn,

for they will be comforted.”

Matthew 5:4 (NAB)

Mourning is defined as the state of emotions of a person to whom something irreversible happened that leads to a feeling of sadness or regret. No one would deny that there are war torn areas of the world today where masses of people are in mourning, but one doesn’t have to live in a nation at war to be in mourning. Irreversible tragic events and shattered hopes can put anyone into a state of mourning.

Although I have lost two good friends to untimely deaths over the past two years, I have learned that mourning is the result of something more than physical death. The death of hope or hope that is shallow and limited to this life only, can lead to mourning as deep as a physical death. We were not meant to live with all our hopes invested in this present life only. 

Paul wrote that if we have hoped in Christ for this life only, (for all of our goals and dreams to be realized here and now), then we, of all people, are most to be pitied.  

(1 Corinthians 15:19)

In recently cleaning out my son, Jon’s storage unit, I discovered a file filled with documents of copyrighted rap songs he wrote, which he was trying to have published. Even though it never amounted to anything, those were his hopes and dreams for this life. Besides running his own small business for twenty years, doing asphalt sealcoating and patching driveways, his hobby was writing rap songs. 

In the last four years of his life, he lived as an atheist, rejecting God, while pursuing those song writing goals. There is something very sad about a person who pursues an ambition or a dream all for this life, without God, only to have those dreams shattered by one disabling accident. 

In his current mental state, he isn’t cognitive enough to mourn over what he has lost, but we, who are his family, are mourning for him. His twin brother, Michael, mourns for him in a unique way, after losing the fellowship of a friend and brother he has known since they were in the womb. 

This whole situation has given me a new perspective about mourning, as I am drawn to what Jesus said about it. I realized that mourning is not just a response to the physical death of someone, but an emotional response to the death of hopes, dreams, friendship and intimacy. 

When Jesus said, 

“Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted,” His greatest and richest gift is the emotional healing which He offers to those who mourn. Isaiah prophesied of a Messiah who would give us comfort, saying;

”Comfort, give comfort to my people,

says your God. Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and proclaim to her
that her hard service has been completed, that her sin has been paid for….. and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed.” (Isaiah 40:1-2,5)

Jesus fulfilled Isaiah’s prophesy, by comforting His people and letting His glory be revealed in a way it never was before. He blesses all who mourn by sharing His presence with us. He will comfort us and leads us beyond our shattered earthly goals and dreams. If Jon ever regains his cognitive understanding, I hope he will find comfort in Jesus, investing his hope in eternity. 

There are many scriptures promising restoration, but Jesus is offering Himself as a Comforter to all who mourn. Comfort is for the heart, it brings emotional healing more than physical restoration. It’s like receiving a warm hug instead of being handed a gift, and who wouldn’t want a warm spiritual hug from Jesus?

Lord, in whatever way we are mourning, help us to be blessed with your comfort, so that we, in turn, can comfort others. Give us supernatural assurance that your loving arms are wrapped around us, and reveal the glory of your presence to each of us today. Amen

“Blessed are they who mourn,

for they will be comforted.”

Matthew 5:4 (NAB)

Mourning is defined as the state of emotions of a person to whom something irreversible happened that leads to a feeling of sadness or regret. No one would deny that there are war torn areas of the world today where masses of people are in mourning, but one doesn’t have to live in a nation at war to be in mourning. Irreversible tragic events and shattered hopes can put anyone into a state of mourning.

Although I have lost two good friends to untimely deaths over the past two years, I have learned that mourning is the result of something more than physical death. The death of hope or hope that is shallow and limited to this life only, can lead to mourning as deep as a physical death. We were not meant to live with all our hopes invested in this present life only. 

Paul wrote that if we have hoped in Christ for this life only, (for all of our goals and dreams to be realized here and now), then we, of all people, are most to be pitied.  

(1 Corinthians 15:19)

In recently cleaning out my son, Jon’s storage unit, I discovered a file filled with documents of copyrighted rap songs he wrote, which he was trying to have published. Even though it never amounted to anything, those were his hopes and dreams for this life. Besides running his own small business for twenty years, doing asphalt sealcoating and patching driveways, his hobby was writing rap songs. 

In the last four years of his life, he lived as an atheist, rejecting God, while pursuing those song writing goals. There is something very sad about a person who pursues an ambition or a dream all for this life, without God, only to have those dreams shattered by one disabling accident. 

In his current mental state, he isn’t cognitive enough to mourn over what he has lost, but we, who are his family, are mourning for him. His twin brother, Michael, mourns for him in a unique way, after losing the fellowship of a friend and brother he has known since they were in the womb. 

This whole situation has given me a new perspective about mourning, as I am drawn to what Jesus said about it. I realized that mourning is not just a response to the physical death of someone, but an emotional response to the death of hopes, dreams, friendship and intimacy. 

When Jesus said, 

“Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted,” His greatest and richest gift is the emotional healing which He offers to those who mourn. Isaiah prophesied of a Messiah who would give us comfort, saying;

”Comfort, give comfort to my people,

says your God. Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and proclaim to her
that her hard service has been completed, that her sin has been paid for….. and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed.” (Isaiah 40:1-2,5)

Jesus fulfilled Isaiah’s prophesy, by comforting His people and letting His glory be revealed in a way it never was before. He blesses all who mourn by sharing His presence with us. He will comfort us and leads us beyond our shattered earthly goals and dreams. If Jon ever regains his cognitive understanding, I hope he will find comfort in Jesus, investing his hope in eternity. 

There are many scriptures promising restoration, but Jesus is offering Himself as a Comforter to all who mourn. Comfort is for the heart, it brings emotional healing more than physical restoration. It’s like receiving a warm hug instead of being handed a gift, and who wouldn’t want a warm spiritual hug from Jesus?

Lord, in whatever way we are mourning, help us to be blessed with your comfort, so that we, in turn, can comfort others. Give us supernatural assurance that your loving arms are wrapped around us, and reveal the glory of your presence to each of us today. Amen

“God greatly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bend, of those in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”

Philippians 2:9-11 (NAB)

Jesus laid out His priorities to his disciples after He commissioned them to preach, teach and heal. He spoke about seeking first His kingdom and His righteousness. The greatest priority of all is to know the exalted and powerful name of Jesus. Paul reminds us that His name is higher than any other name and that every knee will bow before Him one day. 

We are all a Trinity, three in one, created in God’s image. We have a spirit, a soul and a body. Our spirit is the part of us that  communicates with God. We pray with our spirit and He speaks to us through our spirit. Our soul is the essence of who we are, and it’s the part of us that lives forever. Our current bodies do not live forever, but Christianity teaches that the dead in Christ will be raised on the last day with a physically perfect and incorruptible body, yet one that will be recognizable as ourselves.

There is a movie currently showing at the theatres called “After Death.” It’s a two hour film documentary of many people’s documented near death experiences, which occurred after a near fatal accident. Among the interviewers, were a cardiologist and a psychiatrist, and one of the many persons interviewed was an orthopedic surgeon, who had a near death experience, (NDE) after surviving a drowning accident. The film shows the differences and similarities among each person’s experience as their soul temporarily separated from their body. 

After hearing each individual’s description of their serious accident, how it affected their life and their family’s lives, it makes one wonder if tragic accidents serve a hidden purpose in a person’s life. Accidents and serious illnesses are life altering events, but survivors can still find an underlying lesson and a purpose for living after their experience, whether they have an NDE or not.

Each person who had a near death experience, saw their body lying at the location, as they traveled upward toward a light. They all experienced a brief time of heightened restoration, peace, joy  and wholeness which they lacked in their natural state of life. All of them felt sorrow in waking back up in their physical bodies, with a longing for the sense of contentment they had during the NDE.

A person in pain with multiple body fractures, had zero pain during his NDE. A little girl blind from birth saw and described sights she never saw during her natural lifetime. A man who lived his life with no faith, had a totally different experience, and I won’t ruin it by sharing the details. The beauty of his experience is that he recalled his childhood faith in Jesus, and cried out for mercy. God abounds in mercy, as the scripture in Roman’s 10:13 tells us, “For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

The Lord perseveres in extending His mercy to us, and in some cases, even revealing it to a soul who is temporarily separated from their body.

Each person lived a very different life after their NDE. A man, abused by his earthly father had a brief conversation with Jesus, about forgiveness and love. He woke up with a new attitude and went on to forgive, love and establish a relationship with his abusive father. Most people returned to life with a renewed sense of purpose to love in a deeper way than they had ever done before. 

Suffering accidents, illness and tragedy in life is a tough subject to write about, but one thing we can all learn, is that there is another side to the sorrow and sadness in all lives. We are here to learn the lessons God is trying to teach us, the main one being that our souls live forever, and love never dies. God gave Jesus a name exalted above all names, and there is power available to us now, by calling upon His name.

God intervenes through tragedies to change some people’s perspective, if they were heading down a dark path in life. God will spare a life in order to save a soul. In other cases, people were believers with faith in Jesus, but God gave them a deeper revelation of His presence and of His immense love and mercy.

So, what someone perceives as a tragedy, accident, or sickness, is really an act of God’s generous grace, love and mercy. 

After all is said and done, the name of Jesus is still the most highly exalted name above every other name. His name is above the name of cancer, stroke, physical trauma  and mental illnesses. His name is exalted above paralysis and over any physical limitation that we suffer. Jesus gave us His own highly exalted name to pray in and believe in for healing.

His name contains a message of love, that is beyond our ability to fully comprehend in this physical body. He wants to reveal how much He loves us and He desires that we live our current life in loving others. Our salvation is dependent on receiving His message, and living by faith in His highly exalted name.

We don’t need an NDE to receive His love, or to seek first His priorities. We were meant to exalt His name by forgiving and being forgiven in our lives, as we nurture the only soul we have in preparation to spend eternity with Him. 

Lord Jesus, your name is above all names, all tragedies, and all illnesses. We speak your name in the love and mercy you bring to every heart today and trust you for healing, as you lead us closer to you. Amen

“My shield, my saving horn,

my stronghold, my refuge,

my savior, from violence you keep me safe.” 

2 Samuel 22:3 (NAB)

“He has raised up a horn for our salvation within the house of David his servant.”

Luke 1:69 (NAB)

The first verse was a song of victory sung by David, praising the Lord as his “saving horn”, written after the final victory over all his enemies.  

The second verse was a verse proclaimed by Zechariah, the priest and father of John the Baptist, when he was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied of the coming Messiah as a horn of salvation for his people. 

At first reading these references to a horn of salvation, I assumed it is a horn one blows as a trumpet, or a shofar, but after reading commentaries, I learned that this horn refers to the horn of a bull or any animal that had horns, used as weapons. It’s not defensive, but an offensive weapon. The Messiah, Jesus, is God’s offensive horn that offensively charges at our spiritual enemies and defeats them. He fought the fight for our salvation and won our victory.

David sang a song of thanksgiving which filled this entire chapter of 2nd Samuel, praising God as a refuge and a stronghold, who fights for us. There’s no way around defining a “horn of salvation”, other than it being a weapon of offense and victory. Every enemy of our soul has been defeated by Jesus, the horn of our salvation. For this, like David, we should offer songs and dances of praise and thanksgiving to God. 

Zechariah repeated the words of David from this exact song of praise in the book of Samuel. When he was in the temple on the day he was able to speak, and the moment came to name his own miraculous baby, John, the Holy Spirit filled Zechariah and he prophesied of the Savior who was to come and be the “horn of salvation” to his people. 

Jesus is the offensive horn that charges at every force of darkness, which held people in bondage. The first scripture reading by Jesus in the temple was to proclaim Himself the one who sets all captives free. He described Himself as our victor and the horn of our salvation. 

There was history behind this whole concept of horns. The earliest altars of God had four horns protruding from the four corners. The horns of the Holy altar in Jerusalem had provided a refuge for any fugitives. Those who caught hold of the horns of the altar were granted asylum and refuge from punishment.

Jesus, the horn of our salvation, is also the horn on the Holy altar in heavenly Jerusalem, who is our refuge, our stronghold and our safe place. He bore our punishment and fought for our salvation. We cling to the horn of our salvation, trusting Him to finish fighting for us.

Lord, thank you and we love you for the offensive horn that daily fights our battles and we cling to the horn of the altar which is Jesus, our Messiah, who sets all captives free and wins our victory.  Amen

“David said to Abigail: “Blessed is the Lord, the God of Israel, who sent you to meet me today. Blessed is your good judgment and blessed are you yourself. Today you have prevented me from shedding blood and rescuing myself with my own hand.”

1 Samuel 25:32-33 (NAB)

Before David became king, he and his men were fugitives, because King Saul was trying to kill him. While they were encamped in an area called Carmel, shepherds were tending their sheep in the same area. David and his men were kind and protective toward the shepherds, who worked for a very wealthy man. 

Nabal, the wealthy land owner had thousands of livestock in that area, but he also had a reputation for being harsh and bad mannered. He was married to a woman named Abigail, who was described as intelligent and attractive. A mismatched pair like Nabal and Abigail were common in those days, because of arranged marriages. 

Since David and his men were kind to Nabal’s shepherds in the area, David sent a messenger to ask Nabal for some food for his men to eat. Nabal’s response was extremely rude and disrespectful to the messengers David sent. He chased them away saying, “Who is David that I should care about him?” 

Upon hearing Nabal’s response, David was livid and wanted to go after him with vengeance. 

David had been living with multiple stressors at this period of his life, trying to take care of the loyal men who were with him, running like a fugitive from King Saul, who wanted to kill him, plus dealing with the challenge of survival in the wilderness. Even though the prophet Samuel anointed him as God’s choice to become king, that dream seemed far off and the low life character of Nabal brought David to a breaking point. 

It’s hard to understand the waiting period for a long awaited dream or prayer to be fulfilled, but God has a reason for allowing some doors in our lives to remain closed for a long time. Any stressful situation can trigger someone like David, who was overwhelmed with frustrations. 

Nabal’s response just tipped David over the edge emotionally, and now he wanted revenge. It’s infuriating to have kindness repaid with rudeness and disrespect. David reacted impulsively and decided to avenge Nabal’s despicable treatment of his men. 

Abigail heard about the situation, although she wasn’t there when it happened, and she felt horrible. She immediately had her servants prepare loaves of bread, raisin cakes, figs, and filled all the wine skins. She headed out to meet David and make a peace offering with food and wine for all his men. 

Abigail had the wisdom to see the whole picture in the situation. She knew the great calling David had on his life, as well how foolish and bad mannered her husband was. She bowed before David and asked to take the blame for her mean spirited husband. Then she wisely persuaded David not to tarnish his soul or allow sin to taint his high calling, by taking revenge. 

Abigail redirected David to his better and more noble nature, and calmed his angry state of mind. She had the gift of wisdom to see the big picture and not get caught up in the emotion of smaller moments. David was touched by Abigail’s insight and he turned away from wrath. Scripture says he rescued himself from his own hand. Sometimes we have to rescue ourself from ourself. 

After this incident, Nabal had a massive stroke and died. When David heard of it, he returned and married Abigail, his widow. Leaving everything in God’s hands proved to be the best and fairest solution for all. 

We may not be called to become kings or queens, but we are all called to be ambassadors for Christ in the world. We will encounter many Nabals in our lifetime, with many challenges to our emotional and spiritual well being. While our dreams are put on hold, life brings different stressors to cope with. Having the mind of Abigail means looking beyond what triggers us, and seeing the bigger picture of destiny, and the humility to allow God to work it all out. 

It’s a battle to not let our emotions derail our better and more noble nature within, but Abigail teaches us that this is how a peacemaker thinks. 

Lord, help us to be able to see the bigger picture of destiny and to become peacemakers like Abigail. 

“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.”

(Matthew 5:8)

“But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever. Amen.”

2 Peter 3:18 (NIV)

To bring you all up to date, the swelling around Jon’s (my son) brain has gone down significantly. He keeps his eyes open for longer periods of time and seems less sleepy. He responds with a grimace to pain or discomfort, moves three limbs, and blinks his eyes if something gets close to them. If I clap over his head he opens his eyes and looks in the direction of the sound. Unfortunately, he still doesn’t respond to speech nor follow a single verbal command yet. Thank you for all your prayers, my friends, without them I know I wouldn’t see this much progress.

The relatives and I removed all the valuables from my son’s rental home and his garage space. He rented a single family home along with three other roommates in Gurnee. We took a few trips to remove what we could, but none of us had room for the furniture, which we left behind. I told the landlord three days ago that we took what we could, and he can do what he wants with the rest. Leo, the landlord, called me back right away and told me that the room has to be completely emptied and the floor swept clean by Nov. 7th. 

When I told the relatives they said forget it, let Leo remove everything and he can keep the security deposit, but Leo insisted we remove more things. I felt very stressed, being the legal guardian and stuck in the middle of a  dispute. I had no idea how I could empty the room by myself, but my last words to Leo were simply “OK.” 

So, I prayed and asked, “Jesus, help me, I don’t know what to do about Leo.“

Yesterday, I decided to go to the house for one last time, bringing garbage bags and do whatever I can. On the way there, I told Jesus, 

“I don’t know what to do about Leo.” 

I came to the house, no one was home, and as I opened the door to Jon’s room, I was shocked. It was completely emptied and clean swept. I later learned that Leo the landlord, did it himself, despite what he told me two days before. 

I immediately remembered my prayer, asking Jesus what to do about Leo. In that moment I realized Jesus’ answer was, “I’ll take care of Leo“ because He did. This may sound trivial as you are reading this, but for me, it was another sign of God’s grace at a time when so many stressors were piling up. Leo obviously had a change of heart, and I know Who changes all hearts. 

On Saturday, I was at a special  meeting for church workers, and in a brief message the minister said “We should all be able to say that we know Jesus better today than we did 5 years ago.” That phrase stuck with me and after this experience with Leo, the landlord, I realize how true this is. I do know Jesus better today than I did five years ago. As this scripture says, we grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus. To know Him better is to love Him more, and to love Him more is to have more confidence in Him today, than ever before. 

Lord Jesus, help us realize our own growth in grace and knowledge of you over time, through all the circumstances of our lives. We may not know what tomorrow brings, but we know you are with us in every tomorrow that comes. Amen

“He replied, “You of little faith, why are you so afraid?” Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm. The men were amazed and asked, “What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey him!”

Matthew 8:26-27 (NIV)

The disciples were afraid for their lives, as they observed Jesus sleeping soundly in the midst of a violent storm. The boat was tossed about and rocked by water and waves. They finally woke Him up, shouting “Lord save us, we are perishing! ” Jesus called them out for submitting to the negative, without trusting in Him. They gave in to hopelessness, saying, “We are perishing!” As I read this, I wondered what words Jesus would prefer to hear from the disciples. Maybe He would rather be woken up with the words, “Jesus we’re trusting in you.”

I think about how often a storm has been so powerful that it’s easy to yield to a negative outcome. I’ve been guilty of telling Jesus, “Lord, wake up, I am perishing!”

Jesus responded to the disciples saying, “You of little faith, why are you afraid?” Maybe He was upset that they ignored His actual presence in the boat, looking at the storm, instead of Him. Jesus seemed to think that the disciples should be secure with His Presence alone, whether He was awake or asleep. I believe He wants all of us to practice His Presence in every stormy situation. If it seems like He is sleeping in our boat, there’s no better way to wake Him than with words of faith. 

It’s better to have Jesus sleeping next to us, than to be alone in a storm, because our hope, faith and confidence is grounded in “Who” is with us, more than “what” is against us. 

The next verse of scripture is very exciting. When the wind and the waves suddenly become calm at the sound of His voice, the disciples asked “What kind of man is this, that the wind and the waves obey Him?” 

I love that question…..What kind of man is this? He is the Lord, the Son of God, the Almighty, incarnated in human form, that’s what kind of man Jesus is. There is no one else like Him, and we praise Him for being in our boat with us. 

Every force of nature is under His control, because He is the most High God, so when He speaks to nature, in any form, whether it’s directed to the function of our bodies, or to the wind, fire, gravity or the splitting of an atom, His words must be obeyed. Since He has verbal control over all the laws of science and nature, we have nothing to fear.

I can visualize Jesus standing up in that shaky boat, as the picture attached shows, surrounded by wind and waves, then raising one hand toward the heavens, as He speaks a single phrase, rebuking the storm. Within His voice is power and authority, and a great calm suddenly comes over all.

In Mark’s gospel of this same scene, the phrase He spoke is “Peace, be still” and everything became calm. Whatever storm we go through today, Jesus is in the boat with us,  even if He seems to be sleeping. He is the Lord over all the natural forces and functions that affect us. He is the Lord who speaks to heal our bodies, our minds, and His words tear down strongholds in spiritual places. When He says “peace” there has to be peace.  All He asks of us, is our faith and trust that His Presence

is in the boat with us. 

Lord, we trust you to speak to each of our storms today, and bring your perfect peace, calmness and healing to our body, mind, soul and spirit. Amen

“And I will make them and the places round about my hill a blessing; and I will send down the showers in their season; they shall be showers of blessing.”

Ezekiel 34:26 (RSV)

As I think about those small graces that God sends us during times of adversity, it’s like a small shower of blessing that comes down in its appointed season. I received a few of these small showers this week. 

Looking back two weeks ago, at the blessing of a totally surprise  retirement party, which I enjoyed, I mentioned that I missed not seeing three surgeons who I worked with for the past twenty five years, who were out of town at the time of the party, and couldn’t attend.  

I will always cherish the memory, but I remember thinking that it would have been an even more perfect celebration if those other three surgeons could have been there. 

Earlier this week I offered to help a friend by taking her to a doctor appointment in the office building attached to the hospital, where I used to work. I prayed my favorite daily prayer, before leaving the house, which is to ask for God’s perfect timing in all things. When we arrived, at first we couldn’t find a parking space in any handicapped spots. As I was about to head for the main front door to drop her off, we passed a newly opened space very close to the door. 

After her appointment, I was pushing her wheelchair toward the elevator, and as the door opened, there stood one of the surgeons who couldn’t make it to my retirement party. We happily greeted each other with a big hug inside the elevator. 

That moment brought extra closure to all my years of work, being able to say goodbye to someone who I enjoyed working alongside all those years. It was no coincidence that he was in that elevator at that moment, at that specific time on that specific day, because I asked for God’s perfect timing.  Finding a parking space close to a door for my handicapped friend was another grace of God’s perfect timing. 

Showers of blessing and perfect timing doesn’t mean everything always goes our way with steadfast perfection. It means a shower of blessing comes at the right time and place and brings us a brief time of refreshing, just when it’s needed most, often after a period of sweat and toil. 

Sometimes these showers came through a kind stranger on the phone, who offered extra help or an explanation, to help me work through a new task. The past few weeks have been overwhelming, filling out forms and learning new things from attorneys regarding legal guardianship. Two other relatives and I cleared out the residence where my son rented, since he is not returning there and the landlord needs to rent it out. 

These are mentally and emotionally exhausting tasks, but God sent some of the kindest and most helpful people along the way, who were a shower of blessing to me. When it seems that we have been running non stop, toiling in some area, and overwhelmed with responsibility, that is precisely when we are due for a shower. 

God knows the perfect time and season, so let’s keep our eyes open for a subtle shower of kindness, in which He usually uses other people. We are never forgotten, and the Lord is attentive to every detail that concerns us. A shower of blessing is headed our way, in the perfect time and season that He selects for each of us. 

Lord, thank you for being with us in every new task and responsibility we have. You send us showers of blessing according to your perfect time and season. Jesus, we trust in you and believe we can do all things through you. Amen