Purpose

Yesterday was a just one of those hard days.  It looks like we are going to need a roof, so I stayed home to meet the insurance agent and my cousin, Brett, who works at a roofing company and is taking good care of me.  After they left, I really didn't have anywhere else to be so, I stayed home on purpose.  Those taxes are still hanging over my head, so I thought I would try to tackle them.  As the day winds down, I am still by myself as Matt is gone and Mr. G is soaking up the beautiful sunshine in the Bahamas. I am feeling lonely, missing Pat and trying not to feel sorry for myself.  I look on FaceBook and Elizabeth has tagged this precious picture:

The tears I was fighting let loose.

This morning I am waiting on my K-cup to deliver my favorite brew, Green Mountain Breakfast Blend, and I noticed I received a message from Jamie Johnson:

Hey just had a little something I wanted to share with you. I worked an event back in December with some friends. The event was for children who had lost their parents at war. I was standing with a friend named Shane. He and is wife, Sandy, are friends of mine. They are in their late 30's. A boy who had special needs in a wheel chair passed by us. My friend, Shane, said, " I just don't see why God does that to people. How much can a person take? I mean he's lost a parent on top of the other needs he has." I just started telling him God's glory can be used in so many situations. The conversation led to me telling him about you and Pat. I explained to him the testimonies that were given at Pat's funeral about his life and how you and Pat was ministering to others in most difficult time. Well a few weeks ago Shane was having pain in his jaw and it snapped in half one night when he yawned. He was diagnosed last week with a very rare form of cancer and it has eaten most of his jaw bone away. There are only 150 reported cases of the type of cancer he has. He and his wife have 2 young children. They are devastated. I saw Shane the other day and it was hard to know what to say. He just said to me, "Hey, Jamie do you remember that conversation we had a few months ago about that man you knew (he was referring to Pat)? I had no idea that day just how much that conversation would mean to me and how it has made me look at things so different now. I'm so grateful we talked about that. Little did I know just how much that I needed to hear that. I must tell you my heart nearly cried out as I was more in LOVE with Jesus for that divine appointment I had no idea was taking place at that time." I just wanted to share this with you Paige so you can see as Pat is rejoicing with our BEAUTIFUL Savior right now, his life is still impacting others. Thanks so much to you both for allowing the Lord to use you guys. Shane is going in for his first of many surgeries tomorrow at 5:30am. I would love if you would pray for him and his family. Again thanks so much for loving the Lord and for being so transparent and obedient to the one who loves you more than you know. Love, Jamie.

"Wow" is my first thought. Tears flow again and I am reminded by God's perfecting timing in His delivery of Jamie's  message directly to my heart.  He knows my pain and I read in Psalms 56 yesterday morning, vs. 8 "You number my wanderings; Put my tears into Your bottle; Are they not in Your book?"  Pat's journey has purpose and God is using it to touch lives.  That brings me joy. 

Streams in the Desert still ministers to me each morning.  Today I read, "Almighty God can make us stronger than our circumstances and can turn each situation to our good. In God's strength we can make them all pay tribute to our soul. We can even take the darkest disappointment, break it open, and discover a precious jewel of grace inside." I imagine the jewel is the color purple.

Hugs!

xoxo