"There is a time..."

"There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven:

a time to be born and a time to die,

a time to plant and a time to uproot

a time to kill and a time to heal,

a time to tear down and a time to build

a time to weep and a time to laugh

a time to mourn and a time to dance

a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them

a time to embrace and a time to refrain

a time to search and a time to give up

a time to keep and a time to throw away

a time to tear and a time to mend

a time to be silent and a time to speak

a time to love and a time to hate

a time for war and a time for peace

What does the worker gain from his toil? I have seen the burden God has laid on men. He has made everything beautiful in its time."

Ecclesiastes 3:1-11

*****

It was in the wee morning hours that the phone rang, this morning. Startled, I answered. It was the hubby, we had locked him out of the house. He had just arrived back from a long night at the hospital with a family in our church. The events of yesterday afternoon, led to a long wait at the local hospital and ended at the hospital in Little Rock. He and our music minister and head deacon had finally come back home after a long wait.



As he came in the door, his red eyes said it all...



"It is not good. She is not going to make it."



At that moment I felt sick. Literally thought I was going to throw up. I went and laid back down and did not move as my thoughts ran rampant. WOW! Wasn't it just last Sunday I had sat by "Mary" and her daughter at a wedding shower? They were so cute in their matching colored tops... Wednesday night, she was the mom with "pre" wedding jitters... Yesterday morning, she was the mom getting ready for a wedding... Yesterday afternoon she was "not herself" with a horrible headache... Last night she has a mass on her brain that has ruptured and is need of a miracle...



My hubby quietly says in the dark, "Moments like this make me realize how much I really do love you."



"You just never know what the next moment holds." I spoke my thoughts aloud.



This life we live is like a roller coaster ride. There are slow steps of anticipating the mountain top ahead, only to hit the valleys at full speed in seconds. It knocks us from side to side, turns our world upside down only to slow down to fulfillment at the end of the journey. We grow up knowing about the hard knocks of life. We experience them, see them, hear about them, watch them on the news. Yet nothing prepares us for those high speed valleys. Nothing. All we can do is pray our seat belt doesn't break, hold on tight and hope we survive the ride...



The hardest part of my husband's job as a minister is this... waiting for a miracle with the families. What do you say? What can you say? All you can really do is simply "be there" and pray. This is where life gets really tough. This is when you wonder how God chooses to heal and who to take on "home." This is when it takes every ounce of faith you have to continue keeping the faith.



Last week our interim pastor talked about "Hope at the end of our rope..." He said so many times we want to ask "why?" Yet, that should not be our question. Our question should be "How do you want me to respond to the situation at hand?"



"Do not try to figure out the love of God through circumstances... know who God is from His word." In other words if we search for the "whys" we will never get answers. If we chose to simply KNOW who GOD is and put our total TRUST IN HIM, then he will bring strength during the tough times.



If anything, this whole situation has reminded me of how precious life is. That we need to "stop and smell the roses" at every turn. The last few months have made me realize this more and more. My mother-in-law was diagnosed with cancer. My nephew had an accident. We are told that one of our 18 year olds, a former member of our youth group is pregnant. Today, that same girl is praying for her mother's life. "There is a time..."



Tomorrow I leave for a mission project. Time to spend with my little family, while serving a God that I believe in. I plan on cherishing this time. A may not understand the journeyof life before me, but I am so thankful He has promised me a "happily ever after ending."



Dear friends, I pray you have a wonderful week, wrapped in the Father's love. I will be back Wednesday. Say a prayer for us...



Please continue to pray for Mary's beautiful family. Her husband has a lot on his plate right now. A pending wedding, a grandbaby on the way, two small foster kids under six years and the loss of two incomes, for Mary worked two jobs. And of course the loss of his best friend and life partner. (They took her off the ventilator this morning. Now it is a waiting game and totally in the Lord's hands.)



On a side note, our family did receive a "miracle" yesterday. My mother-in-law went to the doctor yesterday and received news that the test that they sent off, stated that she will not have to have chemo after all. They think radiation will be enough. We are doing a "happy dance," over small blessings. Thanks for all your prayers for her.



Sawyer celebrate his birthday today. I am so thankful for the miracle of him.

"There is a time..."



Do me a favor... go hug someone today and tell them how much you love them. Life is so very precious, I personally don't want to waste a moment!



Blessings and prayers.