Finally
April 21
In anticipation of
my Spring Women’s Retreat –
and in need of
some much needed
respite time
from fulltime caregiving,
I arrived at the Christian camp
that would be my
home away from home
for the next week and a half.
As the wind whistled
through tall pine trees,
my first day there
was spent enjoying
quiet time with the Lord,
offering Him back
the “first fruits” of this time away.
My second day found me
enjoying delicious food
while catching up
with dear family and friends
in the small nearby town
that had once been my home
for thirty years.
While eating lunch
with a precious sister in Christ,
I shared with her my plans
to visit my dear friend, MK.
“Text me before you go,”
she said, “and I’ll pray for you
while you are there.”
April 24
This was the day
the Lord spoke to my heart
to visit MK.
After spending some
morning hours
in the company
of my husband’s family
that now has truly
become my own,
I messaged MK
I was finally
en route to his home.
“Text me before you go
and I’ll pray for you
while you are there.”
As the words from my friend
came to my mind once again,
I thought about
pulling into a parking lot
to do just that.
But then,
not wanting to keep MK
waiting any longer
than he already had been,
and not wanting to
“bother” my friend
with a text,
(I know – I know)
I dismissed the thought
and drove on.
After three weeks
of waiting,
of praying,
of wanting
to talk and pray
with this precious friend,
finally
I found myself
getting out of my car
and walking up the drive
to his front door.
Excited to see me, too,
he came out
on the front porch
and starting
walking toward
the gate
that separated us.
He wasn’t alone, though.
His faithful friend,
his rescue/guard dog,
was leading the way.
As my friend
swung open the gate
with words of
“Hi! It’s so great to see you!”,
his dog,
not knowing who I was
or why I was there,
lunged toward me.
Before I could even
say words of my own,
his canine friend had
my right hand firmly in his jaw,
as he yanked on my arm
in an effort to pull me back.
And just as fast
as all this had happened,
my friend had his
canine friend
back inside his home.
ABUNDANCE
This is the word
God spoke to my heart
as my word of the year
for 2024.
“Oh wow! You’re bleeding.
Look, you’re bleeding.
I can’t believe he did that.”
“I’m fine.
Really, I am.
No worries.
Really.
I’ve got some napkins
in my car.”
As I started toward my car,
I heard his voice again.
“Oh! I’m SO sorry,
I can’t beleive this.
Hold on, I’m going to go
get some medical supplies.”
And in that moment,
God’s ABUNDANCE
f l o w e d
through my body
in the power
and strength
of His peace.
So. Much. Peace.
As I placed the napkin
on my wounds
and started back
toward the front porch,
God’s peace
went with me.
With tender love,
compassion,
and heartfelt sorrow –
my friend
treated my wounds.
And then,
finally then,
I was able to do
what I had come to do.
Finally I was able to
stand on MK’s front porch,
look in his eyes
and talk
face to face
and heart to heart
with this precious soul.
And God’s
ABUNDANCE
kept raining down.
~Stacy
This post is the sixteenth post in the ABUNDANCE series.
The first post is “Abundance”, followed by “FULLY LOVED”, “In a New Light”, “Less is More”,“Choose Life”,“Run to The Father”, “Keep Looking”, “Doubling Up”, “The Referral”,“The Question”, “Death Brings Life” “Surrender” , “I’ve Got a God For That”, “Live Out Loud“, and “MK”
