Thankful Thursday

If God is almighty, there can be no evil so
great as to be beyond His power to transform.
That transforming power brings light out of darkness, joy out
of sorrow, gain out of loss, life out of death.
(Elisabeth Elliot)
Their souls shall be like a well-watered garden,
and they shall sorrow no more at all.
(Jeremiah 31:12)

So often in this life I think that we can look back and
see the defining moment when life gave us a challenge.
It is up to us to choose what to do with that gift that
has been given.
In 1969, I was 11 and God decided that His perfect will
for my life, was that my Mom should go home to be at
home with Him. I have thought about that defining moment
in my own life a bunch this week, because her birthday
is today, had she still lived here, she would have been 71.
Instead, God took her at 30, In that moment of time, I was
changed. I think sometimes I grew very old. I went from
being a daughter to a girl who got off the school bus each
day to a empty house and I went in to make beds and
clean the house before my Dad got home from work.

My brother was eight and my sister was six. I became a Mom.
I tried so hard to carry the burden, on Saturdays I did laundry.
I think though, much harder than loosing my Mom, was my Dad remarried
February 14, 1970
I had 3 step brothers and new Mom.

I struggled to keep my faith, I struggled to listen and follow God. In 1970 though
It was the Age of Aquarius, Hair was a huge stage play and Jesus Christ Superstar,
was all of the rage. I wanted so bad to be a hippie. Thank goodness for
Farah Fawcett. :) I went to a grade school that saved my life and my sanity.
Our community was so small that everyone knew what had went on.
The teachers at my school were for the most part deeply caring and a lot
of them were Christians that came along side and gave me balance.

The Brady Bunch was cool so we became the coolest people in school and my
step Mom looked a lot like Mrs. Brady.
Then I went to High school I stayed pretty much a good girl but by the time
my senior year came, I took a class taught by a Atheistic Jewish woman,
who hated the Bible and she taught me to distrust the Bible, and God. I took
a Evolution course taught by a Christian who destroyed what little faith
I had left.
By the time I graduated from High school I was into Transcendental Meditation.
I was looking for my own Yogi and yet, there was always a nagging.
What will you do with Jesus? Always, I could never get away.
My Mom had made me memorize scripture before she died, so
those verses would come back to me all of the time.

By 1980 I met my husband, and he was a Christian and he went to
church. I didn't want to go. I went anyway because of the Gettysburg
Address, A house divided cannot stand. I knew that if we were not
of one mind on this issue then our marriage would be fractured.
My husband was my best friend and no matter what, I did not
want to loose him.

I remember a lady inviting me over to her house for tea, she was telling
me about all of these answers to prayers, and the books she read.
I was into Stephen King, The Dragon Riders of Pern and a bunch others
that I don't remember.
I didn't tell her what I read.
She invited me to go to Bible Study Fellowship. She even got a babysitter,
because by this time we had our first child.
I went, I sat with my arms folded across my chest. I did not want to be there.
I listened to the lecture and thought, " What a lot of bunk." " These people
are nuts." " I am not coming back, ever." They gave me my lesson
and I went home and tried to do it.
I read the Bible and for the first time, my eyes were open. By October
I had got on my knees and asked Jesus to be my Lord and Savior.
I was forever changed.

I have often wondered. About that day in September, would I have ever
been a Christian if God had not chosen to take my Mom? Would I have
ever been blessed by having a second Mom?
Would I have ever been blessed by having my great step-brothers?
I don't think so, It was a crushing blow to be sure, but God meant it
for good and I was given a great gift. Sometimes, we don't see
"the rest of the story," until decades later. But for me, I see it
as the golden thread that runs all through the fabric of my life.
Today, I am thankful, that I have now two Moms in heaven.
I have been so blessed and I wish you blessings on This
lovely Thursday in September.

Oh, that men would give thanks to the Lord for His goodness, for His wonderful works to the children of men!

(Psalm. 107:6)