Previous Challenge Entry (Level 2 – Intermediate)
Topic: Note (02/07/13)
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TITLE: Timely Treasures | Previous Challenge Entry
By Alicia Renkema
02/14/13 -
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Where do I begin in remembering Your sweet love story to me, oh Lord? You have given me gifts, sweet notes as wondrous as the wise men's, that have made my heart leap for joy.
Lord, remember three weeks after my dad died? I was going three thousand miles away to college and I felt paralyzed. Mom had arranged for my best friend Jane, to accompany me on that difficult trip. The way I found out was priceless, thanks to You. Sitting in church, I started to think: "What if Jane could come with us?" As I started to share this with Jane, she misunderstood me, presuming I knew about my mom's surprise.
"How did you find out?"
"What do you mean how did I find out? Is it true?" I asked.
She nodded yes, and I started to cry and laugh at the same time. God, You heard my heart's cry during one of the hardest times of my life.
I had a wonderful wedding in 1982, but my marriage was failing. It was so painful. Even after much counseling, nothing changed. Then You designed a rose especially for me, and in May of 1983, my son Matthew was born. You gave me his name, meaning "a gift from God", and His companionship is a living love note from You, my Lord.
I've always loved Your ocean. Christmas Day of 1987 I received a vacation from my sister Louise which I know You planted within her heart. I cried tears of happiness as I gingerly held her card which told me I was going to the beach. I had a pretty rough year and this trip, with the waves crashing against the shore, was a melody flooding songs into my heart.
In 2000 You showed me something to fervently pray for. You were setting the stage for another unexpected gift. I had taken a short sabbatical from the choir to join our ladies evening Bible Study. They had been studying Hannah's desire for a child. My sister Kristine, and her husband had wanted a baby for so long. You were watering our prayers.
The time for their flowering had now come... The evening before leaving for our family reunion, the phone rang: "Are you sitting down?" my sister asked. "I have some good news and bad news to tell you. The bad news is I won't be coming to the family reunion. The good news is I won't be coming because I am pregnant with twins!" I cried and laughed all at once.
" Kristine, ohhh," I shrieked. "You do need to take care of yourself and our twins."
There are a few more love notes which You have recently given that I need to mention. Before my "season of darkness" was to begin You introduced me to two godly women whose letters are continuing to sustain me on days where I feel faint, they have added such richness to my life!
Then the crisis began, and Matthew spent six weeks in a psychiatric hospital, and had only been home ten days, things were worse than ever. His doctor decided he needed to go back into the hospital. I know You remember how discouraged I was. Fifteen minutes before leaving for the hospital, I saw a UPS truck moving slowly in our alley. As the driver got out, I said, "It looks like he's coming our way." When I opened the box I saw the most gorgeous roses I had ever seen, every color of the rainbow, sent by You I know, through Kristine's hand. These were Your kisses upon my cheek to assuage my grief.
You have now given Matthew a love note of his own, a psychologist, who hopefully is "our treasure in the darkness." (Isaiah 45:3) Father, thank you for all of Your faithful love notes to me over the years, let me be a love note according to Your plan.
Author's Note: This is a true accounting of the author's love note's from God.
The opinions expressed by authors may not necessarily reflect the opinion of FaithWriters.com.
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I have a tendency to see the glass half empty and your lovely entry reminds me to look for those love notes from God that are evident if we only pay attention!
A little pink ink :-}
Watch your sentence structure for run on thoughts.
Well done sweetest one!
God BLess