When we got to the car, my very agitated baby said, "Ah-h-h, di tar." Then I realized what he had been trying to say. He had been yelling for all he was worth, "Get in the car! Get in the car!" Bless his little heart. Well, that day, God blessed both of our hearts through my friend who had yelled for me to get off the tracks.As I said on yesterday, that was when I was still a young wife and a college student. But now, that baby is a man, and I am a grandmother. My friend and I have remained close through the years. So, when I got a call Saturday night that she had had a stroke, I was very concerned. And what have I always told you to do when you are bothered? Yep, take it to God in prayer, and that is just what I did. I know that the Lord knew all about her, but I reminded Him that this was a special friend to me. I reminded Him that this friend kept me from being overrun by that train all those years ago. So, after worship on Sunday morning, off to the hospital, I go.
At the Hospital
When I got to the hospital to see her yesterday after worship, she was looking okay and was doing better according to her husband. But she was having some trouble accepting what had happened to her, so I used some of the words that God had placed on my mind to put in my book, "Chopping My Row." She told me that she was really blessed by what I had said to her. I told her that God had seen the entire thing. Here are a couple of points that I made to her.
Job - I reminded her of the book of Job, where the adversary was allowed to touch Job's body but was admonished not to kill him. I told her that since she was God's child that He knew her situation and that the adversary could not do any more to her than God allowed.
Hairs Numbered - I reminded her of the scripture that says that the very hairs of our head are numbered. I told her that if the Lord knew how many hairs were on our head, He knew what was happening in the head. In fact, all over our bodies.
Timing - I told her that since her husband drives for a transportation company, but happened to be at home at the time of her stroke, that was no coincidence. I said to her, "You know the doctor said that if it had been just a short delay in getting you to the hospital, the damage would have been a lot worse." I told her that it was no coincidence that she fell ill at the time that she did. I told her that God looks down the road in our lives and He makes plans for events that are coming up so that we can be taken care of. I told her that His love is not just for the here and now. It covered us before we were born and goes with us now and goes on down into the future preparing our way. She thanked me again, and tears surfaced in her eyes.
Her Response
She told me that she was just so thankful that I was her friend and had come to see her to make her feel better by the words that I said. I told her that the words that I said were put in my mind by the Lord as a care package from Him just to remind her that He is watching and still cares. I told her to hold on to her faith and trust God like she always has because He sees, He knows, and He cares.
She told me again with tears in her eyes what a blessing I was in saying the words that I had said to her and that she was so blessed to have me as a friend. Then I told her that I was the one who was blessed to have her as a friend. I told her that she was going to have me tearing up in a minute. Then she chuckled a little. Then I thought of another point to leave her with.
Chuckling
Then I launched into the story about the train and the cattails. By the time I had finished the quick story, she was chuckling, and her husband and mine, too. Then I capped my story off by saying to her, "All those years ago, God had you to save me because He knew that He would use the words that He would plant in me to bring you a tender care package from Him. She said, "That is a blessing right there, and you are a blessing." She said that she was going to bless me for that. What she meant was that she was going to help to promote my writing, more. She also said that she was going to do more for the Lord, in so many words.
Did I Know?
Did I know when I wrote my book, that I would be using it to soothe a dear friend of mine, nope. But God did. He prepared me, folks, so that I could have the words of comfort that my friend would need to shore up her faith. You see, I know it was not a coincidence because I had been looking back over the book, Chopping My Row, as I was putting my next manuscript together for my next book. And I just happened to have been looking back over it, and it just happened to have been fresh in my mind just at the time that my friend needed me! Nunh unh!
When I Left the Hospital
So, I left a copy of my book with her daughter and asked her to read portions of it to her as she could. And you know what else I left at the hospital, folks. I left a joyful, feeling-blessed-lady instead of the downhearted one that I found when I first got there. And with me, I carried a reminder of how the Lord orchestrates the events of our lives and is always with us and will send us a care package just when we need it the most! Isn't GOD good, y'all?! Yes, He is!
Update: She continues to improve.
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