It’s hard to be grateful for the difficulties in our lives, but it occurs to me that one of our greatest assets in times of trial, are those people who care about us, those folks we call “our people.” For the past several weeks, my husband and I have been preparing ourselves for the fourth major surgery that he’s had in less than five years. Before the surgery, we were nervous. We didn’t know exactly how we would manage life because everything about it seemed scary. We quickly realized that God has blessed us with amazing, beautiful, wonderful people who have helped sustain us over the years as friends and family. The surgery was last Tuesday at Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, nearly three hours from our home. Preparing for it was daunting, except for one important thing. We have people!
We discovered we had angels in our midst as people stepped up to help us in every possible way. They prayed with us and for us. They asked their friends, who didn’t even know us, to pray as well. Before we knew it, we had friends from California, to Texas, to Savannah, to Lady Lake, and Nashville, and other places appealing to God on our behalf. They not only prayed, but they sent encouraging words, and gifts, and devoted their personal time to being sure we had what we needed. They helped us to see God’s hands at work, and before we knew it, we weren’t nervous anymore. We were fortified, enriched, and able to go with the mantra of “Just Trust” as one of our friends suggested.
Whatever is going on in your life, I pray that you have great people who surround you with courage and peace and prayers. God has put His people all over our planet and they sometimes become His ambassadors, His angels, His reminder that He will never leave us. My husband is still in the first week of his recovery and it’s not going to be easy. The surgery relieved one aspect of pain but brought on another. That means we will still have to accept the help of our friends and the encouragement of those who love us because the journey isn’t over yet. I tend to think that it’s a rare day that we don’t need the support of our loved ones. All I know is that when any of them need me, I hope I respond with a resounding note of joy because I want to be one of “their people.”
May God fill your life with people who bring courage and joy to your soul.