Before I left to go on this journey I prepared a pot of coffee to brew @ 5:00AM. It was a delight to walk through the door to a fresh pot of coffee already brewed. Today, McCafe Cinnamon Mocha regular brew, not decaffeinated today. I did brew a pot of decaffeinated coffee the other day. That was a great tasting flavored coffee. Michigan Cherry, which is Meijer's grocery stores blend. When I lived in Ohio I used to drive to Sandusky, OH to purchase the beans of this flavor and you could grind them in the store. When I was in Cincinnati, OH a few years ago I stopped at a Meijer's and not only purchased that at the time but also some Leona bologna. They do not sell either of these items where I currently reside. When I went back to OH recently for my aunts funeral I made a point to stop @ Meijer's on the way back home in search of this coffee. I kept looking and they no longer had the coffee beans to grind in the store but they did have the already ground 12 Oz. size of Michigan Cherry decaffeinated. I love what the label states "100% Arabica decaf coffee with a hint of that sweet cherry flavor you know and love." It is a light roast blend. Needless to say I purchased 2 of them for they were on sale @ the time for $3.99 each. I kept them in a cupboard and wanted to save them until the time was just right. Well, a few days ago the time was right to open 1 of the bags and enjoy the sweet taste that comes forth in this roasted coffee. Sometimes simple things can bring such pleasure to a person. Are you thankful for the simple surprises tucked away in your day? I am!!!
Had to pause for a minute to go outside and get a really good parking spot. The great joy in getting up early is you can accomplish so much before even the sun rises for the dawning of the new day. Oh I also did this too this morning, I had a packet of curly parsley seeds to plant instead of just buying a parsley plant @ the local garden center this year. I purchased this higher quality brand of dill seeds last year and they seemed to grow pretty good. This year I bought a couple of flower seed packets and the parsley also (all of the same brand.) It is called Botanical Interests. You can purchase them @ Sprouts Market and I also found them at a local garden center (not big box garden center that is.) When you get the seed packets also pick up the free seed starting guide. It has helpful hints. So I read the instructions for the heirloom curled parsley. Good thing I did because you have to soak the seeds in water for 12-24 hours before sowing them to aid in germination.
Important lesson in this do you see it already? We have an instruction manual on how to live our lives, it is known as the bible. Do you read it? Do you follow the instruction it is speaking to you in your life? You should because there is infinite divine wisdom for each of us just waiting for you to read and it be revealed to you. Just the other night I was guided by Holy Spirit to send an email filled with comfort to the mother of my 37 year old niece that died on Palm Sunday. You may think this is odd but I shared with her how her daughter told me years ago that she gave her heart to Jesus and was water baptized in a swimming pool. See, words shared about 11 or so years ago stayed tucked away in my heart for such a time as this. To be drawn out with Holy Spirit help in composing that email. A little bit of family history, my father could be gruff and overbearing at times when he was alive. Maybe you could even say he isolated himself from family members because he stirred things up and trouble at times too for family members. So, how in the heck can a testimony about my father be used to comfort another. Only God, only God can use that. See, this gruff at times man gave his heart to Jesus 3 weeks before he died. He would often say to me during this time period I sure hope Kimberly is right. I would respond to him it is not me but the bible says and I would quote salvation verses of scripture to him to assure him of eternal life in heaven with Jesus.
3 weeks is what he had left to live when he made that great decision to invite Jesus into his heart. No one knew the number of days he had left on earth to live but Jesus did. I remember the day ever so clear when he came out of a surgical procedure and I told him I loved him and Jesus loved him too. In that split second moment he says to me 'Find me Jesus." I know my father and he could have a gruffness about him and you never knew when it would come out and so I was thinking inside myself as Holy Spirit is speaking to me internally to lead him to Jesus I am saying what if he gets loud or raises his voice to me in rebellion. Holy Spirit said go for it and I did not listen to the voice of past experience with my father but I listened to the voice of Holy Spirit. I am so glad I did.
Ok that was a bit of background history for you. Let's fast forward this to the weekend in which he died early Sunday morning. I stayed with him overnight Friday night at the hospice house where he was at. You know you can sense death in a facility like this for it is real and evident. I think there was even a body bag that was wheeled past his room that night while I was there with him. Good thing patients I do not think can see things like that. Who would ever think such a beautiful room with a veranda and French doors that open to a patio facing the lake would be eerie when the night falls. It can be. He keeps looking into a corner of a room where I hung a banner I made that I placed on the wall while he was there the few days he was there. I then sense Holy Spirit telling me that my brothers are in the room. They both went to be with the Lord, 1 just a year prior and the other it will be 44 years ago tomorrow 4/9/2020. I hear ever so clear do not say his parents but say the boys. So I said dad the boys are here. He nodded yes. I then said do you see them smiling, he nodded no but I said to him I see different than you see and I see them smiling. I never brought up that subject again. Early Sunday morning I received a phone call form hospice letting me know the time was near for my fathers death. They said do not rush to come in (they knew I lived about an hour away from this place.) It was not but a few minutes later and I received a phone call that he died. I was thinking about this because I wanted to be there with him when he died to be with him and also experience the glory of God when one of His own goes home to heaven. I am now writing an email of comfort and I am reminded of this testimony about my father. He was not alone, my brothers were there with him along with the angels that minister to the heirs of salvation. He qualified as an heir of salvation.
My niece was not allowed visitors due to constraints put on hospitals in regard to the coronavirus situation hospitals deal with now. She did not die of that but of other medical things in her life. So, how do you reach out to a grieving mother that felt bad no one was with her daughter in the family that is when she died. Oh but there were the angels that minister to heirs of salvation and I do believe my eldest brother was probably allowed to be with her and maybe even other family members that went to heaven before she did.
This was the scripture verse Holy Spirit had me include in the email of comfort John 3:15-16. I shared two different versions of it. The one I really like is The Passion translation. "
John 3:15-16 "Then everyone who believes in him will have eternal life. God loved the world this way: He gave his only Son so that everyone who believes in him will not die but will have eternal life."
This is the same verse but from The Passion translation:
"So that those who truly believe in him will not perish but be given eternal life. For this is how much God loved the world-he gave his one and only, unique Son as a gift. So now everyone who believes in him will never perish but experience everlasting life."
You are not alone if you gave your heart to Jesus.
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