Emotions

This afternoon has been an interesting, emotional roller coaster. After about ten days of dealing with a sinus infection, I am on the mend. WooHoo! (It really knocked me out.)

The day for me started with reading part of the first chapter of Philemon. Paul is writing to Philemon about how thankful he is for his love, generosity, and knowledge of Jesus and His people. It made me think about how connected our knowledge and experiences are tied to our relationship to the Lord, which is connected to prayer, Bible reading, and worship.

When sick, I do not always read my Bible, worship, or spend a lot of time in prayer. I sleep. So, getting back in a routine is exciting to me. My mind went to the generosity of friends while living in Kent. One of my dear friends gave me a book with statements about cancer and all of the emotions. When You Need to Know Your Strength by Melvina Young. On one of her entries was the following statement:

Standing at this threshold is scary
Because you don't know
What's behind the door.
But the people who love you
Are ready to take your hand
And walk through with you,
Whenever you are ready.

I could see my loyal friends helping me with everything. Yes, everything! (So did family but I am focusing on my friends in this post.) They were going to walk every step of this journey with me, but I moved to California. I just realized that it probably felt like I had abandoned them! Wow! But, what I see in their lives is God thanking them and blessing them for the two plus years my health often dictated their lives. Three of my friends have become grandparents. One has a renewed friendship with her sisters, daughter, and grandchildren. All have been given a new safety group for Bible study. These are joys because they selfishly, lovingly, and generously obeyed Him. I knew that this peaceful home I've been given is a gift from God, but He allowed me to see that each person in this journey has also received His gifts.

I always thank my God when I pray for you, Philemon,
because I keep hearing about your faith in the Lord Jesus
and your love for all of God's people.