[Faith-talk] Good Night Message for Thursday, March 7, 2013 and a Clarification On Something

[Debby Phillips]

Hi Paul, the worst part of that procedure is the preparation you have to go through.  I will pray for you.  God. Debby 

Sent from my iPhone

On Mar 7, 2013, at 8:20 PM, "Paul" <oilofgladness47 at gmail.com> wrote:

> Folks, before I begin the good night message per se, I'd like to make a clarification on something I posted previously.  The word should have been "colonoscopy" instead of colostomy.  Well, that's what happens when you don't proofread your message.  For those who don't know, today I went to my medical doctor for my six-month appointment, and he recommended that I get a colonoscopy.  Now, I've never gone through this procedure before, and am understandably a little apprehensive about what will happen.  So please pray that the Lord will lessen that apprehension.  Thanks, and please change that original word.
> 
> And now to more pleasant matters, how was your day today, or how is it going for you right now? I hope well, by God's matchless grace and His providential care.  Other than my doctor visit, didn't do much today.
> 
> Our story for today is taken from a compilation entitled "Stories For a Faithful Heart," with the contribution in question being entitled "Love That Blossoms," rendered as follows:
> 
> Curiously, the warmth of the spring day felt good on my skin.  I fought back the veil of tears that blurred the dogwood trees lining the hospital grounds.  Everything around me seemed to be bursting with life while I felt cold, alone and defeated.
> 
> With a sinking feeling, I opened my car door and drove to the florist.  I knew I had to do this for my mother.  She had always said, "Give me flowers while I can enjoy them."
> 
> As I opened the door to the florist's shop, I was met by a profusion of color mingled with the scent of fresh roses.  What a contrast with the bare hospital room I had just left!
> 
> My mother had been in the hospital for more than two weeks, her yearlong struggle with lung cancer nearly at an end.  I wanted more than anything to see her smile once more.
> 
> I walked between the potted daisies, pausing to finger the petals.  They still shimmered with water droplets, and I couldn't help thinking how vibrant they seemed.  The shelves below them were lined with dish gardens exploding with philodendron.  Everything seemed blessed with the fullness of life and the will to live.
> 
> I turned and faced the sunlight streaming through the window, hoping it would drive out the ache in my throat.  I breathed in deeply, then glanced up at the top shelf.  There, I saw an old-fashioned sprinkling can brimming with lavender daisies.  As I lifted it from the shelf, the flowers practically danced.
> 
> "Could I help you?" a voice behind me asked.
> 
> I turned to face a woman I didn't know.  She must have sensed the pain in my heart or seen the tears in my eyes, because her eyes were full of compassion.
> 
> "I--I want something pretty for my mother," I managed to say.  "She is dying." Without so much as a word, the woman who worked daily nurturing life with the flower shop walked forward.  Her deep brown eyes melted into a mixture of pain, understanding and love as she gently placed her arms around me.
> 
> In that unexpected embrace, I felt God's love as He welcomed me into His arms, surrounding and protecting me from the pain.  At once, the familiar words of Jesus spoke clearly to me.  "By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another" (John 13:35, KJV).
> 
> There in that flower shop, God met me, a defeated and lonely person trying to muddle through a tragedy without Him.  But through His love, He sent someone to meet me in my sorrow.
> 
> I thank God every day for this woman who allowed the love of Jesus to work through her.  My prayer is that I follow her example and meet others where they are, freely offering the love of Jesus.
> 
> I first read this article over seven years ago before my mom herself had to go to a hospital and subsequently to a nursing home, so I can relate in a small way to what the author went through.
> 
> And now may the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob just keep us safe, individually and collectively, throughout this night or day and especially in these last days in which we live.  Your Christian friend and brother, Paul
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