Some people come in your life for a reason and a season. Sometimes the season is short. That for some can be just fine, they needed to have only a short piece in your story. Some folks come for a long season and that’s great too, going to talk about one of those today.
Isaiah 53:4-8 4 Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. 5 But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. 6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned everyone to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. 7 He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth. 8 He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare his generation? for he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken.
Boy have I heard this repeated over and over. I’ve prayed many times over the years for healing , I’ve asked for prayers for healing and I have received this verse many times in response to those requests.
Everyone needs a spiritual mentor. Anyone who knows anything about my faith walk knows I have many Godly council, I have some wonderful accountability partners too and I’m not afraid to call on them, name them and give them all the love for the ways they pour in to my life, my heart and my soul. Around the time my daughter was in high school, I think it was perhaps her junior year, she was going to the Wednesday night High School church called the Mix, they had their own music band of young folks and they had a message just for them – you know not from the podium but age appropriate and in a way that can bring them in close to God, they had fun activities and learned about Jesus, it was a wonderful program. My daughter LOVED this time of worship and good word, I even brought her friends from high school sometimes. I was glad to because I wanted all those kids to find faith, to grab ahold of it with both hands and never let go. So I brought her up to the church and instead of doing errands and coming back or going back home I sat up at the coffee shop our church had, I would prepare my lessons for Hometeam (small group). One evening a lady said hi to me and commented that she had seen me there each week and that we may as well know each other since we saw each other every week, see she brought her granddaughter up for the Mix as well. Her name is Mary. After a while she would come sit with me and ask what I was doing (preparing my lessons). Many times she had prayer requests she would ask me to pray over and then it became our thing to sit together and have each other pray over things for both of us.
Week after week we talked, we prayed and I came to trust her and respect her opinion and her faith. I remember conversations where I told her I just really wanted discernment and I can hear her voice in my head right now saying “Child, who says you don’t have it? You might be the only person here that thinks you don’t”. She was right I just didn’t know that I did. I obviously was not paying attention. One Wednesday Ms Mary could not make it and her husband came up to sit with me. Now I admit she has spoken about him many a time and I have to say I was quote intimidated by him and had not even met him yet. When he sat across from me we laughed and he talked a little, I talked a lot – nerves. I found him to be so genuine, so comforting. A man who you could see a lifetime behind those eyes yet when he spoke it put you at ease immediately. I admired this man for being a gentle giant at least in my eyes.
Over the years we’ve stayed in touch. Mr. Jim and Ms Mary have been sweet friends to me and spiritually so many things, they have been my go to for answers, when my Pop was on his faith walk they gave me a book to give him. I had explained to them he was a seeker but a very smart one so just the average “here is your answer” would not work for him. As always they knew what to say and do for him.
Mr. Jim sadly passed away several years ago. His celebration of life was a wonderful event. I’m so glad I attended. Mr. Jim left a mark on my life as someone who loved his family, loved his wife but by golly loved his Jesus most of all. For anyone who has heard me talk about Ms Mary – now she is vocal about the whole thing, not the quiet type at all especially when speaking about Jesus! They were complementary, they fit like a perfect puzzle. She the peanut butter to his jelly. Salt and Pepper, Oil and Vinegar – yes that’s Mr. Jim and Ms Mary. I met her for lunch Saturday for the first time in quite some time. It felt like no time had passed since we had seen each other.
It was a great visit and I found myself being so sentimental about both Jim and Mary. I took the time to tell her this but right here right now I’m going to write it down, put It out there in black and white. There are people who have been in my life for a reason and a season, this is for sure. I thank God for the long and sweet season of Mary and Jim in my life. Even though Mr. Jim is not physically with us, he sure was a presence at our lunch on Saturday and has been since I met him. Both of them have been such good Godly council for me. There have been thousands of time that I’m not even sure she realizes it or not but something will happen or someone says something and I hear it as sure as she was standing next to me, “Don’t you claim that child!” or “My Jesus says they are healed” (reference above Isaiah) I was talking to her about a time when they both met me at the mall. I was on my way to Canyon Lake to visit my family. My Mom had just be told she had cancer so Mary made her a rum cake for us to take – they both met me and we got hugs and we laughed ourselves silly. It wasn’t but a 10 minute little meeting but they prayed for me and my family and hugged me tight. Off I went with the perfect send off.
Another time that is so very precious to me is when Reda (Sam’s paternal grandma) was in the hospital, they came up there and held my hand and we prayed over Reda, she went home two days later. I remember her knowing they were there but later she asked who they were and I told her. Reda, those are prayer warriors and they wanted to pray for you! So we did.
When I sat with Mary this weekend I asked about hers and Jim’s go to or some favorite scriptures. Mary has quoted Isaiah to me time and again in our weekly meetings. Timothy below sounds very much like something Mr. Jim would say. Of course the last one is the prayer of protection and I’m honestly not surprised in the least it is a big favorite of theirs.
I am so grateful that God put them in my direct path. I know that I know that I know, I am a better person because I have known Mr. Jim and Ms Mary. I am grateful for this friend who loves me and my family. I usually send her these devotionals each week. This week she might recognize the subject – grin.
Thank you Ms Mary for being you, for loving me and loving Jesus, thank you for letting your light shine and letting me be a part of this season in your life and mine. I am grateful to you for being a good Godly woman in my life to look up to. I cherish you and our friendship! I love you Ms Mary!
2 Timothy 1:7 7 For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.
Psalm 91 - 91 He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. 2 I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust. 3 Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence. 4 He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler. 5 Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day; 6 Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday. 7 A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee. 8 Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold and see the reward of the wicked. 9 Because thou hast made the Lord, which is my refuge, even the most High, thy habitation; 10 There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling. 11 For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways. 12 They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone. 13 Thou shalt tread upon the lion and adder: the young lion and the dragon shalt thou trample under feet. 14 Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him: I will set him on high, because he hath known my name. 15 He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him. 16 With long life will I satisfy him, and shew him my salvation.
Dear Heavenly Father, this one is so simple but I mean it as tall as the mountains. Thank You for the gift of Jim and Mary. Bless them, their families and all they touch or will touch. In Jesus most precious name – Amen.