LOOK WHAT IS IN MY CHURCH OFFICE

ANOTHER POST BY MILTON:

For new readers to this site, I am writing since Kristy's battle with a GBM brain tumor and her passing on July 21. Kristy made me a romantic so I write to share christian love stories.

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I have received many bits of advice and wisdom as I have walked through these last weeks and months dealing first with Kristy's illness, then death, grief, and now a new love coming into my life. It has not been an easy journey and there has been more than one surprise along the way. 

But God remains faithful to me through it all.

Wanda and I have talked at length about my grief, our love, and the future. She is a God send to me and has been just what I need. Truly God provided a new friend and love to help me and bring comfort to me. She has become my very best friend.

But is still has some rough spots. I will admit it. We both loved our spouses and my loss is still up front, fresh, and with some very raw edges. I am moving through this a the pace that God is leading and setting for me, and thankfully each day I have felt His wonderful, comforting presence.

Wanda is in Jacksonville this weekend as my parents are acting as our chaperons. We went on a double date for dinner with mom and dad sitting in the back seat as I drove. Dad told me to use both hands, but I told him I had to drive with one. HA! It is Biblical, according to dad, to take your parents on your dates. He said that Samson took his parents on his dates. 

Before Wanda arrived for this visit, I changed a few things at my church office. I moved a few pictures and rearranged some pictures and remembrances of the past. It was hard to do, but it was the right thing to do and it was the right time to do it. 

I took Wanda to my church office, again with my parents, and showed her around. I pointed to a beautiful framed picture of Christ hands extended hanging in my office and asked if she remembered it? 

She said, "No." 

I asked her to look closer and she read the engraved inscription noting it as a gift from the Bartow Church, her church, where I pastored many year ago. It was a gift from the church to Kristy and me for our one year anniversary at the church in 1981. That brought back some memories for both of us. Wanda was there the night they gave it to us.

Then Wanda pointed below the picture to a very finely stitched picture of "praying hands."

Wanda asked, "Do you remember this?"

I looked closely and said, "No."

I looked closer and then it came to me. This was a cross stitched picture Wanda made for Kristy and me almost twenty-five years ago. There were her stitched initials on the bottom. 

WD

It was incredible. 

I had totally forgotten this picture and who and where it came from and amazingly this stitched framed picture remained with me for all those years. Through these 38 years of ministry untold gifts like this one have so kindly been shared with Kristy and me, but this one remained with me and was in my office. It was a precious gift from Wanda to Kristy and me.

I cannot believe that I still had it and that it was displayed in my office. 

It was as if God was confirming again His will for my life and our lives. On the first day that Wanda arrived which was the day after I had re-arranged pictures and remembrances, all of a sudden there was something from Wanda that just happened to be placed in the room. She saw it and it spoke to me and to us. It was if God was saying I am making a change and now is the time for Wanda to move into the picture.

God is neat. He does things special. He confirms His will in amazing ways.

God is good.