Posts Tagged ‘grieving’

Good News

Tuesday, December 21st, 2010

Welcome to the 12 Pearls of Christmas! Enjoy these Christmas “Pearls of Wisdom”! Please follow along through Christmas day as each post shares heartfelt stories of how God has touched a life during this most wonderful time of the year. AND BEST OF ALL … there’s also a giveaway!!!! Fill out the quick form at the link located at the bottom of this post to be entered to win a PEARL NECKLACE, BRACELET AND EARRINGS!  Pearls – a tangible reminder of God’s grace to us all.

~~~

Good News!
by Deb Kalmbach

The first Christmas card of the season arrived in my mailbox way back in August. How could anyone be that organized? Then I noticed my friend, Nita, had sent me a card I had written to her more than 20 years ago!
  
Memories rushed back as I read the words penned in my familiar handwriting. It was Christmas, 1991, and my world had unraveled. I could almost pretend everything was all right at this most wonderful time of the year—but not that year.
  
My husband Randy’s drinking problem had escalated to the point where his job and career were on the line. He had already been through two alcohol treatment programs and managed to stay sober for short periods of time. Then he slipped back into old, familiar patterns. His ongoing relapses were a crushing disappointment for our family.
  
I had looked forward to Christmas Eve and our family traditions; making homemade lasagna, singing carols around the piano, attending the candlelight service at church, and then coming home to open one token Christmas Eve present.     
  
“Randy, are you ready to crank out the pasta?” I called to him over the Christmas music I was playing to lift my spirits.
  
I peered into the living room to see what was keeping him. My heart froze. Randy sat on the couch, trance-like, watching a basketball game while sipping a drink.
  
No, not on Christmas Eve, I screamed inwardly. I felt like I was suffocating. Usually Randy pulled himself together but it didn’t happen that night. He drank vodka all evening while I finished holiday preparations on autopilot. None of us felt like eating lasagna or celebrating.
  
Only a few days earlier, I had written these words on the Christmas card to my friend, Nita. I don’t know God’s plans, his timing or his ways in accomplishing his purposes, but I am learning to trust him. He is faithful!
  
I suspect Nita kept my card all those years because she saw a small seed of faith and it encouraged her heart. I didn’t know it at the time, but it would be eight more Christmas seasons before Randy experienced the miraculous breakthrough of finding freedom from alcoholism.
  
As I read the card I had written so long ago, I felt awed by God’s faithfulness to us—even when our situation looked completely hopeless.
  
You may be facing great difficulty as the holidays approach. The last thing you feel like is celebrating. And that’s O.K. The Good News of Christmas isn’t about picture perfect holidays where our homes are decorated a la Martha Stewart and tables are laden with holiday delicacies. Your days may not be merry and bright. You may be grieving the loss of a loved one or the loss of a relationship through divorce or estrangement. Your world has unraveled.

That’s exactly why the message of Christmas is Good News. The Savior is born! The One who came to set you free, to give you peace and hope and help beyond anything you could ever imagine is as near as your next breath. Today you might not be able to see how God’s purposes are unfolding for your future, but you can be assured that He is working all things for good in your life. A twenty year-old Christmas card came on a summer day as an unexpected gift and gentle reminder of God’s presence—especially in the worst of times.

 ~~~

About Deb: Deb Kalmbach is the coauthor of Because I Said Forever: Embracing Hope in a Not-So- Perfect Marriage and the author of a book for children, Corey’s Dad Drinks Too Much. She has contributed to The New Women’s Devotional Bible, Pearl Girls: Encountering Grit, Experiencing Grace, and other anthologies. She is a vibrant and engaging speaker who gives hope and practical solutions to those who struggle with difficult relationships. Deb and her husband, Randy, live in a tiny town in Eastern Washington. Visit Deb at: www.debkalmbach.com, or on Facebook and Twitter.

~~~


A PEARL NECKLACE, BRACELET AND EARRINGS will be given away on New Year’s Day. All you need to do to have a chance of winning is {FILL OUT THIS QUICK ENTRY FORM}. The winner will be announced on the Pearl Girls Blog (http://margaretmcsweeney.blogspot.com) on New Years Day!

12 Pearls of Christmas Series and contest sponsored by Pearl Girls®. For more information, please visit www.pearlgirls.info

Tags: , , , ,
Posted in Devotionals | Comments Off

Be a Planter

Wednesday, May 5th, 2010

What ministry opportunity awaits you today? I’ve experienced a few surprises in that department recently. Here’s one example:

My husband and I enjoy going to church early so we can visit with whoever’s there (our facility has a nifty coffee area ideal for this). A week ago, enroute to the service after mixing and mingling with new friends, I decided to pay a quick visit to the ladies’ room. Actually, I waffled with the idea and finally decided it was better to be safe than sorry. Upon entering the washroom, I knew immediately that my final decision had been God-directed. There, standing by the sink, was a lady I’d never met. Tears streamed down her face.

My first thought was, Oh my goodness. What’s this all about? I whispered an arrow prayer for wisdom and then opened my mouth. The first words were, “Oh dear. You’re not doing well, are you?” The lady wiped her eyes with a tissue and shook her head.

“What can I do for you?” I asked. She said nothing.

“May I give you a hug?” I asked as I took a step toward her. She nodded and leaned into my shoulder. Then she began to talk. Her ex-husband had died suddenly only 12 days prior. The timing was especially sad because they were considering reconciliation. The circumstances were sad, too – the immediate family lacked finances to bury or cremate his body so they’d donated it to medical research. She was not a church-goer but had come to this service because our pastors had kindly agreed to perform a memorial service on his behalf.

My heart broke for this woman. “Do you have someone to sit with in the service?” I asked. She shook her head again. She’d come alone and knew no one. “Then you’re welcome to sit with us.” She gladly accepted the offer.

Four days later we attended her husband’s memorial service. When we entered the church foyer, she smiled and said, “You came!” Then she introduced us to her grown kids as though we’d known each other for years. And she asked for my phone number so we can pray together sometime.

Where this unexpected connection will lead is anyone’s guess. But one thing I do know – God gave me the opportunity to make a difference in the life of a grieving woman that day. In essence, I was a “planter,” sowing a seed of kindness into her life. I pray that He’ll bring other planters alongside, and that eventually He’ll produce a harvest of spiritual maturity in her life.

John 4:35-38 speaks about planters and harvesters. “Wake up and look around,” Jesus says. “The fields are already ripe for harvest.” I couldn’t agree more. People with deep hurts are everywhere – in our homes, our neighborhoods, our workplaces, our clinics and hospitals, our kids’ schools, airports, shopping malls, senior citizens’ homes, and yes, even in our churches. Sometimes they mask their problems with a plastic smile. Sometimes they need a listening ear and soft shoulder.

We can make a difference by planting a seed of kindness into their lives. Being an effective planter means going through our days wide awake, our eyes open to recognizing God-directed moments and seizing them. What those moments will look like for you is anyone’s guess, but I can guarantee you this – when you recognize them and respond, you’ll make a difference in someone’s life. And you’ll experience the joy that’s promised to planters and harvesters alike (v. 36).

How have you been a planter in someone’s life recently?

Tags: , , , ,
Posted in Devotionals | 2 Comments »

Walking in the Wilderness

Wednesday, October 14th, 2009

Time after time while speaking at women’s retreats and conferences, I hear stories that break my heart. Some women have been abandoned by their husbands while others are married to men addicted to pornography. Some are grieving the death of a child while others are grieving the inability to conceive. Some are afraid of an unknown future while others are afraid of facing their past. Many are on a wilderness walk – a desert of the soul – and wondering when it will end.

The word wilderness often conjures a negative image in our minds. We think of an uninhabitable place. A desert dotted with sagebrush, perhaps. A flat, dusty wasteland. The thought of finding life or refreshment there seems absurd. But Psalm 84:5-7 suggests we think again:

“Happy are those who are strong in the Lord, who set their minds on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem. When they walk through the Valley of Weeping, it will become a place of refreshing springs, where pools of blessing collect after the rains! They will continue to grow stronger, and each of them will appear before God in Jerusalem.”

What are these verses saying? They’re telling us that the road to a more intimate walk with God often leads through a place of struggles and tears. The journey is difficult and not one we’d choose for ourselves, but in the midst of the wilderness wasteland, we find refreshment. Our strength is renewed as we keep our eyes focused on Jesus. Our hearts are encouraged when we remember that He is with us. And our hope is restored when we discover blessings – evidences of His love for us – along the way.

Are you walking in a wilderness of the soul? If so, remember that God knows where you are. His desire is that your wandering will spur growth in your life, and that it will lead you to a more intimate walk with Him. That’s my desire for you, too, my friend.

Here’s a question for you: What blessings have you discovered while walking in the wilderness?

Tags: , , , ,
Posted in Devotionals | 2 Comments »