It's hard to grasp sometimes that a whole year has passed since Joyce went home - and even harder to think that it's been nearly 5 years since the whole battle with her cancer started. For most of those 5 years I have been out of sinc with the pattern of ministry I was used to. I'm so grateful for the patience and support of the church family, my staff and the elders of our church during these uncertain years.
New things are ahead and I am eager to see and be a part of what God has next. I'm meeting this week with another pastor friend who is in a similar position as me. He has turned his church over to his son and is desiring, as I am, to be an encouragement, resource, and help to other pastors and churches in the Calvary Chapel family. So we're meeting to brainstorm how we can work together, along with a couple other guys, to more effectively minister to those needs. Appreciate your prayer concerning that!
In the weeks following my surgery, I'll be posting my speaking/teaching/travel schedule here on this blog - and on a new website my technically challenged brain is trying to develop :-)
May our Lord continue to bless and use each of you for His glory!
In His Arm's,
Pat
Hi Pat,
ReplyDeleteI wanted to again express my sorrow that your Joyce is gone and has been gone for one year. Hard to believe you can actually walk around and function without the one with whom you spent your life. God is good and generous during that first year as the shock of loss slowly wears off. Wayne and I rejoice that Joyce is in heaven, and no longer in pain - she is with our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. We are sad for you and your family in missing her presence. I have also been widowed and know how weird it is to go on - - - and the time just keeps on moving, and everyone's lives keep going on while yours has stopped (or feels that way.) What I got out of that period of time is the knowledge of how quickly life passes - and the renewed desire to serve the Lord - as time passes so quickly. I asked Him for renewed energy, which He gave me in abundance, after my declining health due to the stresses of dealing with the death of my late husband stopped, and the heart problems I experienced ceased (first couple of years after.)
Next week, Wayne and I celebrate our third wedding anniversery. God put two people together who were not looking to remarry, who can work better for His Kingdom together than apart. This is not necessarily true for everyone. As you well know, God has an individual plan for each of His children, and that is what we should always seek out - but in our case, our collective drive is to see people come to know Him, and then develop that stable foundation that will sustain them through life - regardless of circumstances. Our first desire, however, is always still to get closer in our respective relationships to God. That is most important.
I want to encourage you in your future. Your blog sounds like God is leading you in a great and much-needed direction. I pray that He surrounds you with family and friends at all times. It has to still be awfully lonely without Joyce's presence. It has to be strange to not have her there at the end of the day to share all of the days' events with . . . but that lessens as the years pass (it has been nearly 7 years for me), and you will always have the joy of your memories, both past and of your new life to show you God's grace, direction, and mercy.
You will be in our prayers for your surgery, and for your future. Please take it slowly to allow yourself to heal from all of the physical stresses you have had to face during the last five years. I am reminded of the song . . . Jesus loves me this I know, for the Bible tells me so. As we come to our Saviour as little children, He can sustain us and we can enjoy our relationship with Him - above all else - above the work - above the ministry - it is about our relationship with Him.
God bless and keep you healthy and strong during this upcoming time of surgery.
Your sister in Christ,
Linda