Category: miracles

Joy Comes in the Morning

Published on by JustineLeave a comment

Sometimes the morning  is at the end of a difficult season. The title “Joy comes in the morning,” means there is a night. Have you ever had one of those years?

My night started last summer when Grace was loosing weight. She was my cat! She was the one who would come and check on me every time I was outside working in the gardens and she greeted me every time I returned from running. We first thought she was loosing weight like every summer hunting critters in the yard. It turned out to be something different because her weight kept dropping and she refused to eat her food, even when we brought home cans of tasty food.

She breathed her last laying next to me on the couch November 14, 2021, at 11:30 P.M.

In the picture you see Sam laying next to Grace an hour before she left us.

I didn’t get the chance to mourn Grace leaving because Sam, our youngest animal was getting very sick and refused to run or walk.

Sam was getting sick  about the same time Grace started to loose weight. He had  an allergic reaction to both  fleas, the flea medicine, and his food.Who knew allergic reactions could make you sick.

We have always looked for a food he didn’t turn red after eating and found one but realized it had  lots of fillers.

He had no energy. We learned it was a yeast infection in his feet swelling his toes. This spread to his head and eventually to his ears. He was a mess when we first brought him to the veterinarian’s office. We had to sit in the vehicle because of COVID issues, and they came to get him. The Doctor came out to tell me all his problems which I couldn’t under stand because of the mask she wore. We came home with $550 bill and pills.

The pills worked until they were done and the infection came back. We go back to the vet and get more medicine and more money. I think the third  time I was able to go into the office and talk with the vet. She had the thought that we were not giving the medicine and was tempted to not let him go home with me. Fear gripped me as the vet said he had 2 resistant infections going on in his ears.

The forth or fifth time  they had us make a 2 week appointment to check and see that we were giving him his medicine. This brought some relief. Now we just need to keep him healthy.

I Hope and Believe his healing is going to stay healed because Bart found food on line that comes frozen and is suppose to be Good for dogs. He has been on this food for 6-8  weeks and Sam is looking BETTER then he has for years. We are praying his immune system kicks in and fights to keep him healthy without medicine!

Even with Sam going through this, I was starting to work in my flower garden early in the Spring. Hope was trying to rise!

But then we received the phone call. Dad died.  This became  on more strike to try and keep me down. The spring was spent driving to the West Coast twice.

After the funeral, Bart tried all Summer to get me out into my gardens, but I just couldn’t. Have you ever gotten stuck? Have you figured out how to get unstuck?

When it was time to pick raspberries(my favorite fruit of all) I felt physically barred from the raspberries. I had to fight through and invisible barrier that I didn’t understand at all. Picking raspberries brings me joy!

I did push past this thing that was holding me back after talking with my friend who encouraged me. Thankfully the call of the raspberries was stronger than the thing that kept me chained to the house.

HOPE IS RISING!

The vegetable and flower gardens  are waiting for me to join them.

Sam, is looking healthy for the first time in over a year, and he even started to gallop one evening we were running. It forced me to run just a bit faster! I have not seen that for years.

I believe the statement “It will be very difficult for me to work outside without Grace to come and see me.” did affect my ability to move. It is a learning curve to realize how much power the words we speak have power over our lives. It is shocking to see it really be acted out.

So Now I am telling myself it is easy to go outside so is it time to get outside and see what can be accomplished before snow falls. Hope is the thing I have always held onto! It helps me get up every morning and keep believing this next year will be better because I keep learning how to do better.

Do you know how to find HOPE? Ask Jesus!

Lessons in Trust

Published on by Justine3 Comments

A few years ago, I found through counseling that my emotional age  stopped at about age 7.  This basically means I am fearful of authority and do everything possible to not get into trouble. Post traumatic stress also affects the way I respond to situations.

I have been working hard to grow into my 50 something age that I am and be set free from reacting to PTSD triggers.

These are 3 stories in my life at airports that showing how God sends people to help the childlike.

My first flight as an adult, my future husband mailed me plane tickets to visit him. I arrived at the airport and boarded the plane with my ticket in hand. The nice stewardess sent me back to the building to get my ticket checked.
Today is so different, can you believe I could walk onto the plane without anyone checking to see if I had a ticket?

About fifteen years later I have a chance to fly again, my sister asks me to be a Godparent for her new son.  Michelle, our three year old, and I are flying out a week earlier than Bart. We change planes in Atlanta, Georgia.

Asking how to get to our connecting flight, because I have never changed planes before. We are directed to a tram which makes me nervous, it is new and scary. Following the crowd we each carry a backpack, a suitcase, and hold hands tightly so we don’t get separated.
Everyone piled onto the tram and I did my best to join them, but Michelle was pulling away, fearing the crowd!

I thought I was successful until the door shut on my daughter’s hand!

Michelle is on the outside but I am holding her hand! “Oh God, what does this mean? What do I do?”

Before I have a chance to scream, the door opens and I pull pull Michelle inside.

God Bless the person I see in the hall with a walkie-talkie! They  saved my daughter! Someone next to me mentions, some places don’t have that person to stop the tram. Relief fills my soul.
A month later, my grandmother dies. I am a bit of a mess, she was my safe place.
I wanted to bring Michelle with me because I am much braver as Mom than just plain me. I am thankful we don’t need to go through Atlanta, but arriving in Chicago we find about real airport stories and snow delays.
Leaving the plane, we find that our connecting flight is canceled. Fear and anxiety rise! My worst nightmare! What do I do?
Thankfully, I find an airport worker who answers my first question and walks me to the line for new tickets.
 We get new tickets and find seats to wait. I am feeling alone and wonder, “Will we make it to the funeral? Did we fly all this way to miss the funeral? What good will that do?”
The seats around us fill up with people waiting for the next flight out, and many are flying to Minneapolis.  Some of the more seasoned flyers start asking questions to get flight information.
Someone hears of a gate that might have a flight out. A group of 30-40 people get up and walk to that gate and wait until someone else finds another tip. Ten or so trips up and down the B corridor tire my body as I carry a back pack, suitcase, and my 3 year old.
Finally, a gate is found actually checking tickets and a line forms. Michelle and I find the back of the line. When I reach the desk, I give them my ticket believing everything is done and we can relax until we are on the plane.
The clerk looks at my ticket and says, “I’m sorry but you have the wrong tickets! You need to go to the back of the line and wait!”

Crushed, I walk to the end of the line. Tears streaming down my face, I am falling apart! Holding tightly onto my daughter I ask, “What am I going to do?”

All of a sudden, a women comes from the front of the line and says, “Remember God!”

Something in me changes, “God is here!” Hope rises.
Immediately, a man walks from the front of the line announcing loudly to everyone, “My ticket is for gate E3!
Quickly I realize that is my ticket and I ask, “Can we go with you?”
Seeing my load he grabs my suitcase and we follow, “Thank you so much for helping! I am on the way to my grandma’s funeral”
He says,”This is my first time back in the states for 10 years.”
Arriving at the gate, we see nothing. No Notice of a plane scheduled to fly, no people to ask questions. We are alone in this huge airport. The three of us sit and wait.
He asks, “Would your husband mind if I rented a car and drove us to Minneapolis?”
“Yes, my husband would be upset. Thank you for offering.”
“I will get some food for you, if you will watch my suitcase.”
“Thank you.”
The minute he is out of sight, I start to worry, “they say” “do not hold a strangers luggage.” Am I in trouble for holding his luggage?
Fear rises and I hear an announcement over the intercom, “The flight to Minneapolis is leaving at gate B23 in 30 minutes!”
Panic! “I gotta go! I need to run! But I said I would watch his luggage! I can’t leave his suitcase!”
The man returns, carrying a tray filled with food.
“I didn’t know what kind of food you would like so I picked up a variety.”
“Thank you!” Both Michelle and I are hungry, but I am leery thinking he could have put something in the food. I think the milk, cereal, and the banana are safe and we eat.
After we eat, he throws the extra food and says, “Will you watch my suitcase again? I want to make arrangements in case this flight doesn’t go.”
“No problem.”
This time I see he is on a phone down the hall. Again the announcement rings out, “The flight to Minneapolis leaves in 10 minutes.” I want to pick up all my stuff and run back to that gate! But, I can’t leave his suitcase!
Finally, he returns and says, “Would you like me to make other arrangements for you?”
“Yes, thank you.”
The minute he leaves, “Last call for the flight to Minneapolis!”
Panic roars, I have to leave! I start to put my things together so I can run, but his suitcase! It is an anchor holding me in place.

He returns and I realize the flight has gone. There is nothing to do but wait and hope this flight will happen.

Hours later a sports team arrives, soon after clerks arrive at the desk. They put up the flight number and time on the board. Things are looking up!
Fight attendants show up allowing us to board the plane. I think it is strange that the man who took care of us walks past us like he never met us, (I have noticed  God will use a person for a moment in time to tell me something or help me and then they go on their life like they never met me). The man has a first class ticket and the only reason I am able to board first is Michelle is only 3.
We sit in the back of the plane hearing talk that we might not have pilots. “Help Jesus!”
Pilots arrive, the plane is cleared of snow and ice. We take off.
My sister and brother meet us at the gate and our luggage is waiting!  Everything is as it should be! We are on time for the funeral and everything worked.
My Loving Heavenly Father sent help!  When I was so stressed I forgot about Him, He sent a person to remind me, “I Am Here!”
Then He sent a man to anchor me, and forced me to wait.
GOD IS GOOD!