Encouraging Days Indeed!

Every month I have to send a board report as part of my job. I filed one today. Here is the very first line:

I write to you from one of the most emotional exhausting and exhilarating times of my entire life.

Watching God work is simply beyond awesome. There were so many questions when Steve died, and God has answered them day by day, hour by hour. How he divinely orchestrated everything that is happening is just incredible to watch.

I can't really share details, but suffice it to say that God has provided for Renee & the girls in amazing ways. Today we went to the district office to discover that she is eligible, as a surviving spouse, to purchase medical benefits as part of the group plan. For life. We had no idea. God has provided joyous moment after joyous moment, daily surprising us with his provision and grace.

““Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.” - Matthew 6:25-34 ESV

All of us who knew him miss Steve. That is a fact. But none of us miss him as much as Renee does, and each of these incredibly precious girls has lost their earthly father. Steve worked hard to provide for his family, indeed he worked on the day he died. But now that he is gone, God has clearly taken over to fulfill His promises. We stand in awe of how He fills those promises at times. God is truly amazing.

There have been tears, but there has also been laughter and joy. And if you knew Steve, he was all about laughter and joy. I am so grateful to be here. I don't deserve to be receiving the blessings I am receiving by being allowed to minister to this family in this time. It is a gift from the Lord.

Rejoice in the Lord always!

Joel