THE NEW EWE

"What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he loses one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness, and go after the one which is lost, until he finds it? And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying to them, 'Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!'"

Luke 15:4-6

February 28, 2024

LIFE IN THE FOLD

There are times when a person will go through something traumatic, so they will associate a certain day or season or time of year with what happened in the following years.

For example, if someone has a loved one pass away on Christmas, they may say, "I hate Christmas," in the following years. It's not that they truly hate Christmas, but dislike the memories and grief associated with that day.

I do understand, but sometimes we have to look for the blessing amongst the difficulties. Even when life is tough and brings about hardships or heartbreak, God can still give us something beautiful.

February is a month of several major happenings in my life; both good and bad.

The first that I remember is when I was five years old. We were having a revival at our church and I was saved and filled with the Holy Spirit during the revival. Even at a very young age, I knew that I wanted to ask Jesus into my heart. I attended a pentecostal church and was very familiar with the Holy Spirit and speaking in tongues and knew that was something I desired. I asked.... and I received. I'm so thankful that I made that decision at such an early age. Having Jesus in my life sustained me through the difficulties that happened throughout the years.

Mama was diagnosed with cancer when I was eight years old. For seven years I watched her endure four major surgeries, chemotherapy, and radiation. I watched her during times of great suffering. And most importantly, I watched her steadfast faith in God and how she never wavered in her relationship with God. There were nights when she couldn't sleep, due to the pain. Daddy would call my uncle, who then called Mama's siblings, and soon they would all arrive at our home and pray until relief came and Mama was able to sleep. I saw the power of prayer.

But then it was early on Sunday morning, on February 22^nd, in 1981 that Mama went home to be with the Lord. Her journey here on life ended and she was at last free from this horrible disease and the pain that she had endured for so long. As a fifteen year old teenager, it was the most devastating moment of my young life, watching her breathe her last breath. The pain of losing my mama was heartbreaking and the grief was great.

Each year in February I think of that moment. Although the sorrow has lessened, I still miss her and yearn for that moment when we will be reunited again. I'm so grateful for that blessed hope that comes through faith in Jesus, that gives me the assurance that I will one day see her again; and that we will be together for all eternity, never to be separated again.

A couple years later, one of my sisters was married on February 5^th. There was snow on the ground that day and the church parking lot had to be plowed, but it was a wonderful day of celebration.

Fast forward twenty-four years: Jon and I had been dating for nine months. Jon had been waiting for an opportunity to ask my dad for my hand in marriage. It just so happened that on February 5^th of 2005, my oldest sister and her oldest son brought my dad and stepmother here for a visit. While I was in the bathroom, Jon asked Daddy if he could marry me. When I came out, there in front of two of my sisters, a nephew and niece, and my dad and stepmother, Jon got down on one knee and proposed to me. It was a joyous day!!

Out of the ashes of a month that held devastation and loss, God redeemed and brought about incredible blessings.

For many, many years Mother's Day was a day of sadness and tears for me. I didn't have my mom with me to celebrate; and I wasn't a mother myself. I was happy for the mothers who did have children and I was glad that they had a day where they were honored, so I would try to hide my tears and didn't allow anyone to see my brokenness.

I'm still not a mother, but I've learned to find joy in Mother's Day. I'm thankful that I have a wonderful mother-in-law to honor. But over the past several years, I've had the privilege of babysitting for my niece and nephew's children. I have a very special aunt relationship with them. So each year I receive a card and/or gift from them and they honor me and make me feel incredibly special. Again, God has blessed me greatly with these very special relationships that fill that void of not being a mother.

There may be times when we need to pay heed to what we're focusing on. Yes, life does bring about heartbreak and devastation and hurt at times; and it takes time to work through that. When a loved one passes away, there will always be that feeling of loss and missing them. But there should come a time when we can remember their goodness and laugh and find joy in the time that we had together.

Psalms 30:5 tells us that weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes with the morning. Ecclesiastes chapter 3 tells us that there's a time to be born and time to die. There's a time to laugh and a time to mourn. Throughout life, there is a balance.

Perhaps you've struggled with seeing the blessing above the hardship and pain. Ask God, your loving Father, to help you recognize how He has carried you through those tough times; and to see the blessing that He has provided for you along the way. Even if it's difficult to find the words, begin to praise and thank Him for those blessings and for being with you when life is hard. Worship and thanksgiving is the pathway to the joy that God has promised to His children.

JON'S PERSPECTIVE:

There is an old saying, "The only constant is change." I didn't realize how old it was till I looked it up. It is attributed to Heraclitus, around 500 B.C. And it hasn't stopped being accurate.

Sometimes change is for the better, and our lives improve. Sometimes it is for the worse, like when we lose someone. Sometimes it is nothing more than different. But change will always come.

Almost every region has a saying like "If you don't like the weather here, just wait a bit, and it'll change." It's true. If you wait till sunset, it will almost always get darker and cooler. If you wait till sunrise, it will usually get lighter and warmer. Storms come, but they also go.

So, if you don't like what is happening around you, wait a bit. It will change.

ON THE MENEWE:

Mama's Cocoa Gravy

My sisters and I grew up eating this for breakfast! Mama's family ate it and passed the love of it down to their kids and grandkids -- well, at least most of us like it!

Pour milk into a medium saucepan to heat up.

Mix sugar, flour, cocoa and salt together. Add just enough warm milk (from the pan) to make it pourable.

Add mixture to the steaming milk.

Stir constantly until it thickens and comes to a soft boil.

Remove from heat. Add in vanilla and butter; stir.

Serve over warm biscuits.

Double the recipe if making for a family.

THIS, THAT AND THE OTHER:

I get my nephew's two kindergartners on the bus in the mornings. Their 7-year old cousin gets on the bus with them. There are a couple girls who wait with us in the mornings, until the bus arrives. The bus stop is at the house next door. For the past several days the kids have played 'Red Light, Green Light' while waiting on the bus. My nephew's little girl is the shortest out of the group and isn't a fast runner, so she always gets left behind -- which makes the game not very much fun for her. A few days ago she told me that she is always last and asked if I'd play with her. I thought she meant just the two of us play. Nope!! She wanted me to pick her up and carry her and run and us play with the others! So I did!! I am not a fast runner either -- especially carrying her, so we still ended up coming in last. But she was giggling and thought it was the most fun ever! We were closer to the other kids than she was when she was running by herself. I had the other kids let her have a turn being the one in front giving the instructions... and gave us a head start in front of the other kids, to give us a little more advantage, so we weren't always left in the back. Occasionally you have to make up your own rules to make it more fair for all the kids so it's fun for everyone!

THOUGHT TO PONDER:

Don't just pretend to love others.

Really love them. - Romans 12:9 NLT

OUR HEARTFELT THANKS TO YOU:

We love you!

Loretta & Jon

http://www.graysheep.org