All Because

I have recently reconnected, via Facebook, with a cousin I haven't seen in many, many years.  We didn't see each other all that much during our growing-up years either, since she and her sister lived in Africa, as children of missionary parents, and I lived in small-town South Carolina.  We had quite different growing up experiences, and we have followed different paths in our adult years as well.  But we are still family and now we are reconnected.  All because she wrote a book and did a book reading in Spartanburg which our aunt and uncle attended, and then I was told about it, and now we are "Facebook friends" as well as cousins.

I returned yesterday from a couple of days in Pigeon Forge with a dear girlfriend.  We met when she lived in south Florida and I lived in Connecticut, but as relatively new Mary Kay consultants we both attended a Mary Kay event in Sarasota, FL almost twenty years ago.  We bonded over our Mary Kay careers, but it turned out that we had a lot more in common than lipstick and skin care, and even though we only saw each other about once a year in Dallas, and even though there wasn't e-mail and Facebook in those days, we remained friends.  Eventually we both ended up living in the Tampa area and our friendship really blossomed then.  These days I'm in North Carolina and she's in North Alabama, but our friendship remains strong and we meet a couple of times a year "in the middle" in Pigeon Forge for some retail therapy and girlfriend time.  All because we both began a Mary Kay business all those years ago.

In my last post I shared a little bit about my health.  In the couple of days since that post, I have been so encouraged......overwhelmed, really......by the number of messages and emails I have received from people who also are dealing with kidney disease or other health concerns.  This outpouring of love and support has been such a blessing and encouragement.  All because I opened up and shared my situation.  How else would anyone have known?  How else could I have been so encouraged?  What a blessing!  All because I listened to that "still, small voice",  stepped out of my comfort zone and shared what was going on in my life!

As I continue through this journey of kidney disease, I don't know what the future holds.  But I do know WHO holds my future.  All because I have put my trust in Him.  And all because of His great love for me.  I am so blessed!

"Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice.......Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.  And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."  (Philippians 4:4,6-7 ESV)