God’s Faithfulness
Do you have a favorite Bible verse, a “go to” verse in difficult times? These can be of great comfort, reminding us of God’s faithfulness in our lives, which, considering how life can be sometimes, is easily forgotten.
My beloved sister went to heaven on January 14, 2020. She was unmarried at the time and had no children. She got to the place where she could not live alone any longer, so with some effort, a relative of ours got her into a lovely place in Northern Kentucky, called the Seasons. She received good care, and I have never regretted taking her there.
Marian did not have many possessions. What few pieces of furniture she owned were given to her church, the Montana Avenue Church of the Nazarene in Cincinnati. The rest, clothing, etc was donated to charities.
Realizing that I was her closest relative, living 3 hours away, I was going to be responsible for settling her small estate, which mainly consisted of her finances, insurance and any other detail. I actually began to panic, and at one point prayed, “Lord, I can’t do this! Please find someone else!” I seemed to get a gentle response back, “I know, I know, but I can help.”
Not long after that, I realized that my other sister, Anita, who lives in Sarasota, Florida, was made executor of Marian’s will and her name was on all of Marian’s financial accounts. When Anita got involved, then the pieces began to fall into place. She made three trips up to the Cincinnati area, with scheduled meetings and court appearances with a cousin of ours, an attorney, who walked us through the legal mazes with grace, dignity and competence. My responsibilities were primarily medical, discussing issues of medication and other things of this nature with the medical staff at the Seasons.
From that point on, it seemed to be one step leading to another, until late in 2019 Medicaid entered the picture, and the path was cleared for all bills to be paid. On January 14, 2020, our beloved sister entered God’s presence. Later that year, we settled the last of the financial responsibilities and we could get on with our precious memories of Marian.
These memories were expressed with great love and affection at Marian’s church, sometime after her passing, as friends and family expressed their gratitude to God for her impact on their lives. My daughter Brit gave a eulogy that was moving, tender, funny, and summarized Marian’s life and going to heaven, and still moves me to tears even now when I re-read it. Janea gave a warm, tender, tear filled testimony about her beloved “Aunt Marian.” The service was filled with gratitude to God for this special saint.
This verse has become what I call my everyday verse. I have another verse, Philippians 4:8 that is a life philosophy verse, guiding me on my journey. Isaiah 41:10, however, is my “go to” verse.
Fear not, for I am with you;
Be not dismayed, for I am your God;
I will strengthen you,
I will help you,
I will uphold you with my righteous, right hand.
(English Standard Version, 2016)
Each line carries a specific message of its own, but the line, “I will help you,” has anchored itself in my mind, and shines like a beacon, ever declaring the truth that God is very much involved in our lives; sometimes not the way we ask for, but his way is always best and he is always faithful.
Oh that our faith and trust were as strong as we would like for them to be. I am reminded so many times of God’s faithfulness, both in major events — like this one with my sister — and small issues that come up in everyday life.
May our continuous, ongoing efforts be focused on God’s strengthening us in faith, hope and trust. May the practice of faith and trust be a moment by moment, day by day priority.
Thanks be to God.
