2010 Peace Of Mind Didn’t Depend Upon Circumstances
By Carol Flett |
Posted 9:30 am on December 29, 2010
Blogs | Christian Living | Health and Fitness
Did 2010 bring you the unexpected? It did for us. One month we were roaming the countryside, taking our grandchildren to a homeschool convention in Ottawa and then judging at an international student convention in Kentucky. The next month I was riding in the front seat of an ambulance while my husband was on his back, just behind me, fighting for his life.
While we were still in Kentucky, just a day or two before Bruce got sick, we were discussing a job opportunity we had been presented with. We were excited about it. Was God calling us to work at a Christian school in Russia? My husband was ready to pack his bags and go. And, of course, I was ready to follow. I had always wished that I could go back and visit the land my parents had fled. It was the country where my biographical novel, "Susie's Story" took place, and it seemed fitting that I should be given the opportunity to go there.
We had other plans as well. We had promised to help out in a school in Manitoba for a month at the beginning of the school semester. Then after that we would see if we could go to Russia. Those were our plans in May of 2010.
But the job in Manitoba didn't happen; and the job in Russia didn't happen either. What did happen was that my husband almost died of endocarditis, an infection of the heart, and then had to be taken to Toronto to have a valve replaced and almost died again. When he was finally sent home, he had less than half of his cognitive skills still working. He had dementia.
Life changed drastically for us in 2010.
But I learned something in 2010 that I have never had the opportunity to learn quite so completely before. I now can say, with full assurance, that happiness and peace of mind do not depend upon on circumstances, but on a close relationship with our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Throughout our year of trials, we have been able to rest in His care knowing that He is with us, and that nothing can happen that doesn't pass through His hands.
We have peace.
I learned something else, as well. I learned that His body, here on Earth, does rally together around a suffering Brother or Sister. Through the Internet, His compassion and love is being shown through His saints from around the world. What a blessing that has been!
Was 2010 a good year for us? Because of my Savior I can honestly say, "Yes, to walk with Him, to feel His strength and His love in action, it is always a good year."
Tags: 2010, body of Christ, compassion over the Internet, dementia, peace of mind
Carol is the wife of a minister of the gospel and author of four Christian novels, three that are based on the true story of a girl growing up in Russia, and one written about kids on a reserve in Northern Canada. She takes her position of grandma seriously, helping homeschool her youngest grandchildren, and authoring a blog for Christian grandparents.
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