Burdens...

Today God placed a burden on my heart for a friend.

Her name began crossing my mind as I left for work this a.m.--I thought to myself, 'O I don't have time to chat, I will call her later.' (it's only a 25 minute drive--I had time) After about 10 minutes into my drive and about a million (exaggerated) times that her name came into my mind, I realized it was a message from my heavenly Father. He has a way of gently prompting me and sometimes I am not so fast to realize. As you know, he won't leave you alone when he has a mission for you. I called her. I got voicemail & left a brief message of pretty much what I wrote above. Within a few minutes she called me back in tears.

My friend has been going through a miserable past 3 years. It's a very long story, but it has to do with about 8 other siblings and over a million $ worth of property/money/etc. Today, I got the low-down. She has been court-ordered to leave her home of 16 years with her adopted 10 year old son. Despite the fact she keeps detailed records and has them farther back than the past 20 years she kind of lost the court battle. She was told basically by the courts she was 'free-loading' and to get out by the end of this month.

What do her siblings think? They have laughed at her saying she is finally getting what she deserved. Ouch, that is very tough. Only 1 lives here and the others live in California...the 1 here has a 27 year drug habit. Even though she had several of the properties in her name (at her parents request years prior to their death--and so does another sister), she collected the rent and kept none. No, she put it into the family estate because it was the 'right' thing to do and what her parents would have wanted. Even the judge was shocked that she had done this even though she had every legal right to keep every dime.

That is how honest she is and how faithful to her parents wishes she is as well. She even has documentation on her own rent that was paid into the family estate. I've seen her records. I've helped her with some of her legal letters to have her parents voices heard. None of her accounting was allowed in court because of the California accounting records were not included though she is not and has not been responsible for those records---her sister has those. The lawyers had the records excluded due to that very reason. I just don't understand the law and this makes my understanding even more difficult.

Today, she was working hard to secure a small single wide mobile home to move into. How will she ever pare down a lifetime of belongings from a good-sized 3 bedroom ranch home with basement and garage to fit them into a small (very) mobile home? She is hoping to purchase her home back at auction for a good price...the California family thinks property will sell high here---right. Even so, she has to move out. The fleshly side of me wants to strike out against her 'enemies' (family) and I'm sure she briefly felt the same. She is in pain. Great pain. Unexplainable pain.

In spite of the tears and pain in her heart, she knows there is a bigger plan in the works. She has depended on God through this whole ordeal and many things happened as a result---awesome things that illustrate the power of God. He knows the bigger picture, has the bigger plan and asks her to trust him. She can't see it. I can't see it. But we believe it.

She called me at 2:00 this afternoon crying so hard I couldn't understand her. She regained some composure and just talked and cried. She got the mobile home. It's only 2 years old. It has 2 bathrooms. It's closer to me. It's on a nice property and she won't have to pay a lot rent until June unless she decides to have it moved. She's trying to see the upside. She is fighting to see the upside. When all of her being wants to just collapse and shrivel up, she's fighting to move forward. That's her. She's been through many tough times. She's lived through them. She will live through this one and....there is JOY in the morning. She has His promises to lean on.

Father, thank you. Thank you for putting her on my heart today and staying after me until I called her. Thank you for letting all these things happen even though it's bleak from our perspective, we rest assured that you have a much better plan in store for her. All you ask is FAITH and faith is all we have left to give. Please, Father, wrap her and B. up in your arms tonight and bring them great peace and a good nights sleep. Father, I ask you to begin showing her part of your amazing plan for her. I remember that we must praise you if we win and we must praise you if we lose. I lift up her enemies and ask that you shine your blessings down on them to spite their angry, vindictive words and behavior towards her. Please use this ordeal to point them to your grace and mercy and make them hungry for what you have to offer...living water that never runs dry.

In Jesus' mighty, awesome, beautiful name. Amen