Answered Christmas Prayer

By Kay Heitsch

We spotted the porch light as we slowly drove down the street on that cold December evening. "This must be the house." I told our "Positive Teens In Action" group.

We pulled up in front of an older home with the porch light glowing. We gathered our songbooks, walked up the steps, and knocked on the door. We heard a faint voice from inside say, "Come on in. The door is open." We opened the door.

An older woman with a big smile sat in a rocking chair. "I've been expecting you," she said weakly. Ruth was one of our Meals On Wheels stops I had arranged, along with the usual church members who enjoyed carolers.

We handed Ruth the basket of goodies the teens had assembled earlier that evening. Then I asked Ruth what carols she would like to hear. Ruth's face was beaming as she joined in, singing each song.

As we hugged Ruth goodbye, she said to me, tears glistening in her eyes, "The day you called, I was still in bed. I had just finished praying. I asked God if it would be possible to have some Christmas Carolers come to my home and sing this year. Thank you for being the answer to my Christmas prayer."

Wow, what an incredible experience to have the opportunity to be the answer to someone's Christmas prayer.

Bible Text: When you pray, go to your room, close the door, and pray to your unseen Father. And your Father, who sees what you do in private, will reward you. Matthew 6:6

Please Give Me A Sign

By Kay Heitsch

Years ago, I had a special friend named Judy. We used to walk in our neighborhood almost every day. We shared our lives together, and the following story is one she shared with me.

Judy had three teenage daughters. They were very active in sports. Judy and her soon-to-be ex-husband, Tony, would attend their sporting events. Although they did not sit together.

One night, Judy walked to the gym door to leave after one of the basketball games. She looked out the door and saw that it was raining hard, and her umbrella was in the van. Judy started to walk to her van without her umbrella. The rain was cold, and as it hit her face, she pulled her coat around herself, trying to stay warm.

Suddenly, a car whizzed, splashing water from a puddle all over her. She looked up and saw that the driver was Tony. He never even stopped to offer her a lift to her car. Thoughts of the past came to her mind. How well she remembered Tony picking her up at the gym door. She remembered their high school years when they were sweethearts. How had it come to this?

When Judy finally reached the van, she looked at the gas gauge. She could see she was low on gas—not lower than Judy felt that night. She felt unloved. Then she prayed, "Lord, do You love me? If You still love me, give me a sign."

Judy left the parking lot and headed for the nearest gas station. She pulled up to the gas pump. She looked down as she opened the van door and put her foot on the ground to get out. There on the dirty, wet pavement was a beautiful pink rosary. Judy picked the rosary up and held it to her chest. Here was her "sign" that the Lord did care and loved her.

Judy shared this remarkable story with me the next day when we walked. I was awestruck by how the Lord used this rosary to express His love for her.

Judy was Catholic, and I was Protestant. This experience taught me that God knows each of us personally. He knew a rosary would comfort Judy when she needed it most.

God gave her a "sign" and used a rosary to do it, a "sign" that she would recognize. The Bible says For the Father knows what you need before you ask. Matthew 6:8

God certainly knows how to show us His love when we need it.

God Takes It Personally

 By Kay Heitsch

Many years ago, when I was sixteen, I attended a Christian boarding school. They had many rules and regulations, and as a typical 16-year-old, I didn't always abide by them. One rule was that we could not go off campus without permission. However, I did and was expelled from school.

To make a long story short, I was enrolled in another Christian boarding school out of the state. I was on a break, and my roommate from the school I had been expelled from asked if I could come and spend the weekend with her. I told her to ask permission and that I would visit. She did, so my mom dropped me off at the school.

Fortunately, I had friends who did not attend this school. One of them, Vicki, picked me up, and I spent the weekend with her.

This sad incident came to my mind when I thought of today's Bible verse. "And the King will say, 'I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to Me!' Matthew 25:40 NLT

I just thought of this verse today. God takes the way we are treated personally. When people treat us unfairly or unkindly, God takes it personally. We need to be careful how we treat others, too.

How we treat others is how we treat God. People are God's creation. ~ Inspirational Quotes ~

Suddenly and Unexpectedly

 By Kay Heitsch

Never forget to be thankful for what God has done for you. ~ Life Quotes ~

Suddenly and unexpectedly, I started to have some severe health issues last month. I didn't know what hit me, but I felt my body was attacking me. It got so bad I could hardly get on or off the toilet without pain.

I kept doing what I usually did, although very slowly and with much pain. We had made plans to go out to eat with Bill's brother and his wife. I wondered what I would do if I had to go to the bathroom to get on and off the toilet.

When I went into the bathroom in one of the regular stalls, I was surprised to find a device to help me get on and off the toilet! I knew God understood my situation and had helped me!

I'm feeling better and better every day now, thanks to my daughter-in-law, a Rheumatologist, my friends, and God, my healer!

Never forget to be thankful for what God has done for you.

Seeing and Hearing

By Kay Heitsch

One thing I do know. Once, I was blind, but now I can see. ~ John 9:25

Something happened to me when I turned my life over to the LORD. I couldn't explain it, but I saw and understood things I had not before.

I not only saw how God was helping me now in my journey, but I also saw how He was with me all along, even when I didn't realize it.

When I studied the Bible, I saw and understood things I had never comprehended. It was amazing!

Our Bible verse says. But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear. Matthew 13:16

We are most certainly blessed when our eyes and ears are opened to see and hear. It's hard to explain, but one thing I do know is that once, I was blind, but now I can see.

Let's Go Fancy

By Kay Heitsch

When our grandson, Eli, visited us, he surprised me by saying he would like to take us out to eat.

Eli pulled out his McDonald's gift card. It was cute when he said the card was worth $25, so we shouldn't eat more.

I asked if we should get takeout or eat inside, Eli said, "Let's go fancy" and eat inside.

Kids need to learn to give instead of always expecting to take.

I'm so proud of Eli!

"Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old, he will not depart from it" Proverbs 22:6

Time To Say Goodbye

By Kay Heitsch

It's hard to say Goodbye. Noah loves to visit Papa and Ooma, where he is the center of attention. Noah says he wasn't crying this time; what was happening was that his eyes were sweating.

Noah didn't understand why he couldn't stay longer. He knew, but he was going by how he felt right then. We all do this at times.

Our Bible verse says. Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. Proverbs 3:5

We can trust in the LORD even when we don't understand.

God's Great Love

 

God's Great Love By Kay Heitsch

Last week, I talked to Bill about this smiley mug. I've always liked them and said I'd like to buy one if I ever see one.

After leaving Aunt Carmeleta, I felt sad. We both cried as we hugged, saying goodbye and I love you.

We drove down the road a short way to Paris County Shoppe. Aunt Carmeleta's sister owns it, and I wanted to say hi.

Lo and behold, the cup I had told Bill I wanted was in the antique store window. I knew this was a wink from God.

Our Bible verse says, The Lord has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy. Psalms 126:3

I was filled with joy when I found this cup. It may not have been something great, but it showed God's great love for me.

Eagle Scout

By Kay Heitsch

Our grandson, Eli, is working towards becoming an Eagle Scout, the highest rank among Boy Scouts.

It's fitting to call this rank Eagle Scout because of how an eagle lives. Eagles are the type of bird that will soar high above the clouds and find the sunshine. They don't allow pesky birds to bother them. They rise higher and leave the pesky birds below.

Eagles symbolize vitality and power. With the totemic spirit of the eagle and its energy in life, like the eagle, an Eagle Scout feels ready to accept challenges and put their fears aside.

I have watched Eli work hard and do the things in life that will help him have the spirit of an eagle. He has met challenges at a young age and has put his fears aside to achieve them.

I do not know how many more years Eli will take to reach the rank of Eagle Scout, but when he does, I know he will be well-equipped to rise above the storms of life and be a productive member of society.

Family Get-Together

By Kay Heitsch

This last Sunday, we had a family get-together at our home. We had 17 people, my first time having so many people at the house. It made my heart happy to see Bill, his brothers, and his cousin together. Everyone seemed to have a good time. GJ and Freddy kept everyone entertained.

Funny, this started with only a few stopping over to see Brandon, Veronica, and the boys. As word spread, others wanted to come over, too, so we made it a potluck.

As most of you know, I went all out with my patriotic decorations as it was Memorial Day weekend. I've taken a few down, but I left several up. The 4th of July and the election are coming, so why take them down?

The skunk traps were removed right before the get-together. So no one had to step over the one trap. So far, the skunk hasn't come back.

The older I get, the more I realize how important it is to make good memories and spend time with family.

I so enjoyed having a house full of people here. I plan to do this again, God willing.

Mystery Baby

By Kay Heitsch

This month was the 15th birthday of our oldest grandson, Noah. He has come a long way since his birth.

To say Noah had serious problems would only be touching the tip of the iceberg. He had many labels on him, but no one knew what was wrong. He had a feeding tube put in right away and surgeries along the way.

Right away, we weren't sure if he would ever be able to walk or live a normal life. We were heartbroken but inspired to watch our daughter and son-in-law work hard to help Noah be the best he could be.

Through the Miracle League and other organizations, Noah has been involved in swimming, baseball, basketball, soccer, dance, and hockey! It's been wonderful to watch how Noah has enjoyed being involved.

A few months ago, Noah was finally diagnosed. Noah has Pierpont Syndrome. There are only 50 documented cases in the WORLD.

Our Mystery Baby is no longer a mystery. We are blessed to have Noah in our lives! He has come a long way, and God has helped us all along the way! Thank You, Lord! We couldn't have made it without You!

What Will I Say?

By Kay Heitsch

Every year on Super Bowl Sunday, I can't help but think of going to a church and giving my testimony for the first time. I was terrified!

Talking about Todd dying in a car accident was something I had never done in public. What will I say? How will I react? All day long, before my testimony, I paced the floor.

I hadn't written anything down because I thought I would be able to get out of going. Now, what will I say? Will I be able to hold myself together? In the back of my mind, I thought no one would show up.

By the time I was supposed to leave, I had gotten myself worked up to the point that my nose began to bleed! I ran into the bathroom and put my head in the sink, watching the blood drip out.

Suddenly, the words, "I have not given you the spirit of fear. But power, love, and a sound mind." Wow! Somehow, I knew this was God talking to me.

My next thought was that if the devil is working overtime, something good is bound to happen. I cleaned myself up and left for the church.

This was the beginning of some incredible experiences I had. I found each time I gave my testimony, God was beginning to heal my broken heart.

Under His Wings

By Kay Heitsch

Don't worry! God will take care of you! ~ God Will Provide Quotes

Looking back on my life, I can see how God provided what I needed.

I was not a Christian before Todd died, so I thought it was odd for my aunt to send me a cassette tape of Christian music. I decided to listen to it while Todd was practicing his driving to get his permit.

When Todd died, we needed some music to play at his funeral. I took this cassette tape and had two songs played. One was, Because He Lives, I Can Face Tomorrow. And the other one was Under His Wings. Neither one at the time had any meaning to me.

Now, I look back and see how God provided this music for Todd's funeral. He also helped me through this difficult time by keeping me safe under His wings. I had a calm and numbness that I believed was God's protection to support me. It took some time, but I learned I can face tomorrow because He lives.

Don't worry! God will take care of you! Just like He has me!