Crayon Ready by Deena McDaniel Positively Beautiful Blog

 Love Beyond the Grave by Deena McDaniel Positively Beautiful Blog

STARVE THE VIRUS OUT we hear. Doing nothing is doing something. We go about our “dailies” and wonder what day it is? “We’re working on retirement muscles.” My husband cheerfully adds. Quite frankly for this stay at home, homeschooling mom, not much has changed. Well, we wash our hands more. We pray more. We swim more! We cook more. We’re blessed beyond measure, but then God blows me away one more time on how much he loves me. The mail arrived. (Read to the end for the knockout punch.)

My Dad’s wife Jeannie is a retired kindergarten teacher. She’s 84. Her way of communicating is through letters. When my mom died in 2005, my dad was sure he’d find a new bride with whom he'd live out his golden years and he did. They were married 8 years before Dad died. In those 8 years I’d receive long lengthy letters from Jeannie on how Dad was doing.  Her letters were great because Dad would always simply say he was “fine.” So when a letter arrived last week, I looked forward to a lengthy update. It was more.

I laughed so hard before I opened the letter. On the outside in her perfect penmanship was an arrow pointing to the seal of the letter stating, “germs.” I sat down to relax, prepared to hear all about her life without Dad. It was not so. A single white piece of paper and a single paragraph. What? I read. Enclosed was a check from the equity of the sale of the Condo she’d just sold. “You’re mom and dad would want you to share in what they had.” I BURST into tears!

With uncontrollable weeping I sat there holding the letter. The check had fallen to the floor. Rosey, my daughter ran into the room. Mickey walked over. Abby stood there in confusion. “Are you okay?” Mickey asked. I handed him the letter. Rosey and Abby hugged me. I was okay. I was just amazed with how God moves. I’m a fitness instructor. Our gym closed. I’ve no income. It was money from my parents… Jeannie could have kept the cash, but she loved my Dad so much and was honoring him. It gets even crazier! Just wait for it….

Three days later I get call from Jeannie. “A man at Costco just called me from Florida. He found your check!” I look at my husband with eyes as big as silver dollars! It had fallen out of his pocket! “I was headed to the bank and it was closed so I pocketed the check. I’m so sorry.” he shrugged. I called Moen. He texted me his address and he was super close! The check had been endorsed because Mickey was right at the bank door to deposit when he saw it was closed. Moen didn’t have to return the money. God is so amazing!

Mickey and I drove up to Moen’s house. He met us at the curb with the check. I thanked him over and over. “It’s not my money. It’s your money.” He smiled. When I phoned Jeannie back to tell her the money was safe and sound in the bank now, she answered, “Your dad sure wanted you to have that money! And a great story too.”

In the midst of a storm the Lord speaks to the sea. “But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion. And they woke him and said to him, ‘Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?’ And he awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. He said to them, ‘Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?’ And they were filled with great fear and said to one another, ‘Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?’”-Mark 3:38-41  Obviously, Christ wasn’t worried. Should we be worried? Is Covid-19 too big for him? Is a lost check and a kind person a fluke? Is time to spend with your family in social distancing a burden or a blessing?  I thank God we’re seeing him move in a mighty way in our One Nation Under God!

"Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!" The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah”- Psalms 46:10-11

The knockout punch? Well, I’m waiting to see how God moves in THIS storm. ( #covid19 ) Families are getting to know each other on an unprecedented level. Home offices are thriving. People are praying. Who can match the power of the Holy Spirit? Nobody. “What a friend we have in Jesus!” the hymn sings. In this time of social distancing, Christ is closer than ever. Hold your blessings with an open hand and see how “taking it to the Lord in prayer” calms the storm. But remember not to put your blessings in your pocket… um … they can fall out!