 | Lessons learned from loss bring strength. |
After a drought, I welcome you to what I hope will be the first of MANY Living Letters of 2020, courtesy of Sandy G.
Today, Christmas Day 2019, is the 18-month anniversary of my husband’s death. I am reminded of what Oliver said (with help from Jordan) in Signed, Sealed, Delivered: For Christmas about his wife leaving him — “That first Christmas was hard, but this second Christmas makes it…real.” Similarly, I am slipping more and more out of denial and into acceptance. I thank God for Signed, Sealed, Delivered and the lessons this wonderful television show taught me. (In fact, some of the women of my church used Signed, Sealed, Delivered as the basis for a Bible study, reconvening as the rest of the movies became available on DVD.) God was able to use these Signed, Sealed, Delivered lessons to help me prepare for, and respond to, my husband’s death. The three primary lessons were: 1) life is short, 2) be bold, and 3) trust the timing.
| My husband’s death was a surprise to everyone. He was strong, healthy, and a non-stop dynamo. Even his two doctors (one from the VA—Veterans Affairs) called to ask what had happened because they were incredulous when they heard about his death. Chuck’s death was a reminder that life is, indeed, short. We never know when God will call us home, but all of us can be sure of what will happen to us after we die. I know Chuck is in heaven and I will see him again soon—we will spend eternity together in God’s presence because of what Jesus did for us on the cross. Happy birthday, Jesus! |  |
The day before my husband died, I agreed to give the message at church one Sunday in the next month. I had a good idea what I wanted to share with the congregation, so when the person charged with finding people to fill the pulpit until the church found a new pastor asked me, I said “yes.” When Chuck died, I felt like God still wanted me to give a message on that Sunday in July, but it would be a different message—a message based on the Signed, Sealed, Delivered lessons God reminded me of in the aftermath this personal trauma. I am shy and quiet, so giving any message would not be easy for me, but to give a message about my husband dying less than a month after his death was downright scary. So I had to be bold because that is what God wanted me to do. I was shaky before I stood up and after I sat down, but God took care of me while I was speaking.
| My message that day was primarily about the trust the timing lesson. My message notes began with the following: I thought I knew what my message would be, but the next day changed everything; so my message today is titled Trust the Timing. As I prepared this message, the theme that kept coming back to me is that we are dependent on God. We are governed by time, but God is not. God knows everything that will happen in our lives and all the choices we will make, good and bad. God ensures that everything happens at just the right time. Because we can trust God, we can trust the timing of everything that happens—it is not a surprise to God or a mistake or anything we could have changed. We are dependent on God. |  |
In hindsight, God had been preparing me for this phase of my life and, although Chuck’s death was a surprise to all of us, it was not a surprise to God. God arranged everything so that my step-daughter and her family were able to be with me that first night and so that a pastor who considered Chuck to be his best friend while we lived in Albuquerque during my last Air Force assignment was able to officiate at his funeral (even though he had to travel to upstate New York and back in between his Vacation Bible School responsibilities).
I could go on and on about God being faithful and about how we can trust His timing when things seem to happen out of the blue, using examples from that time in my life 18 months ago. But for now, I just want to say that Signed, Sealed, Delivered was, and continues to be, a blessing to me and everyone I share it with.
You can watch Sandy's message to her church below:
I could go on and on about God being faithful and about how we can trust His timing when things seem to happen out of the blue, using examples from that time in my life 18 months ago. But for now, I just want to say that Signed, Sealed, Delivered was, and continues to be, a blessing to me and everyone I share it with.
You can watch Sandy's message to her church below:
Thank you, Sandy, for sharing your heart and your strength with us through your words and example.
The Living Letters series continues as long as there are stories (or even praise reports) to share, and I'm always looking for submissions. If you would like to contribute something about how Signed, Sealed, Delivered has impacted your life (or even your wardrobe) that you'd be willing to share here on A&D, feel free to email me. Keep the good going and submit yours today.
The Living Letters series continues as long as there are stories (or even praise reports) to share, and I'm always looking for submissions. If you would like to contribute something about how Signed, Sealed, Delivered has impacted your life (or even your wardrobe) that you'd be willing to share here on A&D, feel free to email me. Keep the good going and submit yours today.
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