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Rosemary Van Gelderen's avatar

These are little miracles! Thank you for the encouragement. My daughter, after struggling with some serious trauma and mental health issues, became a fentanyl addict living on the street 2 years ago. The first year was super hard as I tried to 'help' her out of her situation. Around a year and a half ago, I began to spend more time in her community and advocate for them with the city and various agencies. It's turned into a little ministry of me spending time on the street with dealers, addicts, sex workers and amazing frontine workers and I love it so much! I'm turning 62 in a week and I never thought I'd find myself in this place. My daughter said, Mom, God brought me here first, so you would come.

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Christy Lynne Wood's avatar

I love this. Thanks for sharing!

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Ellen Strohm's avatar

Your stories are vary encouraging to me while I walk through some difficult days. Thank you for the grace break! God is at work all the time 🙌

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Christy Lynne Wood's avatar

You are so welcome!! We all need frequent grace breaks, am I right?!

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Tony Cutty's avatar

Thank you for this post. It has reminded me of the many times in which God has, completely out of the blue, arranged these appointments and 'coincidences' in my life too. I could provide a list but it would be only a partial one!

So many times recently, I have read posts where people - probably feeling discouraged in themselves, too - have posted things like, 'Ok so God helped you find a parking spot, but what about the starving immigrant children two blocks down from your house?'.

The problem with that attitude is that, at the end of the road, it means that God is not allowed to help anyone, anywhere, anytime. Unless of course they're starving immigrant children, and we all know He doesn't do that ;) While I don't feel guilty about receiving from God while others don't appear to have their 'needs met', I have also recently seen it as a reason why I too should not have them met. And yet, and yet, I do see God's Grace at work. My daughter and her partner were safe in a nasty automobile rash on Thursday. Today, her partner was very kind in that he provided transport for me for a hospital appointment; I could not drive because of the sedation.

The truth is that God does indeed pour out His Grace in the little things like finding a parking spot, the important stuff like finding a house or a job, and also in the mega stuff like helping immigrant children. That people cannot see it is not my fault, and indeed it's no-one's. Maybe He helps us with the smaller stuff while allowing us ourselves to take care of the bigger stuff.

So, thank you once again for this post. It has been a great encouragement to me.

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Christy Lynne Wood's avatar

So glad you were encouraged! And also that you have seen God’s unexpected grace as well. Grateful for protection over your daughter and her partner!

How are you doing? You mentioned hospital. Is everything okay?

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Tony Cutty's avatar

Thanks Christy :) Yes, as far as I know everything is ok, it was just an investigation to rule stuff out. A combination endoscopy and colonoscopy, so, a spit roast. One spike up each end and a big crank to turn the whole thing over a bonfire ;)

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Christy Lynne Wood's avatar

Oh goodness! That doesn’t sound fun at all. 😬

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Tony Cutty's avatar

Ah it was ok. They told me I was asleep for most of it anyway. Plus as a retired medical scientist I found it fascinating, what I remember of it anyway :)

The bonfire thing was a joke, of course ;)

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Christy Lynne Wood's avatar

😀

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Growing Through God’s Word's avatar

I’ve leaned to call those happenings God-instances or Divine appointments.

I have one child who said, “Never will I be a teacher like my mom.” She teaches Jk and SK and loves her job.

We sold our house through a friend. I mentioned at Bible study we were thinking of listing. Not only that we bought their condo. (We wanted to downsize).

Seeing God’s hand in every step.

Beautiful memoir.

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Christy Lynne Wood's avatar

It’s so good to see His hand isn’t it?!

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