I have always felt like God puts people in your life, and takes them out, at just the right time for a reason. Sometimes, we don't recognize that until years later! This week I came across a quote in a book that said just that. It got me thinking about people in my life that, looking back, I KNOW were there for a purpose, or removed from my life for a purpose.
For me, I can see looking back that Michelle (Beiswenger) Johnson was the first of one that was put in my life for a purpose. Our parents were friends and often spent every weekend together. While my parents didn't go to church, hers did, and I loved going with them. It was the first time I heard about "being saved" and the first time I really learned who God was. I was a child though, and really didn't get it. Just knew I really liked being with them on Sunday mornings. As we grew older, and busier, our parents also grew busier and we didn't see each other as often. We went YEARS without even knowing where the other person was. We reconnected a few years ago, right after the birth of her last son, Isaiah. I learned that she had gone on to marry another friend of ours, were very active in their Christian church and community, and she was about to have a very risky brain surgery to remove a tumor. But her faith was so strong that she pressed on knowing whatever the outcome, it was God's will. We spent days praying for her as she went through it all. We also learned that we both were dealing with kids having the most bazaar health problems you could imagine! We leaned on each other in a way we that no one else understood! Then... just a few years after reconnecting... Mike got sick and needed brain surgery. Michelle was there to pray through it and provide us with comfort knowing that with God, all things WOULD be ok... again... in a way that only Michelle could understand because she and Pat were there just a few years earlier.
The next person (or family) that impacted our life, and drifted away for a reason (I'll explain in just a minute) is Rebekeh Newhard, and her family. Rebekeh and I met right around the time Kayleigh was born back in 1994. They moved into the apartment complex we lived in. We quickly became friends and spent hours upon hours together. Right around the time of Kayleigh's first birthday Mike had a heat stroke, wasn't working, and we were beyond flat broke. Our marriage was rough and things were just plain hard. The night that Mike was in the hospital for the heat stroke, Jim and Rebekeh FILLED our house with food. We came home and really saw what loving one another and serving one another and living in community was all about. They never judged us for the very poor decisions we made at that time in our lives... believe me... there were plenty of them! As we moved from house to house and town to town and they continued to help us, love us and really were the best friends we had. Finally, in early 2000, we moved back home and not far from them. Mike was sick and having several seizures a week and things just continued to be hard. Jim and Rebekeh were there, continuing to love and "serve" us, but it was getting hard for them (we just didn't realize it). Rebekeh finally ended the friendship and said some things that she really needed to say, but it hurt me to the core and I didn't think we would ever forgive each other. Fast forward several years and she kept coming back to my mind and on my heart and I really couldn't figure out why, but prayed over it and eventually reached back out to her. It was then that I realized we were "using and abusing" them in way that I never recognized and it was hurting them. It had gone from us being grateful for the blessing of them in our lives to us EXPECTING them to be in our lives and do things for us. I am grateful to have her as a friend again and have more respect for both Jim and Rebekeh than ever before.
Then, there is Cyndi (Connelley) Eskine. Cyndi and I met while Mike and I were in college at Indiana University. She was a single Mom of two young boys at the time, and worked for the university. I believe in the beginning, we were put in Cyndi's life to help HER! She was struggling as a single Mom and the boys needed a father figure in their life. Both of her boys were fun to be around and they adored our kids. We had them over a lot, and Cyndi and I spent a lot of "girls time" together while the boys stayed with Mike. It truly was a joy to watch both Mark and Mitch grow up into fine young men. After we left IU and moved back up North, we stayed connected but didn't get to see them as often as we wanted to. Our kids grew up and Cyndi found the man of her dreams, Scott. Her boys both went to college through ROTC, joined the Army, and later deployed. We cried together as they left for war and we prayed with her all through it. Then... my son joined the Army. I have the same flood of emotions that Cyndi had years back and she has been MY rock through it. She understands being the Momma of a Soldier in a way that not many of my other friends can.
I could write pages and pages on the people that have drifted in and out of our lives. These are 3 that have been on my heart a LOT lately and the 3 that I now can recognize how God has used them to grow us in our marriage, relationships with others, and in our walk with Christ. I am beyond grateful to each of them and so thankful to call them friends!
Look at the people in your life. I'm not saying all of them are sent by Go with a purpose, but know that he will use relationships and friendships according to His will for your life. When you realize that and recognize that... you will be blessed!
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