"I will sustain you"

Two Sundays ago, during a time of communion and mediation at a worship service, my thoughts were interrupted with the words, "I will sustain you". While I am familiar with this still, small voice and it is usually a pleasant surprise, but sometimes I don't understand the meaning. I was really unaware of the context until I woke the next morning. Normally, I am pretty much at peace and feel the Lord's presence all the time, however, this morning my heart was filled with fear before I even had a chance to think.

Today was moving day. The home that was shared with my former wife, Sally, still housed much of her grandmother's antiques and it was my desire that all of that went to our nieces. The house had been for sale and I thought it would be best for it to be furnished. It had been almost a year and yet no sale. In contrast, we listed Missy's house for sale in Andover Hills and we had a contract within ten days! We loaded up the cats and moved back to my house at Boone's Trace. (It is so renewing to be back out at the KY River.) I enlisted the help of an old friend so we could spend the day moving the antiques to Maysville.

So, I got out of bed and went into the other room to pray, thanking God for His promise and asking for the delivery of it. I shared with Missy what was going on and she prayed for me too. The depth of her unselfish love and understanding continues to amaze me, respecting my past yet enjoying this time as newlywed. We have tried to learn how to process grief, yet fulling embracing the present is still complicated some days. Grief is weird. She explained it a while back that just because we have lost a best friend, and gained another does not mean that we don't ever miss the old friend. Is she amazing or what?!! Maybe this is a way that we honor those who are no longer with us by simply remembering them. We all say that we will not forget but do we?

Anyway, one would not think that "stuff" and household items would mean so much but the thought of giving up what I had lived with for over 20+ years was painful. However, it ended up being a great day reconnecting with an old friend and the familiar drive up to Maysville is always an enjoyable one. Thanks be to God that He is such a Comforter and friend.

The image above was created on a 10th wedding anniversary at St. Croix, US Virgin Islands, after enjoying a meal overlooking the ocean.