God's Not Finished With You Yet

Yesterday I talked to a friend of mine who has been in the hospital at the point of death for about two months. We had all prayed for her recovery. She is a very special woman who has had a lot of heartaches through the years.

Linda had open heart surgery in the late winter. She went home and everything was fine. Then one day her rib cage broke open and they rushed her to the hospital in very serious condition. She was in ICU for weeks. We would get a good report, then a bad report, but she continued to fight to live.

When we were able to get her phone number, I called her. After we talked for a minute, I said, "Linda, God's not through with you yet." He isn't. She lost her son and has his children to raise. She needs to be an encouragement to others in her family and in church.

It's very hard when you go through something like this. A similar thing happened to me five years ago and I said the same thing. "God's not through with me yet." He isn't and I know it. There is much more for me to do here on this earth. My life has changed dramatically in the last five years. 

You may look at me and see nothing has changed, but on the inside it does. When you are close to death, you appreciate everything around you more. Each morning when I get up, I open the curtains on my double door in the family room. Then I take in the beauty of the hills and the mountains. Sometimes fog is rising off the river and I see it hiding the hills. God has been so good to me.

My family is more important to me now. My youngest grandson was not born when I was so sick and I prayed that I would live to get to know him. He is so precious to me now, as are the other three. It is so wonderful to watch them grow into wonderful young men and women. I pray that the Lord will let me live a few more years to enjoy them.

I thank God daily for my life, my families and my friends. You are all important to me. You make me realize that God is not finished with me yet.