GOD MEANT IT FOR GOOD
(Originally posted in late May 2023)
Wow. Where to begin? I guess with a foundational statement right off the bat. Before I share how the pandemic affected my life, it’s most important to lift up the name of Jesus, acknowledge His grace, and reiterate something I read in the scriptures this very morning.
From Genesis 50:20, when Joseph’s brothers were so afraid that he would come after them after their father passed away. He made such a profound and true statement, essentially saying that although they had intended the things they did to him “for evil”, that God intended them for GOOD, and for the saving of many lives.
That said, many of us (self and my loved ones included) have had difficulties foisted upon us through the events of the past few years. But through it ALL, God has woven His gracious plan throughout, and will surely continue to do so.
As I share some of my story in coming posts, I pray that He will encourage you that even these words (if you find them uplifting) would not be spoken here if it weren’t for the whole Covid/shot debacle in my life. I’d be contentedly carrying on with my career, not skipping a beat or joining any type of social media, since it had NOT been on my radar or something I even desired at all.
LIFE CHANGE
Enter the life-change….
As an intro, long story short … my career as a self employed Music Therapist who worked mostly at Nursing Homes and Assisted Living Facilities took a huge hit in March 2020, when my services were deemed “non-essential”. Even though I brought JOY into the lives of so many (since when was joy not essential?), there was a danger that I might spread this virus, so such services were dropped. I totally understood and even agreed, of course NOT wanting to inadvertently spread illness to those I loved so much.
Later, even when things started getting a LITTLE bit closer to “normal”, since I didn’t agree with the mandates, masking, shots, etc., most of those places wouldn’t let me go back to working in those facilities.
For these past few years, I’ve done what I could to serve the Lord in whatever capacity possible (sometimes doing remote work, of course). I sensed that He was actually moving me to do different things, as though He had deliberately moved me OUT of those places for His purposes.
MY FATHER’S STORY
Beyond my personal life-change though, and much more poignant is what transpired with my father. I will get more into this, but suffice to say that this is why I even bother with this. His life was extremely valuable to me (and many others), and I think his story deserves to be told. I did send his info to the VAERS website, but still don’t know if it ever got posted or even read by those who control such things. Will continue to see if it’s up there, but not holding my breath on that one.
Anyway, I’m sharing it here, in his honor, and because I believe the Lord may be moving me to start a blog, podcast, membership, group, something, or maybe several things over time, with things I learned from my father as the jumping off point.
My Dad was an artist (didn’t know what an incredible artist until after he passed away, sadly enough). And my Heavenly Father is THE Artist…. So many things I learned through observing my father, that taught me about my Heavenly Father. Perhaps He is the One prompting my sharing….
To begin the story, it was the two year anniversary a couple of days ago (May 23–happened to have put it on my calendar and then saw it there this past Tuesday) when my Dad almost became a “died suddenly” statistic. There were so many people that were just dropping dead out of the blue around that time.
He was found on the floor by the police in his home where he lived alone. Thankfully, he survived, although he was in the hospital and rehab for a while. He had lived independently prior to that (in his late 80’s, but a very “fit” man), and after his hospitalization, he needed 24 hour care.
Although his official diagnosis was different, it seemed pretty obvious to those of us in his family, and then his caregiver, that his symptoms actually were almost identical to “GBS” (Guillain-Barre Syndrome), which was in the news at the time, being a (SUPPOSEDLY) “rare” reaction to the J&J vaccine (which, of course, he had gotten 51 days prior to the day he was found on the floor.)
Not close enough to his “shot” administration to be sure it was caused by it, but very suspiciously exhibiting the almost identical very RARE symptoms that were in the news at the exact same time…. Of course his doctor didn’t agree with my sibling who later brought it to his attention after our father was eventually out of the hospital, now requiring 24 hour care.
GOD’S GRACE
God, of course, used the whole situation for good, to be gracious to our Dad, giving him opportunities to see Christ’s love in action from his caregiver over the next many months….
I’ll continue that story in my next post. Thanks for reading this.
As you probably surmise, he did pass away recently, and the past few months of mourning and regrouping are still in process. Surely the Lord continues His good work in my heart, those of my family members, and in YOU and your loved ones too.
Let us keep our eyes fixed on Him, (the Author and Perfecter of our faith) who endured the cross for the joy set before Him. He scorned its shame, and now sits at the right hand of the Father, praise His name! (Paraphrasing Hebrews 12:2, check it out!) He can help us to carry on in hope, that He will be with us through it ALL, to the end.
Amen, for now.