"HopeGrams"

I wrote the following "HopeGram" for Karen Sebastian. She is a blessing to all who know her and are blessed to read her words, hear her speak or witness her daily walk. I recommend her blog to anyone who wants to be encouraged in the Lord.  Also, I ask for 
prayer for healing and strength for her wonderful husband Bill.

Finding Renewed Hope Every Morning

Lamentations 3:22,23 “The steadfast love of the Lord never changes, His mercies never come to an end. They are new every morning. Great is Thy faithfulness.”

This is the verse that was whispered in my ear the morning I discovered my precious husband Lonnie had passed away.  It was a horrible experience, yet the Lord was with me every step of the way. A general and his wife came by our home in Germany to bring comfort. As he hugged me he softly spoke to me of God’s love and mercy. These are the words that continue to ring in my ears as I walk through these days without my beloved husband.

Our daughter, Jennifer, painted these verses which I framed and had hanging in my room in my son’s home in Massachusetts. Every morning I would wake up and see these words promising God’s love and mercy and faithfulness. It helped me to keep my focus on God when I would have that ache of realization that Lonnie is not coming home. He is not on another deployment. He is in heaven with Jesus.

There are so many verses that minister to my heart and I could fill the page with verse after verse. This particular passage seems to bring it all together for me. I may not understand why, but God’s love never changes and He is merciful and faithful.

Lonnie was a chaplain in the Air Force and my life revolved around his life. We lived where we lived because of his assignments. I would do what I could to help him in his ministry and the ministry we shared. I would wait at home for him when he went on assignments to Korea, Kuwait, Iraq, etc. We longed for times to visit our children (who are all married and are having children of their own) and would dream of the days we could be with them while serving in the military. We also dreamed of what we would do after he retired. Then, suddenly, he was gone. My dreams of our future together were shattered.

We sing words like, “You are all I need” and “You are my everything” to the Lord. I have had to find out if this is true in my life.

Well, I miss my Lonnie so much. It has been two years now since he went to be with Jesus. Our children and grandchildren also yearn to have their father and grandaddy back and that hurts my heart because he was so much fun and full of wisdom, kindness and love!

I need the steadfast love of our Lord that doesn’t change! Things in life do change but He stays the same. Lonnie would be the first to point us to Jesus and say that He is the only Answer and is what we need for each new day. His written letters and words are marked in our memories. One encouragement Lonnie repeated very often was “to live each day with eternity’s values in mind.” It is easier to do that now for eternity seems so much closer.

I am thankful for God’s people too! I thank God He placed precious ones in our lives to share His love with us.

In January 2010, I went back to Germany to close out our house. I also was preparing my little car so it could be transported back to the States. As I was making sure it was completely cleaned out, I noticed a single church bulletin that had slipped under the driver’s seat. I bent down on my hands and knees and pulled it out. It was dark and snowy and cold. The wind blew the piece of paper out of my hands and it flew under the car. It was so windy that I thought it was gone. I walked to the other side of the car to check under the passenger seat and found the paper was on the ground. I bent over and picked it up. I found nothing else in the car except that old bulletin. It wasn’t until I walked inside my friend’s home moments later that I saw the verse highlighted in the Bible readings for a Sunday back in July 2009. It was Lamentations 3:22,23 and I knew this was not an accident. It was another sweet confirmation of God’s love and presence in my life even in my sorrow. I was overwhelmed by His love. I still have that bulletin--a precious reminder and treasure.


Dear Father,

I thank You for Your love which is unchanging, your mercies that are new every morning and Your faithfulness. I do feel lonely for Lonnie, but I know I am never alone. You are with me. You have been with us all each step of this journey. Help us to look forward to each new day and to “live each day with eternity’s values in mind.” Your mercies never come to an end. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.