Jane and I go way, way back – like (gulp) 45 years back. We met at freshman orientation the summer before we started college in August of 1981. By the time we returned to campus a few short weeks later, I’d become a Christ follower.
Jane had been a believer for a couple of years. I was drawn to her joyful outlook on life and a heart full of grace for others. She was funny, smart, and so in love with Jesus! Long conversations about Him and about living before and after He’d become the focus of our lives occupied hours spent sitting on our beds in our dorm rooms, walking across campus or eating fries and drinking Cokes at midnight.
I married my high school sweetheart before I started my junior year in college, and Jane was one of my bridesmaids. She married her husband about a year and a half later, and there I was – on the platform with her other attendants. Later, I had my first baby, and Jane’s first child came not too long after that. Her little family moved away, but we stayed in touch. Kids, jobs, life – we busy mamas slowly drifted apart. We each looked forward to the lengthy updates tucked inside the Christmas cards we exchanged.
Jane invested her life in her family, most especially raising her four kids – truly her pride and joy. One by one, they left the nest to start their own families. Having lost her parents several years earlier, she now had the margin to help provide extra care and help for her beloved in-laws. Jane was with them till the end, and it felt like losing her own parents all over again.
In her 50’s, the marriage she’d been holding together with prayer, a sense of responsibility, and sheer determination finally disintegrated. Divorced, unable to find a substantial job, living in a home neglected and in need of repairs, Jane spoke her heart: “This isn’t the life I signed up for.”
When the Lord graciously provided answers to her specific prayers, it was unmistakably His hand at work in her life. Provision of a new job near her home – with benefits and a pay raise! A way to finance the repairs on her home and provision of a new home better suited to her budget! Clearly, it was the Lord!
Jane is grateful to Him for all He’s done and is also quite thankful for her four attentive, caring children and their families. But she’s also wistful. While many of her friends are approaching a comfortable retirement or are already enjoying one, Jane is up early and on the road to a job that grows more and more taxing on her spirit and body. She sees no end to that situation in the foreseeable future as her finances dictate continued employment. Health problems are creeping in, and she’s dealing with the very recent loss of an infant grandson.
But the wisdom and heart that drew me to my dear Jane back when we were teenagers are still a huge part of the Jane I know today. In spite of “the life she didn’t sign up for,” her trust remains in the Lord and His ability to work miracles in every situation.
This is her testimony to His faithfulness over the past several years…
“Knowing that Scripture says every day ordained for me was written in His book before one of them came to pass has been an encouragement to me. None of this has surprised God. He’s already been to the end and back and walks with me along the way as I go to the end. Also, knowing that God’s will is wrapped up in His plan for the salvation of His people and not in my kind and gentle circumstances reminds me of His sovereignty, and that there is purpose in everything that He allows in my life.”
“And then there are all the Scriptures about His people. His people have been a complete encouragement to me and have surrounded me since the day my husband left. I have never been without anything I needed or been left in a situation that I could not take care of. God’s grace for my physical problems…remains a source of strength. He continues to help me. I am learning to lean on Him in the smallest circumstances.”
Jane has known disappointment, heartbreak, physical challenges, and grief. But she’s also known God’s strength, hope, comfort, and support in the deepest levels of her soul. This may not be the life she signed up for, but she’s definitely looking forward to the one God has promised her!
“For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison.” – 2 Corinthians 4:17
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Father, You’ve always been truthful with us about this life – that there will be disappointments and heartbreak. Thank You for the blessed assurance of Your presence when we’re crushed in spirit. Thank You for entreating us to come to You with our sorrows and heartfelt needs. When we stand at rock bottom, You, faithful God, promise to be there with us. When we’re weary, You promise us refuge under the shadow of Your wings. We praise You, all-knowing God, for not one trial we face is a surprise to You. Thank You that no amount of suffering is wasted as You develop our character and use this life as preparation for the life to come. Thank You for the hope of heaven, where Your tender hand will wipe away every tear and there will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain. We praise You in the beautiful Name of Jesus. Amen. (John 16:33, Psalm 34:18, Hebrews 4:16, Deuteronomy 31:8, Psalm 91:4, Psalm 139:1-3, Romans 5:3-5, Revelation 21:4)
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Thank you for joining in this week’s Scripture memory challenge as we commit to our hearts and minds Psalm 100. This week, we’re adding verse 3 to last week’s passage of Psalm 100:1-2.
“Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth! Serve the Lord with gladness! Come into His presence with singing! Know that the Lord, He is God! It is He Who made us, and we are His; We are His people, and the sheep of His pasture.” - Psalm 100:1-3 (ESV)
