Listening To The Call     01/04-1/25/23

The Village of St. Edward, Akron/Green, Ohio

And your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, “This is the way, walk in it,” when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left. ~ Isaiah 30:21

And the Spirit said to Philip, “Go over and join this chariot.” ~ Acts 8:29

Blaine and I were happily enjoying life near the beach of Grayton Beach State Park, when early on New Year’s Eve Day, his mom called distraught.  I answered Blaine’s phone because he was brushing his teeth and it was nis mom.  She’d lost her address book and was wanting to call his dad’s geriatric/memory care doctor because she wanted something strong to make him sleep all night.

I was able to help her with a phone number.  Blaine was now sitting in the living room area and as soon as I hung up the phone, I heard that familiar Voice that I’ve come to recognize, “You need to go home.  Now.”  The words spilled out of my mouth before I could even think about them, “I need to go home.  Now.”, and after Blaine picked his chin up off the floor, he agreed and we spent the next few days making all the necessary arrangements, and before we knew it, I was on a plane to Ohio.

I could write an entire chapter in my God Moments Journal – and did, but I’ll not share all of it here.  If you’re interested, just ask.  I’m always glad to share how God has worked and moved in both small and large ways.  Especially the small ones!

To say I was overwhelmed with the amount of love and help and support I received, not only from family, but friends and even total strangers, would be an understatement.  I was abundantly blessed with constant proof positive that God was working and moving in this.  As well as reminding me that He has surrounded me with the most wonderful Christian family and friends!

My ticket was one way because we didn’t know how long I would need to be there.  I lived with Ron and Joan and slept on their floor on a small air mattress in the living room area of their apartment in the Village of St. Edward in Green, Ohio, so I could be there virtually 24/7.  I felt my ministry was to first observe what was going on, then assess the situation, and then provide whatever assistance I could.

I was there for three weeks.

I feel very humbled and privileged to have been used by God in this way.  I have such wonderful memories of my time there, and the not-so-wonderful ones are dwarfed or even erased by the blessings.

Blaine lived alone and had to move twice without me – once from Grayton to Apalachicola, then on to Rainbow Springs.  More difficult for one person, but of course, he managed.  It is Blaine we’re talking about after all.  😊  It was the first time in his life that he’s been truly alone, and he didn’t like it much.  But as always, God was there lovingly holding his hand.

The rest of this post will be pictures.  Pictures Blaine took while he lived his bachelor life.  Pictures others shared with me of what was happening in their lives.  And even a few I took myself.

Thank you to those who’ve waited for my return to blogging.