Hi Lovey Dovies!

 

Wow, are we ever “on the verge” or what???!!!!    So many things happening daily – HOURLY now…. hard to keep up!!  Hope all those sleepy-headed virgins who were dozing and all but snoring are surely waking up!!  Not sluggish!!  {Hebrews 6:12}   Not dull of hearing!!  {Heb. 5:11}

 

Damascus:  it’s just a matter of time!!  Before it will be completely annihilated!!  What’s going on now is just chipping away at the iceberg!!  If you haven’t read it in a while:  ISAIAH 17!!

 

Meanwhile, with prophecy at a zooming pace, life “continues on”…. Right?  Good friend of mine “may” POSSIBLY get married…. We’ll see.  She, too, is a rapture-watcher, one of the most avid rapture-watchers I’ve ever known.  Yet, we are to go on living right up to the trumpet call!

 

I expect you, too, have a prayer list a mile long.  Oh that the Spirit of God will inspire us to pray for our country’s leaders, our military, and various people around the world, as the Lord leads & brings them to mind. And for Israel – definitely for Israel.

 

Though I guess I should be feeling a bit guilty – what with all that’s going on in the world & here in my private, puny world I was “misting up” for over 2 weeks…. See, my sister died recently.  She’d been in a nursing home for nearly 30 years (was born physically & mentally handicapped) & had been sick for a long while, so her death was expected.  For various reasons which would take up FAR TOO MUCH time & bandwidth to go into, I will not explain, but we were not close.  Even though ever since I was a young child, I felt bad about her situation, her lot in life…..

 

So when she died, I dunno’ ~ I just had these expectations in my head that my friends (my few friends)  would be around to take care of me….. not necessarily food, that’d be expecting too much…. And don’t know about where you live, but here in my state, a person can purchase pretty flowers at WalMart for five bucks – so I honestly thought someone would show up with flowers.

 

Sigh….. Hear the wind go out of me??  Need I say more??

 

Only ONE person (the one I really didn’t expect)  did anything for me!  Just because my sister & I were not close did not mean I didn’t feel the STING of a death in the family!!

 

My MIL sent a (free to her from the wounded veterans) sympathy card…. “nice of her” I suppose!   

And others sent packaged cards as well – you know what I mean, 12 in a pack, $4. For the entire package type.

 

Guess I should’ve been thankful – but I wasn’t.  I WAS HURT!!!  Want to know why?  They as much as get a pimple on their patoot – and I show up with FOOD AND FLOWERS!!!  Heh ~ I’m hardly kidding… I mean, I really take care of people.

 

I have a family death – and I get a BIG FAT NOTHING!!!   The ones who hurt me the worst, of course, were the 2 whom I considered my “best” friends.  Today I just found out someone else had called one of them asking about “going in together” for flowers – only to be told that she’d “ALREADY SENT A CARD” ~ like that was supposed to be a big deal!  For acquaintances, yeah, maybe that’s enough… but for someone I’d considered to be my “BEST” friend???

 

You know – they say when you lose someone first you hurt & then you get hurt again…. well I’ve experienced that.  Fortunately I was not totally shattered over this expected death – otherwise what a huge let down when – like I say, only ONE person did anything for me!!  Again, even those I’ve counted as some of my dearest friends merely mailed a card – that was it!   I would’ve thought one might at least drop by with some $5. Flowers from WalMart or something!  Or 2 people could “go in together” ~ tax & everything:  three bucks each!!   Big let down…. Maybe I tend to overdo things, as an encourager by nature, but right now, “rethinking” everything I do!

 

Most of all, I/we were hurt & disappointed by the let down from my DH’s sister – I mean we’re a mere 10 minutes apart!

 

Last year when her FIL died, I took a day out of my life & close to $75. To prepare a meal for the entire family + flowers….. and after I cooked all day, we took it all by, she was thankful (though I think thank you cards have gone by way of the dinosaurs??).  But when it’s my turn, like I say: a BIG FAT NOTHING!!!!  Zip, zero, ZILCH!!!!  Not a card, not flowers, and certainly not a meal!!  Think I’d fall in the floor if she showed up at the door at all!!

 

But then I got the same thing (from her) when my parents & half-bro. died… so why should I have expected any differently this time around?

 

Hurts so much – that I swear, next person she loses, I don’t even care if it’s a child – then I aim to give the same stone-cold treatment!!  (I say that now – but then later, compassion usually kicks in…. though I’d rather err on the compassionate side….)

 

Now granted I didn’t attend her Father-in-law’s funeral – as I’m not “into” funerals, esp. pagan funerals where Jack Daniels is flowing at the reception….. yes, seriously… but DH attended & represented us both & I offered my time/service to help lay out the food if they wanted.

But just b/c I do not attend funerals by choice, I was still there for her/them in other ways – like that big meal I prepared & took by!  Do people think I just LIKE doing things like that?

 

When did people become so very cold & hard-hearted like this?  Matthew 24:12 “And,” Jesus said, “because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold”   {stone cold, I call it!!}

 

Even my DH who always gives ppl the benefit of the doubt & rarely criticizes anyone has voiced that he, too, was “disappointed” with his sister….. yet goes on talking to her like nothing has happened.  His sister, I guess he feels he must keep the peace. Know what though?  If HE wasn’t the one to call & check in with her or any of his siblings now & then – they’d never ever call him!!!!   {Unless of course they “needed” something!!}

 

You know on something like a death – one person doesn’t have to be burdened to take on & do EVERYTHING for someone else….. but I find that even the littlest, tiny remembrances can count!!  Just to let someone know they’re thought of & cared for!  But just to get NOTHING!!.... “mostly” I’m fine & carry on… yet on & off for over 2 weeks I misted up over her cold-heartedness.  She was so flippant & oblivious – no doubt, not even aware she’d hurt me!!  Much less how she’d hurt me so deeply.

 

It’s possible they may also be mad cuz we didn’t “gift” their kids at b/days this year – & that was by choice!!  The kids (twins now 16) & the college-aged son, now 22….. but there was a REASON for that!! 

The girl twin we wouldn’t have a problem gifting – yet we could not get HER something & not the boys – see, the oldest just completely gave DH the cold shoulder over the past year whenever DH would call or text asking him if he wanted to meet him for lunch or…earn some extra $ or for anything at all.  He simply wouldn’t even have the courtesy to respond AT ALL…..(the way this generation is??)  + the younger boy we’d hear INSIDE the house when we’d go over & ring the doorbell ~ and he chose to not answer, so WHY would we want to “gift” people like that??   Decided not to any more, plain & simple.  Not about to “reward bad behavior”!!!  Or give them gifts – have them be all smiles – then treat us this way the rest of the year.

 

 

Anyway, I’m “mostly” over it now….. just felt like I wanted to share what’s been going on with me.  Perhaps this will resonate with someone reading it.

It’s all part of the end days scene!!  TOTALLY!!  I really believe that.  No, I’m not having to run & duck for cover from an evil dictator like Assad…. And knowing what’s going on helps me reshift my thoughts & focus & really pray for the victims!

 

That’s not to say we’re not victims of end days cold-hearted callousness though.

 

And truth is, what I said earlier – about rethinking everything I do… well that’s really my flesh talking.  Sure it makes me WANT TO say, “well up yours”….. but when it comes right down to it, I’m a giver, I’m an encourager, and I will keep on giving & keep on encouraging.  I will just not “overdo” it by giving “things”/gifts….

 

I’ve learned a lot lately about the GOLDEN RULE….. which as a reminder to us all tells us to "Do to others whatever you would like them to do to you. This is the essence of all that is taught in the law and the prophets.”  (NLT)  Matthew 7:12

 

It does NOT SAY:  Do unto others WHAT THEY DO (or did) UNTO YOU!!!!!  Rather:  what you would LIKE them to do to you….. how you WISH they’d treat you.

 

 

Yeah, I know – you would’ve thought I would’ve learned this lesson way back in kindergarten.

 

Sometimes I guess it helps to have a refresher.  Unfortunately, it had to be a hurtful refresher.

 

May the Lord lead you & guide you & bless you this week according to His will & purpose!!

 

 

And may I end with a couple of my own dear, private personal prayer requests?  I know I can always count on some Doves to pray!

1. DH (diabetic) has neuropathy – in his head!!  YES, you read that right!!  His naturopath has him on supplements & vitamins which I’m praying will do their job & take care of it!!  Prescription medication will further weaken his whole body & immune system.  Thank you for adding your prayers to mine.
2. And… suffice to say, because I’m not hardly “involved in life” much anymore – do not currently have to work outside the home (and knowing how many power plays & office politics that go on, I so pray I’ll never have to again!!), nor do I belong to groups or social functions – well I just do not have much of a “support group”.  {guess that’s obvious…}   Please pray the Lord will guide & gently lead me to find like-minded friends even in this late hour!  Good friends who will be a blessing!!  Not the types who will agitate me (making me wish I didn’t have them in my life at all!)  and completely drain me.  Thanks to how the Lord made me, often times I enjoy my solitude, yet we all need companions in our lives.  I have practically no family left at all.

 

Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU!!

 

 

“Over & out” ~ until we hear that heavenly shout!!!