"WIFE"

Have you thanked Him?

Have you praised Him?

Have you made it your priority to agree and cooperate with Him today?

Have you taken that deep breath and listened for what He has for you today?

1 Timothy 2:1 (The Message)

1-3The first thing I want you to do is pray. Pray every way you know how, for everyone you know.

I know many of you know that our dear friend Dawn Farley passed away yesterday at around 5 in the morning. What many of you don’t know is that my wife Beth always called Dawn “her wife”.

Now I know when I mentioned that at AHOP one time from the pulpit I unintentionally raised an eyebrow or two.  And with the current political climate it could be “misinterpreted”.  Believe me, it is nothing weird or scandalous.

But if you refer to the way that the Bible tells husbands to love their wives, as CHRIST loved the church, then you now have the perfect picture of how much Beth and Dawn loved one another; enough to die for one another just like Jesus did for us, His church.

That is the truth.

So when Dawn found out she had cancer it only made sense that GOD made her “wife”, her BFF for you millennials, a cancer nurse specialist.  That way they could journey together through the trial.

And as Dawn’s journey with the illness came to a rather abrupt end, the beauty of GOD’s providence and the "divine-ness" of their friendship were supremely evident in those last few hours.

Never forget friends, GOD built us for deep relationships.

Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 (MSG)

It's better to have a partner than go it alone. Share the work, share the wealth. And if one falls down, the other helps, But if there's no one to help, tough! ... By yourself you're unprotected. With a friend you can face the worst. Can you round up a third? A three-stranded rope isn't easily snapped.

Right Tammy C.?

So the hole that Dawn leaves in my wife's heart will be large.

She was a faithful mother, daughter and sister.  She was a dedicated and committed wife to Chris her HUSBAND.  And she was a friend to many. 

A special friend.

A.A. Milne (Winnie the Pooh) penned this when contemplating a friend…

 “If ever there is tomorrow when we're not together... there is something you must always remember. You are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think. But the most important thing is, even if we're apart... I'll always be with you.”

I know Beth senses and believes that from Dawn today.  

She should. Hebrews eludes to that.

But the message is for you to look around you today.

Got a “wife” or “real BFF” you haven’t told how special they are in a while?

Is there someone who has moved down the street or out of your sphere that means too much to let drift with the distance?

You were built for meaningful relationships.

Time is NOT ours for the controlling. (James 4:14 (LB) …the length of your lives is as uncertain as the morning fog)

Don’t hesitate.  Reach out.  Text, inbox, Tweet, Facetime, Snapchat or may even give them an old fashioned call.

For:

“With a friend we don't have to say or do something special. With a friend we can be still and know that God is there with both of us.” ― Henri J.M. Nouwen

Just as He is today for Dawn…

And OUR "WIFE" as well…

Have a blessed day…

I love you all!

Freedom Church