The Day After the Weekend Before

I'm off and running again. Enjoy yesterday's communication between our speaker and me.


Heather...it's been a crazy day!!! I got to the church at five a m to finish repackaging the hostess sets we used for the tea. It took me close to three hours to finish the job. The after shock of having to CLEAN UP the mess and get everything out of the church for morning service is more than overwhelming. Last evening, I had convinced myself that I was done. Five years was enough....I just can't face that clean up again. Preparation is always a joy and the day itself, simply delightful, but oh the clean up. I expressed my depressed negativity to my husband on the third trip home with a packed Durango. His response was soft and precious..."Honey, it's like childbirth....immediately, one says I can't do it again and then time passes and the results become obvious and ........." I wasn't comforted much last evening. Fatigue is an enemy that can be used to our demise. I crawled into bed having taken off my jogging pants and leaving all the rest on, even my bra. I took two hot packs and put one on one each side of me. Having worked all day himself, my husband climbed in bed moments later. He lay his arm over me and that was the last I knew. When I awoke to the early alarm this morning....I pulled that jogging pant back on, slipped in my shoes and brushed my teeth. With the church key in hand, I climbed into the Durango to retrieve what would be my last load. When I returned home at eight o'clock, I decided to take a hot bath to, yes, cleanse myself of the fatigue and mental overload. I took your book in the tub with me. After struggling to keep the book out of the water rather unsuccessfully, I got out, pulled on my robe and climbed back into my unmade bed. I took great delight at your gift of words and language. You are truly gifted for God's glory. I wanted to keep reading. About nine fifteen, Ken came searching for me. I told him I thought I'd stay at home this morning. Expecting resistance, I was surprised when he said, "That's fine, you just enjoy your morning". I laughed and said, "That would feel good, but I just can't do that to the rest of the ladies on the team". I guess I was convinced God would have understood. So I drug myself out of bed with groans over sore muscles wherever there are muscles, pulled on clothes that made me feel less tired than I was and together we went to church. After the sermon, our pastor asked for testimonies of how God was changing them. He noted two things that are occurring at church right now; a six week small group study and the retreat. We hadn't done that for awhile in our services so it began a bit slowly, but soon one after another testified to God's movement in their lives. You would have been blessed as ladies spoke of the blessing your message had been to them. One gal told of how her New Year resolution was to be a better person and how much effort she had put into that goal over the last two months. Yesterday, she realized that, in herself, her efforts are futile but that God would do her changing for her when she yielded to Him. Another gal, Theresa, (I think I saw her speaking with you after the close of the day) told that she had experienced many of the same things you experienced and how healing yesterday's message was to her. An older man told that he and another man in his sixties were in the kitchen washing dishes during the afternoon session and were listening to your message over the sound system. Each of them had become widowers, one has been remarried for some time and the other recently lost his wife and is now dating a wonderful lady. They shared their hurt and pain of the past and embraced each other while shedding tears and allowing God to heal those past hurts. It was pretty apparent that the retreat is a ministry that God is using to change lives. If yesterday touched ladies in our church, I imagine that ladies from many other churches were touched as well and that God's Spirit is moving a bit more effectively in many places. Praise His name. Sometimes I worry that the retreat is just my dream come true, but today, I think I'm convinced that it is my dream because it is God's dream. Today, I feel as if I can do it again with God's help. I finished your book today. I have four people in line to read my copy. It was wonderful. I am impressed with the tasteful way you shared your story yesterday. I was even more impressed with that after reading your experience in more detail in your book. I love that you can see fullness and emptiness at the same time. I'm comforted to know that I'm not the only one that feels that way sometimes. Was your doctor's name really De Haan? My mother was a De Haan. :) Small world. Another question...Is Irene Suk the wife of John? I think he pastored at my daughter's church in Ann Arbor. Kind of fun to read a story in which the characters and culture so align with my own. Thank you for being a delight yesterday and today. Like heritage is truly a bond to be enjoyed. Give your parents love from people that don't even know them. Having an all nation family and love for the world's children is something we have in common.So, this week I'm faced with a garage full of stuff that needs to find its way back to its place and a house badly neglected from the absence of this homemaker. It is worth it all. Wishing you every blessing. Thanks again. Love, Gayle

Gayle, I’m sitting here in my living room with my kids running around and my laptop on my lap ... And I just started crying as I read your letter. I’m not a big crier, so they all stopped to stare at me asking me what’s wrong. You’ve just touched me so much, and reminded me again of how amazing God is ... that he can use people like you and me to make a difference in this world. Sometimes when we think we’re too tired or in too much pain or too worn out, God let’s a glimpse of how he’s using us. He doesn’t have to, but he does. I’m so glad you caught a glimpse of what a blessing you are, and that you let me share in that too.As for the book, I changed the name of my doctor; but Irene is John’s wife, and yes he pastored in Ann Arbor before becoming editor of the Banner. She and John attended Sherman street, and Irene was in my small group I was a part of when the rape happened. We became quite close, and even co-wrote a book together (which we ended up not publishing). John and Irene are the foster parents of my good friend Mariya that I talked about on Saturday. They are a wonderful family.\Please add me to list for next years event. I’d love to attend and to bring a few of my friends.Lots of love,Heather

PS I miss my baby. Kendra and Emerson went home with husband and Daddy on Saturday evening. Yesterday morning, Kendra's sister, Scarlen came up the stairs to the living room and whined, "my princess is gone". I feel the same way. Can you hear me whine?