“The winds of adversity do not always blow us backward. They often blow us to our destiny.” Joel Osteen.
The winds of adversity can often blow long and strong in our lives. We can embrace them and when we do, we allow them to blow us forward into our destiny or they will blow us backwards away from it.
I want to share with you a true story that recently happened to a dear friend. It clearly illustrates how the winds of adversity can blow suddenly into our lives. In this example, those winds have not driven my friend backwards, but they have clearly moved her forward into more of her destiny in the Lord.
Shortly after Christmas, we had a call from a long-time friend that we knew back in the late 1970’s. She called to let us know that a mutual friend had just lost her 45-year-old son from a sudden heart attack. With a son of my own who is this same age, I cringed when I heard this news. These two young men had been friends back when they were boys and we all lived in Jackson, AL. The thought that Brian was gone was shocking. I knew right away that I needed to get in touch with his Mom and share our grief in her loss. I made the call, but got an answering machine. I left my phone number and just trusted that when the Father’s time was right I would hear from Joy. The call did come several days later. When I answered, I heard the voice of my long time friend, and I was amazed at the grace of our Father that was upon her even in this difficult time.
We talked on for some time as she shared with me the events of Brian’s death. The brutality of the winds of adversity had definitely stuck her life, but I could tell that they most certainly had not driven her backwards. They were pushing her forward in her divine destiny with her Lord. One part of the story captured my heart. Two years earlier, Brian had rededicated his life to Christ. He shared with Joy that even though he’d accepted Christ as His Savior and was baptized when he was a boy, that he’d not ever made Him Lord of his life. He shared that he’d done many things that he was not proud of, but two years ago he had a deep experience with the Lord and he surrendered all to Him making a clear-cut decision to no longer live for Himself, but live completely committed to the One who had saved him. He also made the decision to be re-baptized demonstrating his new commitment publicly. In his last two years on earth, Brian touched many lives. He was not pretentious about his faith, but he went quietly about his days sharing His faith and commitment with many. This was evidenced by the large number of young people and young couples who attended his funeral, and shared with his Mom how Brian had touched their lives and how much he would be missed.
Brian’s legacy did not end there. He became an organ donor. He didn’t share this with his Mom, but when the officials came on the 911 call, they asked for his identification. There they found his request to donate his organs upon his death. As Joy and I talked together the other day, she shared this part of Brian’s story with me. She said, “Gerri, I just got a letter in the mail from the Lyons Club. The letter told me that Brian’s eyes had been used to give another the gift of sight and that I would no doubt be receiving other notifications about the additional organs that would bring the gift of life to others.”
How significant that the first letter received brought sight to a blind person. Brian’s life was continuing to live on bringing light and life in the lives of others even through his death. Yes, the winds of adversity have blown in the life of the Snellgrove family, but by Joy’s choice, they have not driven her backwards. They have driven her into the arms of a loving Heavenly Father who has chosen to use them for His glory. In her surrender to Him, these winds have blown her further into her divine destiny. She is experiencing the greatest thing a Christian mother can experience; watching God use her child in life and in death.
Someday, Joy and Brian will celebrate together in Heaven with Monte, her husband and Brian’s earthly father. Until then, thank You, Father that these loved ones are not in Joy’s past, but they are in her future. May the winds of the Holy Spirit continue to blow her into this, her ultimate destiny in Christ Jesus.
Thank you, Father, for this wonderful, life-stirring testimony of Your faithfulness, mercy, grace and love. May it touch the hearts of many who need to fully surrender to You, their Savior AND their Lord.
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We bless you now, to lay hold of renewed hope. Be blessed with special grace to do all the things God has whispered to you for yourself and your family. Be blessed with redemptive grace in this time as you make the most of appointed time and get in line with eternity in the time of His favor. We bless you to live today as if it were the last day of your life here on earth.
In His love,
Roger and Gerri