For Such a Time as This

HIS Greater Purpose

Jane's and my winding paths were brought together by the Sovereignty of God, but it took the intervening Hand of God to extend Jane's life—for such a time as this.

I didn't know a decision had been made to extend Jane's life until I met Jane's Power of Attorney. The nursing home staff called each of us to let us know Jane was dying. Meeting for the first time, Jane's POA and I sat on either side of Jane's bed and talked all night. She shared with me the circumstances surrounding her decision to prolong Jane's life, and I shared with her how Jane's extended life had impacted ours in a miraculous way.

For the first time I learned that shortly after Jane and I first met (sixteen months earlier), a decision was made to place Jane under the care of a Hospice program because both her POA and the nursing home staff felt the end of Jane's life was near. While under the care of Hospice, Jane developed a bladder infection. Because Hospice is palliative care, infections are sometimes not treated and nature is allowed to take its course. Hospice (specific to this situation) made the decision to not treat Jane's bladder infection. Left untreated, the bladder infection would have spread and eventually taken Jane's life. God's greater purpose, for such a time as this, would not have come to fruition.   

BUT!  Praise the LORD, the Hand of God intervened!

For some reason, Jane's POA strongly felt that treatment should be given. So, in the spring of 2007, Jane's POA made the decision to remove Jane from Hospice so treatment could begin. She chose to prolong Jane's fragile and failing earthly life even though it also meant she would be prolonging the POA time commitment she often resented. Her comment to me was, "I knew I had to remove Jane from Hospice." After Jane's POA heard our story and all Jane had said and done, she said, "Now I know why." I can't imagine what our lives would have been like if Jane's POA had decided to take the easy way out and had not listened to the inner voice which said—I want you to remove Jane from Hospice so she can be treated. 

God was preparing the way for such a time as this and for HIS greater purpose. For years I didn't connect the dots or comprehend the significance behind the timing of when Jane's POA knew she had to allow Jane's life to continue and the events that were happening at the exact same time in our lives. When I began to see the correlation, it brought me to my knees.

It was the spring of 2007. To understand the significance, you first have to be aware of what was happening in our lives.

January 2007 - My safe and comfortable world came crashing down around me. After enduring several "meetings" and long nights of my sister and brother-in-law's false accusations and relentless verbal attacks, I felt emotionally battered and bruised. I was shell-shocked and could not believe what I was hearing and seeing. My spirit was crushed and my morale destroyed. My self-worth and integrity were repeatedly attacked ... for hours. What I thought was genuine and true—my close relationship with my sister—vanished before my eyes. It felt like I was struck by a strong unexpected earthquake and I couldn't even trust the ground beneath my feet. I wasn't sure how I was going to survive ... or if I would survive. 

On the very day my world was turned upside down, God orchestrated a meeting between Jane and myself and Jane prayed the most amazing prayer of God's blessing over my life. I went to the nursing home crushed in spirit and the weight of the world on my shoulders; I left the nursing home with my spirits lifted and the weight on my shoulders gone.

January–March 2007 - For three months, my sister and brother-in-law promised to make the changes necessary for restoration. For three months, my husband and I tried to make the best of a very difficult situation. For three months, my husband and I relied on my sister and brother-in-law's promises and the hope for the restoration of relationships. For three months, my sister and brother-in-law assured us the necessary changes were made. For three months, my husband and I continued on with the day-to-day requirements of our joint project, trying as hard as we could to make it successful. 

For the same three months, every Monday morning I went to see Jane even though she rarely showed any kind of awareness or response. For three months, Jane's already fragile health was rapidly deteriorating and Jane was placed under the care of Hospice. During this same three-month time period, Jane developed a bladder infection. If left untreated, Jane's earthly life would soon be over.

March 2007 - Now it is late March. My sister and brother-in-law notify us by email that they have decided NOT to keep their promises offered as a way of restoration. It became clear that their continued promises over the last three months were all a ruse—a means to an end; part of a manipulative covert plan. The hope for reconciliation and restoration that my husband and I had hung onto for the last three months—gone. My husband and I now KNOW we have to do whatever is necessary to separate ourselves from any kind of partnership with my sister and brother-in-law. 

At the exact same time, Jane is dying. Jane's Power of Attorney (without knowing why) KNOWS she has to remove Jane from Hospice so the bladder infection can be treated and Jane's earthly life extended.  

For three months:

• God gave my sister and brother-in-law opportunity after opportunity for changed hearts and lives and for the promises of peace and restoration to be kept.
• My husband and I hung on to the hope for promises to be kept and relationships to be restored.
• Jane's fragile health was deteriorating. Jane developed a bladder infection.  If left untreated, Jane's earthly life will soon end.  

Then in late March:

• My sister and brother-in-law notify us of their refusal to follow through with their promises.  
• My husband and I realize all hope for reconciliation and restoration is gone.
• Jane's Power of Attorney for some reason KNOWS she cannot allow Jane to die from an infection; she obeys God's leading and removes Jane from Hospice and the infection is treated.

All of these events transpired at the exact same time: January–March 2007. When hidden agendas were exposed, when the truth of the matter was revealed and when the hope for restoration was gone—THEN—the Sovereign Hand of God intervened for such a time as this and for HIS greater purpose. It wasn't time for Jane to die. It is as if God said—I have a job for you, Jane. I am going to use you to be My voice in a Blessed Event. It is not yet time for you to come home, Jane. I have work for you to do.

For such a time as this Jane's life was extended and over the course of the next year Jane spoke God's Words of Praise, Protection, Prayer of Encouragement, Provision, Path, Promise, and Purpose to us during the most difficult crisis period in our lives.

Jane lived and went on to:

• Tell me to read Psalm 150 and then Psalm 140. (July '07) God used Jane to send us two messages directly from His Word. First and foremost, the importance of Praise; then the promise of His Protection as we began the most difficult journey of our lives—just days after receiving the shocking news that a vicious and vindictive lawsuit seeking our ruin had been filed.  
• Pray an amazing prayer of encouragement. (July '07) I had just finished reading Psalm 140 and was standing by the edge of Jane's bed still stunned by the amazing content of the Psalm Jane just asked me to read, when Jane began to pray. In a strong and clear voice, Jane without any difficulty, prayed for every relevant and important thing in our lives. God used Jane to pray a Prayer of Encouragement and hope over my life—just days after blindly taking our first steps on a new and unknown narrow footpath, not knowing where the path was leading or how long of a faith journey it would be.  
• Tell us to read Isaiah 30 (September '07) during my husband's and my Sunday visit—just days before I was scheduled to undergo my first deposition. When I finished reading Jane spoke and clearly said, "Read the part about wait on the Lord again." I had totally missed God's message. God used Jane to send us another message from His Word—a message of His faithful Provision if we wait on Him.
• Ask me (January '08) if I had Psalm 1 memorized. I said I didn't. Then Jane asked me if my sister had it memorized. I said I didn't know, but I didn't think so. (Jane had no knowledge of me having a sister. I had never told Jane anything about my personal life, that I had a sister, or anything about the difficult circumstances my husband and I were facing.) Then Jane pointed to herself and then to me and said, "We will work on memorizing it together." Psalm 1 talks about personal choices. It contrasts the path of righteousness which brings happiness and blessings with the path of wickedness which ultimately brings punishment and destruction. God used Jane to send me a message about personal accountability—a message from His Word about His blessings when you choose to follow His Path of righteousness, and His promised punishment for those who choose to follow their own path.   
• Quietly say "Jeremiah 33" just days before her earthly journey ended. (April '08) God used Jane to send me a final message from His Word—a message of assurance and His Promise of restoration.   
• Pray one final prayer. (April '08) After repeated attempts Jane got out three words.  Puh ... Puh ... Puh ... Praise. The. Lord. Jane's final spoken words brought everything full circle. God used Jane's final prayer of just three words to remind me how we should live our lives for HIS greater Purpose—PRAISE!  

Every single message the Holy Spirit led Jane to speak at the most pivotal times in our lives, directly pointed us to HIS Holy Word! Every. Single. One. God took our winding paths and brought Jane and I together for such a time as this and for HIS greater purpose. 

My husband and I were just busily and happily living our lives. We had no idea what lie ahead in our future. But God knew what we didn't know, and for years—YEARS—He was putting all the pieces of the puzzle together. When disaster struck, God in HIS great Sovereignty, scripted a plan and HIS hand intervened. Everything was in place, perfectly aligned and protected for such a time as this. ALL for HIS greater Purpose.

God is faithful. He took what was meant for our harm and taught us we are not the victims of a vicious lawsuit—we are the recipients of a Blessed Event! God was faithful to Jane. He made sure Jane did not face her final journey on this earth alone. He took what could have caused us harm and used it to make sure HIS words were read to His faithful servant Jane every single week for sixteen months. What I didn't realize is this: while reading HIS words to Jane, He was also implanting HIS concepts deep into my own heart. Amazing!  

Thank you, LORD, for your faithfulness. Thank you, LORD, that Jane was faithful. Thank you, LORD, that Jane's POA was faithful. Thank you, LORD, for directing and guiding our lives. LORD, no matter what, may you always find us faithful.

The ending of the lawsuit and the difficult valley time in our lives will be celebrated and noted along the timeline of our faith journey, but the ending of the lawsuit is no longer what we are focused on. It is the journey! We have learned so much! Seeing the Hand of God working in our lives has made every painful moment worthwhile. It's ALL about the journey!

Jane went to her final reward on May 06, 2008. Her mission was complete and HIS greater purpose went forward. I stand in awe of the LORD God Almighty. Great and mighty is HE.

Praise God from whom ALL blessings flow! 

Next Entry: The Journey Home

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Welcome

     A True Story of God's Faithfulness

The Amazing Story
     The Sovereign Hand of God
Her Name Was Jane
     HIS Story Begins

A Blessed Event

     A God-Ordained Divine Appointment
Our Winding Paths
     God's Scripted Plan
For Such A Time As This
     HIS Greater Purpose
The Journey Home
     One Last Promise
A Legacy Lives On
     HIS Story Continues
A Story to Tell
     It's All About HIM
Walking by Faith
     It's All About the Journey
Following HIS Footpath
     HIS Great Faithfulness
Jane's God-Given Words
     God-Ordained and Holy Spirit Inspired
The Proof Came—AFTER
     "You Are Free to Go"
The Path to Salvation
     The Reward is Eternal Life