You Never Know the Time
You never know the time.
I heard some sad news a week and a bit ago. One of my beautiful ladies who was in my HEART zoom small group (that started during covid in 2020) has died. Linda was younger than me. So unexpected. We are all still reeling.
Many tears flowed when I heard this tragic news. The pain was intense. Many prayers were said and will be continued to be said for her.
Then only this morning, Bruce got a phone call, from a man that we have known for about ten years, that his best friend died unexpectedly this morning. They were both leaving this morning to go on a two-month trip around the world. Not to be.
Tears again flowed and my heart was heavy.
Heavier of grief and full of pain once again.
Grief, Pain and Love converge.
Why heavier?
Because Anthony may not have known the Lord like Linda had. He did not talk about Jesus like Linda had. But that does NOT mean that he is lost to the Lord. Only God can judge that.
But I can call upon the MERCY of GOD for both of them.
Maybe one day someone will call upon God’s Mercy for me?
But I can look at my life and question how I am living?
Both Bruce and I questioned had we loved them both as best we could?
Were we Jesus to them?
Did we get an opportunity to share Jesus, the love of Jesus with them?
We only have control over ourselves, but we can influence other people too.
I don’t want to throw my hands up in the air and say it can’t be done. I can do what I can do but I can also PRAY. I can petition to the Lord for others. For myself. For His Mercy!
We all as Christians, can TRUST a God who CAN REDEEM what now seems UNredeemable.
That’s what happened on Easter Sunday. THE REDEEMER CAME!
The tragedy of Jesus’ death was turned upside down.
Where human beings violently rose up against God’s only Son and murdered the only truly innocent human being that had ever lived.
Humanly you may have called it Tragic Friday but NO it was GOOD FRIDAY.
For what God’s Mercy did for us was sooooooo GOOD and is available to ALL of us. ALL PEOPLE.
SO, I am putting my TRUST of my two friends’ eternal LIVES into God’s hands and calling upon God’s DIVINE MERCY for them.
THEN I am taking to prayer my part in people’s lives, that God may be calling me to go deeper with HIM, in HIM and through HIM with my Neighbour – that I am encouraged to love after I first love God.
What could God be calling you to?
May these jottings from my journal inspire you to believe in and fall in love with Christ- the hope of the world, as stated in Jeremiah 17:7, ‘Blessed is the man who believes and trusts in and relies on the Lord and whose hope and confident expectation is the Lord!’
Love
Rosemary
Every week groups of ladies meet together to chat about the things I raise in my weekly blog post and to chat about life in general. We call these ‘Heart Connect’ groups. If you would like more information please click HERE.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
Are you living the life that God has called you to?
Are you being Jesus to others? Where could you be showing God’s love to those in your life?
Where are you missing the opportunity to be Jesus? What is stopping you?
12 Comments
Mary-Ann
Beautiful comforting words Rosemary. I am so sorry that you and Bruce have lost friends but I have no doubt you were the best for both of them. You are the Lord’s hands and feet and instruments for the Lord to touch others on this earth. Bless you abundantly and may the good Lord continue to work through you for others to know Him and realise how they are loved by Him.
Jeanne Zettler
Amen.
Patti Grandolfo
Thinking of you and praying for your peace and comfort in the loss of your friends. May the love and joy of Jesus lift your hearts and spirits. May God bless us all. In Jesus’name. Amen🙏🕊️♥️
Barbara Williams
Rosemary, I am so sorry for your loss. The older I get the more I feel the grief of the loss of people who have passed. I pray every day for those that have gone before me…I pray that Jesus will “deliver them from every evil” and “bring them into paradise” with Him. I am sending hugs to you from far across the oceans! Even though I just started your group, I have been praying the rosary with you and Bruce every day for quite some time now. So, I pray for you and your ministry. May God bless you and bring you comfort in your time of grief.
Jeanne Zettler
Amen.
Kim Beyer
My heartfelt sympathy to you both Rosemary, what treasured friends you both would be, Thank you for reminding me that we need to pray for others to enter their eternal lives and asking what God is wanting us to do more. God Bless you and yours always.
I haven’t written to Bruce as yet, however his daily devotions together with Emma & your Heart Ministry Podcast are such valued
parts of many peoples lives, and help busy people “stay on track” and not get too carried away with the busyness of life.
Thank you again.
Cheryl
So sorry for your loss, Rosemary, especially since they were unexpected. The shock and pain was evident in Bruce’s face in today’s Daily Devotional. The questions Bruce asked and you have asked in your jottings will stay in my mind for sometime. Am I Jesus to people I meet? We know not the hour or the day are words we hear a lot, but am I living my life so that I would be ready if called today. God bless you both and may your friends rest in the peace of God’s love.
Jeanne Zettler
Amen.
Deanne Savard
Thank you for Sharing your story May your dear friends RIP. Sending PRAYERS. THANK you Rosemary I have started a Heart Connect group in our Parish
Our 2nd one today. Please Pray for us ?
Rosemary Downes
Dear Deanne, yes I will pray for you and the womens group. If ever you need any help, do not hesitate to ask me for anything. If I can I will.
Thank you for stepping out.
Much love Rosemary
Jeanne Zettler
Amen.
Valerie simms
Rosemary I would like to pray the Divine Mercy Chaplet for both your dear friends Linda and Anthony. I would also like to pray for both you Rosemary and Bruce, that our Loving God will bring comfort and reassurance for the grief you both are feeling… The Love of our Lord God is never ending towards your friends, towards both of you and towards us… I do feel Rosemary that I need to spend more time praying for those in most need and deep down in my heart, my spirit I would like to connect more with my brothers and sisters in the Lord. To be part of a more closely knit Church community. Recently I have seen Scripture passages of how unified the early Church community were and how they all contributed, virtually all they had in order to help one another, including sharing their food. What a great witness for the Lord were they towards those who had not encountered our Lord Jesus Christ yet!!! Surely I could do more Rosemary… Thank you Rosemary for sharing with us all from your heart concerning the grief of both Bruce and your loss of friends…Who knows who we will see again when our Lord Jesus Christ comes upon the earth once again to raise us up from the dead, to ascend into Heaven with Him… Who knows who we will see that have spent their designated time in Purgatory and will see in Heaven too…All in the Great Love of our Great God, where there will be no more tears, no more sorrow, no more pain… Only Love, Joy and Peace!!!