A Testimony to God’s Love

Good morning guys! I hope this post today finds everyone in good spirits and health.

I think maybe you guys just MIGHT want to “pull up a chair” this morning, cause I’m probably gonna get a little long-winded! Shoot, I ain’t talked to you in a while, so…bear with me!

Today I’d like to share a few things with you that have literally touched my heart, and it couldn’t have happened if it weren’t for the love of our good Lord…and you.

It’s amazing how God can touch you in the most opportune times. I am a living breathing example of this. We truly are blessed with a God of love.

I haven’t posted in a week or so, and to be honest, I’d been going through a period of, I don’t want to use the word depression, I feel it too strong in my case, but at least a period of…being confused.

Wondering what to do in my life. Wondering why I had to lose my partner. Wondering how in the world to keep up with all that’s going on since Deb’s passing? Wondering how to keep smiling and exhibiting a happy face, when in reality…I wasn’t all that happy?

The last 4-5 days had been kinda rough on me. In reality, even though I thought I was fairly happy considering, it became a real burden to focus on even menial tasks. I saw it, I felt it, but I kept trying to “work through it.” Shoot, what else can you do?

Well, come this past Sunday, it was really beginning to get me down. Even though we needed the rain, it was cloudy and overcast, so I was pretty much penned up in the house all day, or most of it at least. I swear, it seemed just like the walls themselves were closing in on me. I was literally miserable.

Then, guess who steps in and turns this around? God…through guys just like yourselves. It was incredible. Honestly it was.

For those who KNOW me, they know that although I am a Christian, cept maybe not a good one, at least in the attempt by me to live more as God would like to see me live, they know I have my “set ways.”

I love to laugh, but will tell a risque joke from time to time. Okay, so I’ll tell a pretty raunchy one from time to time too.

I can swear with the VERY BEST of them. Although I do anymore try to watch this, if you make me angry there’s a pretty good, okay, a VERY GOOD chance I’ll let em fly. Even in only talking to people I just can’t seem to totally not throw in a damn, or worse every so often.

I think that God must understand that if I were to quit cussin altogether…I’d lose at least 35% of my working vocabulary!

When I was much younger, early, early twenties, I was not a very good person at all. In reality, the word terrible probably would not be too harsh. I got involved in drugs, I was a terrible Father, and through this I lost my family for a long period of time.

Thankfully, this has been “patched up” through the years.

I got married and didn’t finish school, but instead married my first wife, Sandra, who was pregnant at the time. SO…I have an 11th grade education. I regret the education factor, to an extent, but I’ve always continued to read, so…I consider myself…home-skhooled. (I know it’s spelled with a C, but thought I might jerk your chain). LOL! GOT YA! Thanks to Webster’s!

Sandra, my first wife was a good woman, and a great Mother! My second marriage I wasn’t too blessed, but, at that point in my life I deserved everything that was dealt me.

THEN…I met Debbie. Changed my life so very much, and the change I experienced was all good.

SHE taught me how to love, how to share, and how to let God into your life. SHE taught me about a marriage being a two way street, and the give and take that is required to make it work. I loved her so.

THEN, for whatever reason, God decided he needed her more than I, or her family here on this earth.

We all were devastated to say the least. I mean here we all were, basically with our world revolving around our wife, our Mother, our Grandmother, but most of all…our friend.

BOOM…this is all gone?? WHY?

God Has a Plan

Because God has a plan. I know this, and I believe this with all my heart, so, I put my trust in God and that’s what I do.

Then this past week, when things were kinda building up inside…a few things happened! Right out of the blue, and it was…God’s doing. No question.

First let me say something…

Judi and Brian, and the Canada Free Press got Deb and I involved in this website, “Ridin Out the Recession,” for those who didn’t already realize what a “couple of idiots” like us were doing cutting up on this site.

Now you know! It’s their fault!

But without Deb and I realizing it at the time, those same two, Judi and Brian had blessed us big time, yet we had no idea of this being the case.

Through their blessing…we met all you guys! No doubt!

I almost said, “No s+++, but caught myself! LOL! Wouldn’t THAT have been appropriate this morning with my message?? LOL! See, I’m getting better already!

Anyway, through our site, we’ve met so many wonderful, caring people. Now remember…you guys were TOTAL strangers, yet, through your responses, your concern, and your prayers, you blessed Deb and I to no end, and this continues today in my regard. You have become…family.

Crazy stuff, huh? Yet, it’s true.

To name just a few, and I’m not leaving anyone out intentionally it’s just that I’m getting a little older and forgettin a little more by doin so. Right off the top of my head there’s Gerry, Bill and Sandy, Sandra (Mississippi), Diane, Barbara, Craig, Roger, Edith, Kunochi, and SO many others.

Hey guys!

This has really been a road we enjoyed traveling together, and in my case…I’m still traveling it. Once more, you all mean so much to me, and you did to Deb as well. Thank you.

This I realize more and more this was a part of a much bigger plan than just you and I…it was God working through you. See where I’m coming from?

There’s more…

As I said earlier, Sunday was really rough. I don’t know why, but there’ll be times where I feel so low? It just happens. I’ll be fine with Deb’s passing, going along remembering our good times together, and WAM…it all comes back.

Just outta the blue…I’m lost.

Well, God continues to bless me and put different people into my life, again, good, caring people. I swear, it’s almost like they just appear out of nowhere. It is truly amazing.

There’s Laura, in West Virginia, who somehow found our channel on YouTube, and began commenting. She too had gone through the same thing that I had, and that so many of you others have gone through too.

Laura and I responded back and forth some, and today, Laura has become just like you guys too…a friend…even family. She’s a wonderful person, or she’s got me buffaloed one. Just kiddin Laura.
But early Sunday evening I check my e-mails. Lo and behold…there’s one from Laura.

Here I was feeling very low, and just kinda goin through the motions, and in her e-mail, she’s expressing to me how God works in mysterious ways.

I was like, man…he sure does. Through her caring enough about me to sit down, drop me a few lines, or short novels as she claims, God WAS helping me…through Laura. The despondency was easing immediately, honestly. I could FEEL it.

Hey Laura!

Crazier yet, I’m going through my e-mails Sunday and there’s a friend invite from Facebook from a lady I didn’t think I’d ever even heard of?? From a…S.K. Second time this invite had been sent.
Well, I got to thinkin…what’s this about, yet I thought no more about it.

Then, while I was forwarding another e-mail a friend had sent, I was going through my contact list. There at the bottom was a contact I’d never noticed prior…from S.K. I thought this to be just too ironic, so I e-mailed them to find out if they were in fact the same person as the Facebook invite, and if not…my apologies.

Well, a little later they responded that yes, they were one in the same. They also explained that they had just became involved with Facebook and that all her e-mail list had “been jacked” as she called it, and friend invites had been sent out, unknowingly by her, to all her contacts.

Obviously, I was one. The reasoning after corresponding with her was that she had read about Deb and I, and sent condolences to us. This was how she ended up being on my contact list as well.
I then apologized for not remembering her and stated that it was such a crazy time in my life during Deb’s last days, and that there were far too many people I hadn’t responded back too.

So, we sent back a couple more e-mails kinda laughing this off, but both of us kinda surprised how this even took place??

Anyway, in her last e-mail she was describing how that she loved to garden, and had a “green thumb,” etc. Even saying that she had cried for Deb and I.

I mean, look at this from my perspective…a total stranger…crying for Deb and I. Isn’t that amazing? It is to me! Yet, there’s my point…God working through others in our regard. Again…TOTAL strangers!

This is just awesome, isn’t it?

The point she made that stuck in my mind though was this. I had never heard the topic of sin discussed in such a way before, and the way she looks at it, and deals with it, was very enlightening to me to say the least.

“I discovered that I have a green thumb and just love to work my yard. I go outside and pull weeds while I pray for people. The weeds are symbolic of sin to me. So when I pull them out, I am praying for a sin of the person I pray for to be removed.”

Once more, feeling down on this particular Sunday evening God had put someone in my life, a total stranger, that had…made a difference. Not down the road some, but RIGHT NOW!

The Blessings Continue

So, by now I’m feeling much better, and KNOWING that God HAD put these people in my life, it was dawning on me just how fantastic our God truly is. He loves us guys…EACH and EVERY one of us. He is amazing.

After going downstairs and deciding to watch a little TV, I start channel surfing. Used to drive Deb insane! She’d say, “WHY don’t you find something we both like and…JUST watch it?” Bless her heart.

Well, I find a couple things that kinda interest me, but I keep surfing to make sure I don’t miss something I’d like even better.

I never watch religious TV at night but while surfing, I come across Joyce Meyer. I had watched her prior, but really not LISTENED to her before. I tuned in in time to catch her very early in her broadcast.

We have a very, very good friend, Sonnie (yep, he spells it IE, and I’ve given him a hard time ever since finding out he spells SONNY…with an IE. Matter of fact I now call him…IE!)who is a good Christian man, as well as his wife Pat.

I asked him once, “Sonnie, I have asked God to come into my life before, on several occasions, but I gotta tell ya…I don’t feel any differently. Why?”

One of Joyce Meyer’s opening remarks… “I get asked all the time. You know Joyce, I have asked God to come into my life, but I feel no change. Why?”

Her answer quite simply was that you need to study God’s word.

This clicked to me immediately…I wasn’t doing this. I needed to study God’s word. Through this, he would reveal to me much more than I can possibly understand about his love at this point. Again…study his word.

Joyce Meyer then used the description something to the effect of, “weeding your garden is symbolic to getting rid of the sin in your life…”
I almost fell down!

After meeting S.K., whom I’d never spoken with before, and her revealing to me her own outlook of sin that just struck, and stuck, with me as soon as I read it, here was one other person, also one I’d never before listened to in the evening, saying pretty much the very same thing.

Any doubts that I may have had before in God’s regard…were now outta here! This was just too incredible for coincidence!

This day that had started out so bad, and continued throughout pretty much the whole day, was now becoming very, very uplifting. BAM!

God was showing me his love…through strangers!

Laura, S.K., and now Joyce Meyer, had unwittingly turned my whole outlook completely around…it was in God’s plan for me. It WAS God working through them once more, helping me to cope.

Sonnie, or IE, called a little before Joyce Meyers broadcast had ended. I explained all this to him and his response was simply, “I told you.” Then he shared other examples of how God comes into your life. What a great day this had become.

I ended the evening speaking with one other person over the phone.

She too is a very, very dear friend who lost her husband a few years back. She and Ronnie were two people who came to be loved by Deb and I both. We spent A LOT of time together…for years! Many times…every day at some point.

Since Deb’s passing, Katherine has become my confidant, my shoulder to lean on, and is there for me anytime…day or night. She’s my best friend, and my respect for her is boundless. There’s times we’ll talk for an hour or two…pretty much about nothing.

She’s a very strong willed Christian woman. She’s easy to be around, level-headed, and her heart is ALWAYS in the right place. She loves to hunt and fish…and’s a “looker” too. Shoot, if her Daddy owned a liquor store…man, that’d be marryin material for sure! LOL!

I do love ya Katherine, and thanks for all you do in my regard! You’re too kind for your own good.

Her entire family as well. Her kids and grandkids all mean a lot to me. Shoot, they too are my family.

Anyway, I shared the exploits of my day with Katherine as well, and she, just like Sonnie, emphasized the role to me that God plays in our lives.

So ending up a GREAT Sunday conversing with Katherine was a very fitting end to a day that had gotten me down…bad.

Once more…God is there for us all. You only need to acknowledge this fact. I promise, he’ll be there for you!

If this testimonial of mine today touches but only one heart…that was God’s plan!

In closing, thank you to Judi and Brian of the Canada Free Press. You guys made this all possible.

Also, to all our friends and “family” that give us a looksee from time to time. You guys are simply amazing! Deb, nor I either one can ever repay you for the kindness you all have displayed to her and I both.

I love you all!

I promise you this though. You guys, just like me, now have a very special angel looking down on you! She too is filled with love.

You guys have a great day, and God Bless! Please…Be sure to keep a smile on your face, and one in your heart!

Dub

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10 Responses to A Testimony to God’s Love

  1. Jim Nazyum says:

    Sorry i didn’t read the whole thing.

    Sounds like Deb has passed away? I think that’s what you were saying.

    What i can offer is that you check out an audio sermon by keith moore at cfaith.com called ‘never die’.

    It will be a real blessing to you. To anyone who has just had a loved one pass on to the other side.

    • admin says:

      Yes Jim, Deb did pass away on June 14th. and I miss her. BUT, the message I was trying to get across was the inspiration God gives us, sometimes through total strangers. Sunday night was just incredible to me. I, personally, had never felt God’s love, even his presence before, at least not in any way near like Sunday. It was coming from every direction I turned. Again, it was literally incredible to me. I just had to post of this experience. To be honest…I’m still awestruck.

      I will check out the audio sermon you suggest. Actually, I look forward to it.

      Thanks again, and God bless.

  2. Gary says:

    Dub,
    That’s the best post I have read in a VERY long time.
    I love ya buddy…
    Gary

    • admin says:

      Gary, I swear to you buddy…NEVER have I had an experience like Sunday before in my entire life. I was so excited…still am! I keep saying the same thing…it WAS incredible!

      God Bless ya Gary, and I love you to my friend!

  3. Kathy says:

    oh my. i just finished reading your testimony. the incredible part is this…. it was right after
    i sent up a prayer for some guidance from our loving God. my eyes are brimming as i write
    this. THANK YOU THANK YOU from a stranger.

    • admin says:

      Hello Kathy, and THANK YOU, stranger! I’m a guy that has always considered himself kinda tough, but I must admit I’ve shed a few tears myself, and I no longer consider it, well…wimpy. They started with the news of Deb’s diagnosis, then much more frequently once I realized the end was near. Since her passing I’ve learned that when my sadness in regards to her loss gets to be “too much,” I no longer care where I’m at, or who I’m with…it happens. I take a minute or two, compose myself, and I continue right where I left off. It again, doesn’t matter any more.

      But my experience Sunday caused a few tears as well, and it has since, but these were from my understanding that God does indeed love me, does care about me, and does see to my needs. Honestly…it WAS incredible. I’ve NEVER experienced anything like it. Never. I’ve always believed in God, I’ve most times talked with him in some form daily. But Sunday was so different. I’m telling you, I could feel his presence…

      Kathy, thank you for taking the time to make me aware you got something from this. It is so appreciated. It’s kinda like giving back some of the very same I got Sunday, and a lot of it too…came from total strangers! God Bless you and yours!

  4. Gerry Kolthof says:

    I want so much to help and comfort you like you have and Deb have done for me because I know what it is like what you have to deal with ,I have been there and I still have my sessions and end up crying so do not feel bad about that it will get a bit better with the help from the good Lord but for me it will never be gone .
    May the good Lord continue to be with you and give you strengt.

    • admin says:

      You do help me Gerry! Your comment this morning shows that. Did you think enough about me to send this? Yes sir, you did. Gerry you have been and ARE, a blessing in my life…you were to Deb as well. God put you in our life Gerry just as he has others. We are very blessed.

      Thanks my good friend! Take care! Call me anytime, okay?

      God Bless!

  5. Sandra Thomas says:

    Doug, I don’t know why but was compelled to go to your Website this morning because I had not been in a while and just wondered how you were doing. And you do let people know how you are doing…..anyway, I was literally brought to tears by your honesty and what happened to you on Sunday. I know from my own experiences, at times when I just thought I could not go on any longer, that those were the times when our Lord would show himself to me in the most powerful way and I could actually FEEL his presence. I am glad you finally experienced this because there is no greater COMFORT or JOY! My advice to you is to continue to read Gods word everyday, you will feel his presence and you will reap many blessings from staying close to Him. As it says in this word, “In My presence you can face uncertainty with perfect peace.” I have found this to be so true. And remember, GOD DOES LOVE YOU, HE BREATHED THE VERY BREATH OF LIFE INTO YOU AND HE PROMISES THAT HE WILL NEVER LEAVE YOU! I believe he has great plans for you, seek his will and pray and you will figure it out. I have always prayed for you and will continue to do so.

    • admin says:

      ” And you do let people know how you are doing…..”

      I knew you couldn’t be nice without first chunkin in a jab! LOL! Seriously, thank you very much for your wonderful comments and sharing your own experience in this in regards to your own life. I know that you’ve been close to God for many, many years now. You know, I wondered if I had ranted or sounded too excited when I did this post, but I have to say in all honesty, the whole experience was almost overwhelming to me. I’d never experienced such joy before. Once again…it was incredible! He does work through others to reach you, and I’ll say thank you not only to you again Sandra, but also to those others I spoke of that blessed me that evening. God Bless all of you!

      In closing, I look forward to spending time now studying his word. To be truthful, in regards to God in my life, I’m in my infancy in this regard, but I’ll work to come to know him much better. I’ll pray for you and George too. Tell everyone hello!

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