So, You Think I Am Strange?

Ok, so yesterday I posted what my office/work space looks like & I asked you all to send me photos so that I can see your spaces. I begged you to not think that I was weird or strange. Well, apparently you all do. LOL We had 1265 vistors from the time that I posted until midnight & I only received ONE photo this morning. Thank you Amy! Here I thought that I would get flooded with emails. Silly me.

I was so super excited when I went to the mailbox yesterday afternoon. We received our first letter from Neema. If you are just now joining us & you don't know who Neema is, you can learn about her HERE. Neema is the little girl from Africa that we are sponsoring through Compassion International. I am very shocked that we received a letter so soon. I know that I am a wimp & I cry pretty easily anyway, but Neema's letter brought me to tears. Here are two pictures that I took so that I could share them with you.

Isn't that such an awesome letter? I know that it is short, but it is plenty. Don't those little drawings just melt your heart? What really did it for me was seeing that she printed her name for us. Neema means so much to us already. We hope that one day we can take a Compassion trip & meet Ms. Neema in person. How amazing would that be? Our family feels so blessed that we are able to help Neema & her family. To know that our actions brought a little piece of happiness to this little girl is priceless. We will be writing back to Neema this weekend. I can hardly wait!

How are you all doing with your reading lessons? I was so busy yesterday & if I am being honest, I didn't get my reading done until 11:45pm. Yikes. I have to say though, I am really enjoying this challenge. I do not feel intimidated at all, which is what I expected. Today, I am blogging & then heading to the couch to do my reading for today. I saw a friend's comment this morning about today's assignment & I am pumped up. I want to be in "the know". What does the Word say for today? What does it mean? Why did it pump up my friend? I can't wait!

I am not the kind of person to share "junk" emails with anyone, much less the world. However, I received an email yesterday from a loyal blog follower. I started to read it & thought to myself, "What am I doing? I hate this stuff!" I was moving my mouse to click on the delete button when something told me to keep going. By the time that I was done reading, I was sobbing at my desk. I think that this email is powerful enough to be today's message. What will you take from it?

A Prayer Before Surgery - My 9-year-old's last-second request surprised his doctor and taught me a valuable lesson about sharing the gospel.

Last fall my 9-year-old son, Austin, had his tonsils removed. Before the surgery, Austin's anesthesiologist came to start an IV. He was wearing a cool surgical cap covered in colorful frogs. Austin loved that "frog hat." The doctor explained that he had two choices.  He could either try to start the IV, or he could wait until Austin was up in the operating room.  In the OR the doctor would give Austin some "goofy" gas, and start the IV when he was more relaxed.

"So, Austin," he asked, "which do you want?" Austin replied, "I'll take the gas." But when the doctor started to leave, Austin called, "Hey, wait." The doctor turned.  Yeah, buddy, what do you need?" Austin asked, "Do you go to church?" "No," the doctor admitted.  "I know I probably should, but I don't." Austin then asked, "Well, are you saved?" Chuckling nervously, the doctor said, "Nope.  But after talking to you, maybe it's something I should consider." Pleased with his response, Austin answered, "Well, you should, 'cause Jesus is great!" "I'm sure He is, little guy," the doctor said, and quickly made his exit.

After that a nurse took me to the waiting room.  Someone would come and get me when Austin's surgery was done.

After about 45 minutes, the anesthesiologist came into the waiting room. He told me the surgery went well and then said, "Mrs. Blessitt, I don't usually come down and talk to the parents after a surgery, but I just had to tell you what your son did." Oh boy, I thought.  What did that little rascal do now? The doctor explained that he'd just put the mask on Austin when my son signaled that he needed to say something.
When the doctor removed the mask, Austin blurted, "Wait a minute, we have to pray!" The doctor told him to go ahead, and Austin prayed, "Dear Lord, please let all the doctors and nurses have a good day.  And Jesus, please let the doctor with the frog hat get saved and start going to church.  Amen."

The doctor admitted this touched him.  "I was so sure he would pray that his surgery went well," he explained.  "He didn't even mention his surgery.
He prayed for me!  Mrs Blessitt, I had to come down and let you know what a great little guy you have."

A few minutes later a nurse came to take me to post-op.  She had a big smile on her face as we walked to the elevator. "Mrs. Blessitt, I couldn't wait to tell you something exciting that your son did." With a smile, I told her that the doctor already mentioned Austin's prayer. "But there's something you don't know," she said.  "Some of the other nurses and I have been witnessing to and praying for that doctor for a long time.  After your son's surgery, he tracked a few of us down to tell us about Austin's prayer.  He said, " girls, you got me.  If that little boy could pray for me when he was about to have surgery, then I think maybe I need his Jesus too." She then recounted how they joined the doctor as he prayed to receive Christ right there in the hospital.  Wow!  Austin had played a small part in something wonderful.  But then, so did the nurses who prayed and witnessed.

I thought about John's words in his Gospel, "One sows and the other reaps" (John 4:37).

Austin's experience taught me that, although we never know which role we may be called to play, in the end it doesn't matter.  What's important is that we remain faithful in sharing the gospel.

Tina Blessitt, a freelance writer, lives with her husband and four children in Kentucky.

Day Twenty Eight - 


"The fear of the Lord is the instruction of wisdom, & before honor is humility." (Proverbs 15:33)


Sometimes, when we just "know" we are right & our husbands are wrong, it takes great humility to honor them. It is difficult to speak well of our husbands when our own hearts are puffed up with pride. 


Pray that your husband will respond to the Lord in faith & humility before you react to your husband. Speak wisely & well, & leave the results to God. 


The humility that comes from a right relationship with God - the humility that comes when a man is willing to listen to God & be taught from His Word - is indeed a beautiful quality. Jesus was an example of this kind of humility when he was willing to submit to His Father's will. (John 6:38; Matthew 26:39)


Does your husband have that kind of humility? Is he willing to learn from & submit to direction from the Lord? Let your husband know how precious this is to your marriage relationship.


Day Twenty Eight Prayer - 


Pray that your husband will be a man of prayer. Pray that he will seek & pursue God in purposeful quiet times. (1 Thessalonians 5:17; Luke 22:46; James 5:16)