I got a PM very early Saturday morning, informing me that my BIL died a couple weeks ago.
I cried most of the morning - and off and on, all through Sunday; I loved Rick.
I never met Iris or Rick face-to-face, but we shared many phone calls and FB humor.
I don't really know much about Rick: but I know he loved my sister, Iris, deeply. And he mourned her death unashamedly.
They came into my life at exactly the right time; and brought light into my darkest widowing days – Bob had been taken Home, December 14th morning in 2018; and Elohim brought Iris & Rick into my life, February 14th, 2019.
My youngest sister, Carla Emerson was the one that made the connection happen - she did a 23nme DNA test and was surprised when a match came up with a sibling she had heard me mention constantly through the years: Carla called me right away …
Me: "What's up?"
Carla: "Val, are you sitting down?"
Me: "Noooo … do I need to sit down?"
Carla: "You might want to - I found Iris."
I sat down. "Talk to me."
Carla: "I did that DNA test I told you about, through 23nme ... and her name came up as a definite sibling match. No doubt about it. We have her, Val."
Me: "I'm SO GLAD! Man, I wish Bob were here for this day - I talked about Iris all the time; from the moment we started dating, I told Bob about her straight off. I wondered what she was like - where she lived (USA or Germany; I learned she had lived with her grandmother in Germany for 13 years) … I never stopped talking about her. Bob would be so happy for me right now. If I had known that for decades Iris had only lived hours from me during her years in WA State! Bob would gladly have driven me to where she was."
When Carla hung up, I cried happy tears.
And I laughed with unbound joy.
And I profusely thanked Elohim.
Then, I immediately got on FB, found Iris, and sent her a message on FB 😘😉
((((HELLO IRIS)))) was what I posted to my 'found' sister: I had waited 51 years to say that to her.
I had prayed every day since finding out about her, that someday - somehow … some way … Elohim would make a way.
He did - He was faithful.
She called me the next morning 🥰
We talked for 2 hours - it was wonderful; we were immediate friends … like we had grown up siblings. We talked just about every Wednesday following that first phone convo :-D From Valentine's Day 2019 to August 2019; she left this life September 3rd, 2019 following a surgical procedure that she never woke from.
I can still hear her voice; I will always treasure those phone convo's.
And Rick continued the phone convo's every month after that, telling me more about my sister as we comforted each other in our widowing days.
I can still hear Rick's voice, too; so, I did cry with missingness of Rick.
Holland, bless him, kept the coffee coming … and listened to me talk my sorrow out between wiping tears and snot ;-)
I hadn't slept.
My head ached, and my eyes burned.
But I was alert enough to notice that Holland was bustling around switching the burnt out microwave with a new one - while also making sure my coffee cup was always refilled, and Kleenex as near:
I perked up and dried my tears from my face, when the Ruach HaKo'desh pricked my memory to remind me that Elohim hears our prayers … and He is not slow in responding to my prayers about this situation with Mr. Complication: He always answers our prayers … ON HIS TIMELINE, not necessarily ours.
The timing of the PM message, the timing of the reminding prick - and the replacement of the microwave was perfect timing.
A few years ago, I had asked Elohim "for purpose … something to make me feel alive, again" - and He blessed me in spades, with Holland; he is a genuine "new experience". Holland definitely gives my life purpose, and he certainly keeps my life interesting ;-)
********************
Today unfolded with upper 70's sunshine … and a weekend blessing :-D
.JPG)
.JPG)
I love you, Elohim: thank You for greatly loving me, highly favoring me … and surrounding me always with Your unconditional love.
No comments:
Post a Comment