A "People Meeting" at the Oklahoma State Fair

Sometimes things happen in a way that you just know God orchestrated it.  And even though you can't prove it, you just know it.

Saturday we spent the day at the Oklahoma State Fair. It's a family tradition of 29 years, only skipping one time in the span (for our firstborn's birth).  This year was special because we hadn't seen our college girl in almost a month and she and the college boy were going to be with us for most of that day.  We saw Disney's "Frozen on Ice", which was magical and beautiful!  Those tickets were purchased in January!

After leaving the ice show, our daughter had to leave, my husband went to see the show pigs, but the boys and I got in line to ride the Ferris Wheel.  In front of us were two little girls.  A man and woman stood along with them, but weren't in line for the ride. He and I made small talk during the wait.  He said he had quit smoking after having pneumonia several times and how the doctor told him it was either quit smoking or quit breathing.  After we got further in the line, he and the woman stayed back while the girls stayed right in front of us.  One of the little girls talked to me a little, even asking who I was riding with.  I told her I was riding with my boys, but I almost asked if she wanted me to ride with them. She was scared.  I decided that I should just stay with the boys and those two girls ended up having another young boy with them in their cart.

When we got off the ride, it was time to leave the fair park.  We started towards the gate, but over to the side, we could see that something was wrong.  The man I had talked to in line was on the ground, propping up the woman.  She was having, what appeared to be, a seizure.  I told my husband I was going to help - which he didn't realize that we had been with them for the whole time we were in line.  I asked if he needed anything and he said yes, that he needed help. My husband went for help and I got the two girls and moved them out of the main flow of traffic and out of the way.  I asked the one that I thought was their daughter if she wanted me to hold her. She did.  The other one stood near me. I tried talking to both of them.  The younger girl was scared. It was her mom and she was afraid of what was happening.

I knew the girls had just seen Frozen because we had already talked about that in line.  Two more women walked up with their young girls and they stood so that their view was blocked from what was going on with the women.  It was very scary and to see it, even scarier!  One of those women asked if the two girls wanted their "Olaf" snowman mugs.  That was so sweet of them to give those girls something like that!  The girls ended up laughing a little, but were still scared - especially the daughter of the woman who was having trouble.  She told us that the man was her mom's friend.  They were leaving the park to head home, so this was delaying that trip of about 1 1/2 hours.

The paramedics came. They put the woman on a stretcher. It was pretty obvious she wasn't going to be leaving, but would be going straight to the hospital.  She smiled a few times after the seizure stopped, but was in pain and distress most of the time.  Later the man told my husband she had just gotten out of the hospital the week before, and had been diagnosed with lupus, but she wanted to take her daughter to see "Frozen". It was important to her, even if she might not have been feeling 100% well.

As they took the woman on the golf cart looking ambulance to go to the hospital, the man came and got the girls. He was so thankful that I took them and stayed with them. After the other women and girls had left, I had my boys come talk to the girls a little bit, just to distract them from what was going on.  As they got up to leave to go to the hospital, the young girl that was just a friend began to cry. She was wanting to go home to her family.  The man assured her that he would call and see if they could come get her soon.

The rest of that evening, all I could think about was that family.  Was the woman okay? Did we do enough to help? Was there more we could have done or should have done? Could I go find her at the hospital?  My heart was so sad, even though I knew we had helped, I couldn't get it out of my mind.  I also realized that God was using us that day....that HE had caused that "People Meeting" (will talk about below) and that HE prepared us to be there for that moment.  Things like that get to me.  They make me realize how much He does in our lives ever day, even more.

Sunday morning we worshipped with the Memorial Road Church in Edmond.  The preacher was a professor at Oklahoma Christian, just preaching as a guest. His lesson was entitled, "Reach Out", but had to do with the fact that God sets up "People Meetings" for us all of the time.  These meetings are not change, but prepared for us by GOD, and He wants to use us for a particular reason.  That lesson also seemed to be planned. It was just what I needed to hear.

I am confident that what happened Saturday was a "People Meeting" arranged by God.  I only wish I knew the names of that man and woman. I know the two little girls' names.  I want to find out how that woman is doing.  I need to know she is okay.  I pray for that moment in that day, that man saw the love of Jesus.  I told him I would be praying for him. I wish I had prayed with the girls.  I was going to at one time, but other people came up, so I didn't. I should have.  I've prayed for them and for the woman and man a lot since then, but wish I had then - with them.  That would have showed them the power of God and the love of Jesus even more. That's my biggest regret in the whole thing.

So as you go throughout this week, be aware of the "People Meetings" that God may be arranging just for you.  He has prepared in advance, good works for you to do.  Don't miss those meetings.  Realize that they are from God. Share His love.  Share His Son.  Do what you can.

For we are God's handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. Ephesians 2:10

From Where Does Your Help Come?

I lift up my eyes to the hills.

From where does my help come?

My help comes from the Lord,

who made heaven and earth.

Psalm 121:1-2

What do you do when you get down or discouraged?  Who do you turn to?  Many turn to food, drugs, alcohol, shopping, running, etc., when they are down or discouraged.  Many turn to a spouse, friend, or maybe even someone they barely even know, allowing their bodies to become a way of getting rid of pain...while all it's doing is making the cause of the real pain even worse.

Things will go away.  Hobbies will satisfy for a while, but the zeal for them will fade away.  People will change....or leave.  The only One who will always, always be there is the Lord.  He will be there forever and ever.

From where does your help come?  As David said in this Psalm, may you be able to say, "MY HELP COMES FROM THE LORD". 

Ladybug Friends

During most of my growing up years, my dad was a farmer.  He farmed wheat and cotton.  Every summer I was the "un-hired" hand...meaning free labor for him!!  I didn't get paid wages, but spending time with him and learning to "farm" taught me a lot.  (In my high school years, when he became our small-town Farmer's Coop manger, he did hire me during the summer wheat harvest and I did get paid to work.) I think about those farming days with great memories (except for the plowing!). 

One thing I remember vividly had to do with lady bugs. Dad purchased thousands and thousands of ladybugs.  They were shipped to us in big crates and were stacked up high in our laundry/mud room.  I remember we had to have a fan blowing in there to keep them extra cool and alive.  I remember they stunk!

The day after the ladybugs arrived, I had the privilege of riding with my dad on his motorcycle.  He was driving, and I rode behind him turned around with my back against his.  He drove the motorcycle up and down the cotton rows, and I scattered those stinky, but very pretty, ladybugs!  I would reach into the burlap bags and pull out handfuls of ladybugs, throwing them as we rode. Why???  Because the ladybugs would eat the boll weevils that were eating the cotton stalks.  Isn't that neat???  I still think that is so cool!  My kids like to hear that story and are even more amazed to hear that their grandpa and I rode the motorcycle.  They think I'm a 'fraidy cat.  They don't know the real me :). (hee hee!)

Sunday morning I taught my 1st and 2nd graders about ladybugs.  It's a lesson I found on Danielle's Place, called "Ladybug Friends".  It's such a cute lesson (and a FREE lesson) that teaches about how we should be friends and help others like ladybugs do.  I especially enjoyed telling the children about how I scattered the ladybugs in my dad's cotton field and how those ladybugs helped us by eating the bad bugs that were eating the cotton plants.  (The Danielle's Place lesson has an interesting story about ladybugs helping with the Florida orange trees, too.)

Ladybug friends. Yet another one of God's amazing and beautiful creatures teaching us a lesson about how to live.....as friends and friends who help each other!

You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love.

Galatians 5:13

(NOTE:  And speaking of helping friends, I have a friend needing help to keep their little theatre open in their town.  She is the school drama teacher and asked if I would pass along this info.  Go to http://www.wellingtonritztheatre.com/  and click on the link to vote for the Wellington (Texas) theatre to win $25,000.  Thank you for helping! :)

Help for Haiti

Though the aftermath from the earthquake in Haiti is still unfolding and the number of deceased continues to rise, there are some glimpses of hope as the world opens up its hands and hearts to help the Haitian people.  Disasters often-times have a way of bringing people together in ways that might not have been tried or thought of before. 

One of the ways this is being seen is perhaps also the easiest way we can help the people of Haiti - by using our cell phones.  Carriers nationwide have set up a way to donate to the cause by having customers text the word "Haiti" to 90999.  By doing this, your cellular provider will add a $10 charge to your next month's cellular bill and give the donation to Haiti relief.  So far over $10 million has been raised in this way. Because there possibly would have been a delay in the actual money getting to the people of Haiti who desperately need it, many companies are sending the donations up front.

If you are looking for another way to help the people of Haiti, please visit Healing Hands International.  By clicking this link you can be updated on what this particular organization is doing to help and it will also explain to you how you can donate to the cause.  You can click here to see a special report about this organization by Fox News 17 in Nashville.

Please keep the people of Haiti in your prayers.  They have a long road ahead of them.  Also pray for those all over the world who may have friends and family in Haiti.  God loves the people of Haiti, just as He loves people all over the entire world.  Christians are the church and servants of Jesus.  Jesus went about doing good, and to serve Him, so must we.  The Haitian people need us!

He who is kind to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will reward him for what he has done.

Proverbs 19:17