Mysterious Ways: A Time to Sow
My cousin had just been diagnosed with a brain tumor. How could I lift her spirits?
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printSpring onions, radish, marigold and zinnia seeds, plastic trays with soil to start growing plants. The perfect items to help jump start my garden this year! I thought. I dropped them all in my shopping cart. At least I found something here at the garden store, even if it wasn’t what I’d come for. I still felt disappointed. What in the world was I going to get for my cousin Kathryn? Lord, I prayed, help me find the perfect gift to lift her spirits.
What could anyone possibly get to cheer up someone who had just received the most terrible news? Kathryn had been diagnosed with a cancerous brain tumor. I called her up and made plans to see her. But I didn’t want to come empty-handed. A potted plant was the best idea I came up with, but there was nothing at the store that I’d liked.
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“Find everything you were looking for?” the cashier asked as I was checking out.
“Yes,” I said. At least the items that I needed for myself. I figured I could find something for Kathryn at one of the other stores around.
But as I got into the car, a thought entered my mind.
Give Kathryn what you got for yourself.
Seeds? Soil? Don’t be silly, I reasoned. Kathryn had so much on her plate dealing with her health, and I was going to give her one more thing to do?
“Give Kathryn what you got for yourself.”
This time, it was clear the thought wasn’t mine. It was like a voice, speaking directly to me. I couldn’t ignore it.
I arrived at Kathryn’s house, the bag of seeds and soil trays in my hand. We chit chatted a bit. “How are you doing?” I asked. I was happy to hear her strong faith was carrying her through the difficult days of treatment.
“Well, I don’t know why I’m giving you this,” I said finally, handing her the bag. “I was looking for the perfect gift, but a little voice told me to give you this…”
She opened it up. Tears came to her eyes.
“I’m sorry, I know it’s not the best gift to get right now…”
“No, Lill, you don’t understand, it’s perfect.” Kathryn said. “Just last night, I told my husband I need these things. I want to grow a garden. Seeing the vegetables sprout and the flowers bloom, that will inspire me.”
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Months later, Kathryn is enjoying the early yields from her garden. She’s been doing well enough to go back to work. And I’ve learned not to dismiss those thoughts that come to all of us sometimes, leading us to unexpected, wonderful blessings.
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Your Comments (23)
Nancy, thank you for your inspiring story about your cousin.
Amen to that story. I've learned to listen big time and found out what happens when I do and when I don't. Be sure to ask the Holy Spirit to clarify for you when you doubt - that helps me.
Whoops - the correct title of Catherine Marshall's book is "The Helper"
God works in His own Mysterious neet ways.
I'm sorry, but I have to agree with everyone that doesn't like the pop up ad. I subscribe to guideposts already, & support it as much as possible. I buy the Mysterious Ways books that you sell & have recently subscribed to the new Angels mag. I love Guideposts & we've always subscribed to the magazine since I can remember. I wish the pop up ads were spent on people who don't already have the mag, the cards, the books, etc.
Sheryl G.
Wow, this is my first time looking at comments and am not sure I will again. I'm just going to say I'm glad God doesn't ignore me because I am doing something annoying. I'd never have HIS attention if that was the case. I pray that all can get beyond to see what the important message is because I have loved the couple of things I've looked at today...just what He needed me to hear! Thank you God for your messages!
God does work in mysterious ways. Things we count as small are large in the eyes of others.
I deeply appreciate Guidepost and the service it performs. There are many complaints being posted...it has become too secular...too commercial...ect.ect. However, I continue to find it a total blessing!
As I post this, I am realizing how much a part of my life reading Guidepost has become. It usually is the first thing I do every day. I desperately need the inspiration and encouragement provided to start the days of my life. The more I am uplifted and strengthened, the more I am able to uplift and strengthen others.
It is far too easy to feel discontent and hopeless. Finding fault with free blessings is a shameful waste of life energy. It is a negative activity and serves only to discourage those who are serving a higher calling such as the staff of Guidepost.
Thank you Guidepost for being a nurturing presence in my life!
thank you, guideposts, for finding a way to turn your readers against each other. And all it took was an annoying little pop-up ad!
I don't receive any pop up's. I have that option within my computer turned and checked off-to not receive any. Works like a charm.
Such a wonderful mysterious ways story. Prayers of complete healing for Kathryn!
Blessings!
I feel it us really SAD that a pop up is taking you away from the Lords word. I guess satin is getting his way with you. Remember satin's goal is to turn us away from the Lord
I was thankful for the story, which again reminds me to pay attention to that inner urging to take care of something NOW.
So, yes, it's time to say a few words about the pop-up ad.
If it were just that, I would not mind quite so much, but I find that when I think I am clicking on the X to close the pop-up ad, I have actually clicked *through* the ad to a button behind it. My solution is to scroll down so that there is nothing to click on behind the ad, then close it.
Well, you can imagine how annoying that is.
Hey, folks, I understand economics and all that stuff, but YOU need to understand that you need to fix this. I'm not being grouchy; I just am less likely to follow a story, knowing I have to deal with that ferschlugginner pop-up ad.
And I think the answer is a larger field of capture for the X button, so clicking on it will close the window, not click through to stuff behind it.
Or figure out a way to make it go away. Remember, folks, some of your readers are still on dial-up, and huge loads that seem trivial to you are a system freezing problem for them. A good friend of mine, who lives near the capital of New York State, can only obtain dial-up, and anything that takes a long time to load he loses, because his system times out. And if things are like that in NYS, imagine what they are like in Montana. (no disrespect intended to our brothers and sisters in that august state!)
Wonderful story.....and good grief, people....if you need to whine about a pop up on a website, then take the time to contact Guideposts by phone.
What a beautiful message. Re the pop-up ad: really not that significant a problem in light of all the messages of hope that we receive.
I'll be praying for your cousin,Kathryn. Her faith is the best medicine. 3 years ago my sister-in-law was diagnosed with stage 4 inoperable cancer in her lungs, heart and chest cavity. She was put on chemo and sent home to put her affairs in order. She gave it to the Lord. As she said it was a win-win situation. If cured, she had more time with her family. If not, she went home to be with the Lord. She never lost faith and was willing to accept whatever the Lord wanted for her. We just received word Good Friday that the results of her last PET scan are back. There is not a sign of cancer in her body anywhere. The doctors can't explain it and in fact ran the scan twice saying it wasn't possible. Rose just smiled and informed them that with the Lord anything is possible.
I am praying for God's will to be done; then I am praying that He will make a way where there is no humanly way possible ...to intervene in this medical emergency, to oversee Kathryn from the very beginning, all during until complete healing.
...to heal your cousin, Kathryn, I ask this in the name of The Father, of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
I agree with these people about the pop up ad, it's VERY annoying and distracting when one is reading an article about faith and God. We know we have options to buy your magazines without having this pop up thing,'
I look forward to your Mysterious Ways articles, but I, too, do not like the pop up. It locks up my computer until it finishes loading, which takes a while on my computer. When it finally does load, I click it off without even looking at it.
DiAnn, It costs money to provide these daily spiritual upliftings. I, too, really dislike the annoying pop-up ads, but they are very easy to close with just a click of the mouse. Is that too high of a price to pay for such wonderful messages coming our way? The only alternative is to increase the price of Guideposts magazine and subsequently lose subscribers and even more money. It's a catch-22 situation and it's unfortunate. But I think we should be most thankful we have an easy "Opt Out" available to us.
Beautiful story! And I agree with DiAnn, above, do not like a popup every time.
Please remove that message that pops up whenever one clicks on a story. It is so annoying that I WILL NO LONGER OPEN ONE OF YOUR MESSAGES UNTIL I AM NOTIFIED THAT IT IS REMOVED. I have been reading your magazine for at least 25 years, and your online version since it started. But that popup is ruining my relationship with Guideposts.
Sincerely,
DiAnn K. Pierce
17 Yorkshire Place
Yonkers, NY 10701
DiAnn K. Pierce:
Please simply adjust your browser settings. You can also download free pop up blockers that will prevent you from being "annoyed" by pop up advertisements. The people who run guidepost magazine have to eat as well. They have to be able to make a living. Pop up advertising is just one other way of doing such. It generates income. If you don't like the ads, you can set your computer to not allow them to "annoy" you. It is always just as simple to click the X on the box also.
Guidepost- you do a fantastic job. Thank you for having this free content on the web for those of us who can no longer afford to pay for a subscription due to the economy and hard times all around.
Thank you.
Nancy Bishop
I think it is really sad that you are going to let a pop up keep you from reading the word of the Lord. I guess satan is getting his way with you DiAnn. Remember satan's goal is to turn us all away from the Lord. For a pop up really! To the rest please keep the story's going it's a reminder to me, for I am a cancer survivor too! I know I am still to keep the FAITH going. :) You all have a very BLESSED DAY, even the POP UP'S