GOD IS GOOD ALL THE TIME!

While the year 2008 comes to an end and we celebrated the Christmas Holiday I became sad this Christmas Eve. It became very real to me that on Christmas morning it would be just Bill and I alone again. Just as things had been in all our past Christmases, no children to shower gifts with. I had told Bill a few days earlier that it had SUDDNELY dawned on me that Jerin would not be home for Christmas this year!!!
He found his love of a lifetime earlier this year and would be spending Christmas with Valerie and her family!!!

Last year was the first time we had ever had someone (Jerin) to consider as a child and shower them with gifts just as other parents all over the world do every Christmas morning… It was so precious to love a “child” in this way.
Jerin really made it fun for us.. He gets so excited over the smallest things…especially food and candy!!!
We call this our “PRETEND” Family. Bill, myself, Jerin and Robin ( Jerin is the only one that lives with us)
In reality Jerin is Bill best buddy and Jerin is my friend. Robin is my disciple/spiritual daughter.

I just want to express how the Lord has blessed my life with experiencing what it must be like to have a son!
Bill and I have been a part of Jerin’s life for about 4 years now. He came into our lives during a terrible heartbreaking separation/divorce. We took Jerin under our wing. He would hang out with us, eat with us and after a while he even was doing his laundry at our house. He was part of our family!
We had much in common with Jerin as he was the Jr High leader at one church and we were youth workers at another church. Our hearts were knit from the start.
Jerin’s divorce became final after about a year, against his wishes. He sold their house and moved into a lonely apartment. About the time his year lease was up Jerin and Bill had decided it would be great for all of us if Jerin moved into our house. He could pay some rent and that would help us out financially and Jerin wouldn’t be lonely!!! I of course had adopted Jerin as a son long before this point…!! This was so exciting though…it was kind of real….
I remember spending much time in prayer for his ministry decisions and especially about a wife!
Jerin and I had many long nights of talking about ministry, his heart and about relationships….and then about THE ONE!!! Sweet Val… All these talks felt so much like I would have wanted a mother son relationship to be if I did have one…

I said all that to say this!!! Jerin is moving out soon and my heart is heavy!! I will miss him simply just being around, although he has been gone a lot since the Engagement in September…That has been good in a way…. It will make it somewhat easier when the day does come for him to really go.
I will miss hearing the garage door go up in the middle of the night and knowing he is home safe. This is so funny.. I remember the first time he was out with Val LATE and we were worried about him and if he was ok… I did not go to sleep until I heard him come home. It was then that I knew I had a real motherly love for Jerin… I do recall other women talking about how they don’t go to sleep when their children are out…!!! Ha ha… I got to experience that!!!
I COUNT IT ALL A BLESSING!!! GOD IS GOOD ALL THE TIME AND ALL THE TIME, GOD IS GOOD!!!
Christmas Eve this year I talked to Jerin on the phone and was telling him how I realized he was not going to be home for Christmas morning and that it made me sad…as I hung up the phone I cried that day for the first time over losing my son!
It is a joyous occasion though…. He is getting married to a wonderful young lady and so I am gaining a daughter!
I am so thankful to get to experience these things even though I have born no physical children.

I can be joyful with children and be barren!

Psalm.113
1. [9] He maketh the barren woman to keep house, and to be a joyful mother of children. Praise ye the LORD.