{thank you}

I just wanted to thank all of my beloved friends and family for being there for me, and for us, through the good and the bad, the serious and the menial.  It means a lot.

A few weeks ago, I posted about some things that were going on with us that I asked the community around us to pray about.  I was expecting a few to read, not many, and I made more complaint in that post than I did any matured request for prayer.  Then again, a request for prayer doesn't necessarily need to be seen as 'mature' if you are truly showing your emotion through it.  I've come to realize that people don't actually know the severity of a problem to a person until their inner-frustrations have shown.  And that is exactly what I did the other week.

Well after my post filtered through the internet, I received more pageviews from it than I have any other blog post I have ever written.  Wow!  Part of me felt a little embarrassed to know that sooo many people knew wheat I was feeling.  But as people everywhere started coming up to me, walking beside me, assured me that they were praying for me, sent me texts, emails, facebook messages, everything - I really felt that God was listening and He is taking care of me.

Sometimes we get so wrapped up in what's going on all around us that we feel like we have it so hard.  And to us, yes, it feels that way.  << Never ever underestimate the problems people have - those problems are very real to them, even if they don't seem like a big deal to you.  Take them seriously, and instead of telling them to get over it, help them work through it! >>   But it's even easier to lose sight of God and what He is already doing in our lives when we are overwhelmed by things of this world.  That's how I felt the other week when I wrote and posted: I felt like God gave me more than I could handle and I wanted to quit.

After posting though, so many people became such beacons of encouragement to both Frank and me.  I really felt like God was saying through everyone, "Yes, I am still here, I hear you, and I'm holding your tears.  Be patient, I am working in your waiting, and you are loved."  And boy, we felt loved.  Praise God for His love and grace and mercy for us when we feel that He should be paying us more attention than He already has.  I love God.

And so, I hope you all know that God has worked in and through you these past couple of weeks by encouraging me and Frank in our down-time.  We love you all so much and I am so thankful to have such wonderful people around us, loving us, praying for us, and encouraging us.  We have prayed for all of you and I want you to know that if you ever need someone to come beside you for encouragement and prayer, please remember that I am here for you just as you have been here for me.  God never fails, He never gives up on us, and He is always faithful.  Thank you for being you. :)

In God's Grace,
Frank and Jessica.