A Journey of Gratitude and Faith

Dear Friends, a simple thank you does not seem big enough to express my gratitude to each of you for all the love and support you have given to my family these past months. Your prayers for Jim and me were an active presence in our lives. They gave us strength, guidance and comfort in the journey through Jim's illness and his death. Your prayers were expressed through acts of love and kindness, through words of comfort and through quiet thoughts of concern. I thank you for each one of your prayers.

Often as I came home from the Health Center; feeling tired and sad, I would have an encounter with one of you and receive just the right words that I so needed that day.

You became God's Word to me. As I realized this, I began to look for and wonder whom would He bring into my path that day! I am sure most of you did not see yourselves as one of God's messengers but you were! I am grateful to each of you that God chose to speak His word to me each day.

Throughout this journey, the verse in Romans 8: 28 would come to me about God working all things together for good. Often with a small chuckle, I would say to God "Well, You are going to have to work hard to bring some good out of this difficulty;" then I would look for the good and yet still be amazed when I found it!

For example, in early July we had a memorial service for Jim in Great Falls, Montana. Our son Dan was bringing the car at the cabin into Great Falls for me to use. On the way, he hit a deer while avoiding the four others. The deer hit the front of the car damaging the hood and the air conditioning unit. Of course, this was in the midst of a heatwave with temperatures in the high 90's. Fortunately, Dan had a small GMC short bed pickup with air conditioning that I was to drive -what a surprise for me, but Dan said, "You can do it, Mom" so drive it I did. The good— Dan was not hurt in the accident. The second good was that I renewed a skill from my high school days, one that was not, however, on my bucket list.

I send one last word of thanks to those of you who were able to attend Jim's memorial service here in Marwick on August 6th I also thank those of you who watched it on Zoom. I appreciate the different ways that you let me know of your virtual presence with us that day. With deep gratitude, I send you my love and hugs as well.

Joanne Hinch