Around the World

I started this blog with the hope that in sharing from my heart about my journey of grief, that others would feel encouragement in their own journey. Several of you have shared comments with me that you are being encouraged and blessed.  I appreciate your comments very much.  

I was nine years old and attending church camp.   There were several furloughing missionaries there to speak to us of their experiences of ministering in far away lands.  I felt very strongly, even at that young age, that God was calling me into foreign missions.

At the age of 19, I married a young man who felt he had been called to pastor.  I thought that perhaps this was how God wanted me to minister, to serve alongside him.  At one point during our ministry we applied to the Foreign Mission Board, but we were denied.  

And life went on, as life has a way of doing.  I experienced first hand the unexpected harshness and pain of divorce after 23 year of marriage.  I eventually remarried and we adopted 6 beautiful children.  Two are African American, two are Mexican, one is one quarter Apache, one quarter African American, one quarter Mexican and one quarter Caucasian (wow) and one is Caucasian.  We look like a meeting of the United Nations when we go places together and I have been asked if I run a day care.  People can't quite figure our family out.  

One thing I have learned from these precious children, is that no matter what our backgrounds, no matter what culture we come from, no matter what color our skin is, we all have the same basic desire and need - to love and to be loved for who we are.   

I never dreamed when I started this blog less than a month ago, that it would be read by people all around the world!  There are readers and/or followers not only in the US, but also in Russia, the UK, Germany, France, the Netherlands, Israel, the Philippines, Venezuela, India, Mexico, China, Vietnam, the Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, and the Czech Republic.  I wonder, if all along, this is what God had planned for me to do.  It doesn't matter where we live, what our nationality is, whether we are male or female, loss and pain comes to all of us!  And we are all in need of unconditional love.  

When you take time to share this link, whether with one person, or everyone on your Facebook page, or in your Google circles, you are sharing your love and concern and you too are being instruments of God's love.

I say with all sincerity that I am truly blessed to have all of you taking this journey with me!  Show kindness and love to someone today remembering all the while, that there is

Sunshine After the Storm
Blessings
Betsy

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