Hello!
Little did we know
when the year began what all would transpire in the following months. Maybe the
backed up sewer on Christmas Day should have warned me, huh? As if a world pandemic with the covid virus
was not enough to cope with, politicians, government officials, and
"experts" all had to stick their fingers in the pie too with rules
and regulations- one month masks were absolutely necessary and then a couple
months later it wasn't as bad as first thought so masks weren't required. Back
and forth we went often not knowing who to believe. It seems the more initials
behind some people's names and higher education the less common sense they
have. Now we are finishing the year with a presidential election overrun with
fraud as truth battles against evil; light against darkness.
The good news is
that God hasn't changed and He is still in charge! Despite divided opinions on
what our right to freedom constitutes, we are still all Americans. As long as
we have clothes to wear, food on the table, and a roof over our heads we are
blessed. We survived tornadoes that
touched down here in Tennessee, toilet paper, cleaning & disinfectant
items, milk, (even canning supplies) shortages as people panicked. Meanwhile God supplied our needs month by
month.
As wild rumors spread
about the virus, spring arrived like always with birds building nests, green
shoots poking their head out of the ground, forming slender buds, and then
blooming. There is nothing to ground one like digging in the earth, planting
seeds, and watching them grow. Even
though businesses and churches shut down, the hummingbirds came back like usual
and my one white duck tried to sit on some eggs to hatch. Although she didn't
succeed, my chickens daily laid their lovely brown eggs while we battled a wild
fox trying to snatch them out of our yard. I still have thirteen hens with Tex
guarding the livestock.
Then our vehicle
quit on us leaving us stranded one June Sunday morning. I kept busy harvesting
fresh veggies from the garden and canning while Dwight and Johnny tried to get
it up and running again. I was very thankful to get my vehicle back as driving
a strange vehicle is nerve racking, especially having to drive long distances
for doctor appointments for Dana. God kept us safe in all our travels.
This summer I
hatched out Monarch butterflies for the first time and much to my excitement
saw them lay eggs on my milkweed plants, which grew into large caterpillars,
and then hatched out to gorgeous butterflies. No matter how stressed I felt,
every time I went to my garden to harvest veggies my spirits lifted as honey
bees buzzed, hummingbirds darted back and forth, colorful butterflies fluttered
among the flowers, and birds chirped and sang.
Even though we
were slowed down at times throughout the year with a shoulder bleed, a couple
falls- one resulting in a hand and knee bleed,, we are still on our feet. My
brain cells stay active keeping everything running while giving Dana more care
as his physical strength diminishes and his dementia increases. Right now we
are battling keeping his oxygen level even.
I’m thankful
Dwight is with us as he is such a big help. Regardless of one bad shoulder
bleed that sidelined Dwight one month, overall his strength has increased and
he is able to work in his workshop most days and hang out at Johnny’s body shop
every so often. Dwight finally got the old 1966 truck up and running he has
been working on for years. Seeing the big smile on Dwight’s face as he drove it
up and down the road was cause for rejoicing- particularly after the big scare
he gave me burning his hand and chest working on the ratty thing a couple of
months before. My artistic son also loves designing and making knives in his
spare time, which is not my idea of an ideal hobby for a person with severe
hemophilia.
The biggest family
news is that Dawn and Randy feel called to do missionary work in the
Philippians. They sold their house without even advertising it and downsized
majorly- and are now living with Judy (Randy’s mother) right down the road.
They originally planned to go to the Philippians this past spring with a couple
other preachers, but that was put on hold when everything shut down. They have
their passports and all shots needed to go overseas so are just waiting for the
door to open- probably sometime in January. Meanwhile Annette graduated high
school and will stay with Judy as Randal died this summer from complications of
the virus. Annette also has a steady boyfriend to help keep her stateside. It’s
amazing how quickly life can change. Instead of a two week trip as previously
planned, Dawn and Randy will now go with Katie and William and stay for a
couple of months. Their conference has agreed to fund them as they find a
location on an island at a small town from where they can reach out and
minister in the surrounding areas.
It certainly is a
big adjustment for our family and has given me a lot to pray about as my
biggest concern is Dawn’s health- she got pneumonia in both lungs this past
summer when the family all got the covid virus- and from previous bouts with
her lungs, not to mention the thought of my grandchildren going so far away. We
know that God has a plan for them. We just have to trust Him as He opens doors
for their ministry.
We come to the close of another year thankful for God’s guidance and strength. Knowing how He has kept us through these past months gives us faith for the future.
We wish
you all a blessed Christmas season and a Happy New Year!
Dorcas
