Dying to Meet Him: God Turned My Fumble Into a Touchdown
Gabrielle "Elle" Devenish, a 30-year-old single Christian woman, was told by doctors that she has 6 months to a year to live.
"My heart, lungs, bones and muscles have all deteriorated beyond repair, according to doctors. My white blood cell count continues to match that of a last-stage chemo patient and my electrolytes are always on the edge."
For Elle's full Bio, click here.
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Winning Touchdown Has Nothing on God's Touch
Originally posted February 6, 2012
So my pastor and his wife made me miss the last 10 minutes of the Super Bowl...
But I'm not upset at all. It's amazing how God can draw His people together through separate circumstances and emotions all for a totally different purpose that He intended all along. Whether those situations teach us something about ourselves, reveal more of Him, convict us or just add to the infinite examples of His goodness, every time it happens I look up and say, whoa, that was a God thing!
Sundays are usually hard for me. No nurses or visitors come and my family is usually away. On a day that used to be full of Christian fellowship, I'm often left feeling lonely.
Besides that, this particular Sunday I was especially feeling lonesome – no one to watch the Super Bowl with, plus I was frustrated about two things. First, I was distracted about a friend who was getting defensive and voicing her hurt by complaining about the pastor and the church. I don't like being the middleman between two parties if there's an issue – I won't gossip and I don't take sides. A conversation I had with this friend yesterday left me speechless and flummoxed.
So I was sitting on that, plus I was frustrated that I wasn't able to drive myself anywhere, like to the store. I really wanted to just run up to the local supermarket and hit the salad bar, but I couldn't get there, obviously. Which made me lament yet again (I was verging on the whiny) all the freedoms and privileges I lost when I lost the ability to drive.
Bored, feeling sorry for myself and unsettled on how to deal with my friend, I called up the pastor's wife and asked her to bring me a salad. "I'll pay you for it and a delivery charge," I vowed. But she was more than willing not just to pick up a salad, but to make a large homemade one and drop it by. Though I thought nothing of it at the time, I think she sensed my loneliness.
So the pastor and his wife dropped by with the salad, and we ended up visiting for more than an hour, I believe. We were able to talk and pray about everything that had been on my mind lately. Their grace and love overwhelmed me, and God just really used them to reveal His peace to me.
God convicted me once again of my tendency to be controlling, and I asked the couple to forgive me for taking advantage of their love by asking for something as silly as a salad. While they weren't upset with me, I know that I shouldn't have asked them to go out of their way.
But God used the negative of my sin to bring me closer to my pastor and his wife, and to keep my controlling in check.
I've often overlooked the importance of fellowship, as I am a naturally independent person who tends to isolate herself (that's a part of anorexia). I take for granted the love and grace we can find in another person's company.
I learned just how precious that could be yesterday.
God turned my fumble into a touchdown – a touch from Him.
Support Elle Devenish here.
Check back with CP soon for more updates on Elle's condition in "Dying to Meet Him."
