Author Janet S. Grunst |
Janet:
In the fall of 1993 my world came crashing down when my husband announced he was leaving me and our two sons. There had been no warning signs. Shock, despair, and anxiety for the future continued in the weeks and months to come. But I also knew that the Lord would see us through all that faced us.
I clung to Joshua 1:9 “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”
I would never want to relive all the trauma and health crisis of that decade, but I am so grateful to have experienced how God manifested His presence, power, provision and protection in it.
1. I prayed for wisdom and guidance in how to respond to my husband, my sons and to the circumstances and choices ahead.
~ God gave me an unbelievable composure and the words whenever I needed them. It was all God’s work.
2. I asked God for the truth of why my husband was leaving.
~ God provided a miraculous and unexplainable phone call with the answer.
3. In despair I cried out to God.
~ God provided clergy, and godly friends to counsel, pray for, and support each of us, a family who included us at holidays and other times, friends who sent things and showed up unexpectedly at crucial moments.
4. I asked the Lord for godly men to mentor my sons.
God sent men from the church to take them to sporting and to Promise Keepers events.
5. I prayed for professional help of his choosing for our family
~ God provided a wonderful Christian Counselor and later a Christian lawyer
6. I traveled many miles each day to get my sons to their schools with only two hours of sleep each night. I asked God for protection for my health and travel needs.
~ For eight years I never got sick. He kept me alert and saved us from a head-on accident with a large van in a completely unnatural way. Later, a friend I hadn’t seen in years who witnessed it, called to tell me she had seen angels protecting our car.
7. I prayed God would provide a job, if at all possible working in ministry.
~ The Lord provided me with a job at the ministry I’d been serving in as a volunteer for the previous twenty years. I could even continue to attend a CBS class.
8. I asked the Lord to find a purchaser for our home and for an affordable home closer to church and schools.
~ God provided all of that, and eleven to move us on the Friday after Thanksgiving, a day they had off work and should have been spent with their families. Before they left, they gathered and prayed peace for us and blessings on our new home. Two girlfriends provided lunch for them. A stressful, emotional move was transformed to a time of intense humility and gratitude to God and His servants.
“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” Jeremiah 29:11-13
“Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.” James 1:2-3, 12
Bio: Janet worked in banking or ten years and as a freelance writer for two regional publications. After taking a break to raise her children, she worked for an international ministry, Community Bible Study, most recently as the Executive Assistant for the Executive Director. She continues to serve as a leader in her local Community Bible Study class and in her church. She resides in the Historic Triangle of Virginia with her husband and West Highland White Terrier.
Janet Grunst can be found online at:
http://JanetGrunst.com
http://colonialquills.blogspot.com/ https://twitter.com/janetgrunst
CFP: Thanks so much, Janet for visiting with us and sharing your testimony of God's provision! http://JanetGrunst.com
http://colonialquills.blogspot.com/ https://twitter.com/janetgrunst
Giveaway: We're giving away a copy of Janet's debut novel A Heart Set Free from Smitten Historical Romance (a division of Lighthouse of the Carolinas) to one lucky guest. Please leave a comment to enter!