Recently, I saw a YouTube video in which an 8-year-old boy sang “I Will Sing of the Goodness of God.” It was so beautiful! It got me thinking about the times in my life when I had special blessings from the Lord, so I started listing them:
1944-46: My sister and I stayed at Grandpa and Grandma’s while Daddy was in the service so Mom could work full-time. Grandpa loved me unconditionally and let me follow him everywhere. His love showed me what God is like.
I949: A Sunday School teacher looked me in the eyes and said “Jesus Loves YOU!” Then we learned the “Jesus Loves Me” song.
1952: Jesus whispered to me, “I want to be personal to you, too. Do you say “yes” or “no”? I said “yes.”
1953: My parents bought me an accordion, which I knew they couldn’t afford. I felt this proved theirs and God’s love for me. I wanted to play gospel music like the Palermo Brothers, so took lessons and practiced often.
1954-1961: God helped me do well in school. I enjoyed many Christian activities like SS, Church, Religious instruction, Luther League (and LL Conventions), Bible Camp every summer, and of course Bible reading and study from the Bible Grandma and Grandpa gave me in 1952.
1962: God lovingly yet firmly dealt with me about an unholy infatuation while I was in nurses’ training.
1964: After graduation, I got married—one of the happiest days of my life.
1966-1972: I had the privilege of leading Bible Studies in my home. We adopted Anji in 1968 and Toby in 1970.
1975: AFTER PRAYING FOR ELEVEN YEARS THAT I WOULD GET PREGNANT, I FINALLY DID!
1976: Joshua Paul was born in January 1976. All our children were and are special blessings from God.
1972-1979: We moved from Montana to Washington, and again I was privileged to lead Bible Studies in our home. I also taught piano lessons.
1979: In the midst of heartache, God gave me the gift and desire to become a freelance writer. I took a correspondence course and began to sell. He helped me with that and I wrote monthly devotionals for the church for 18 months.
(1977-1981): I prayed for five years that God would heal my husband’s depression and our marriage. I didn’t sense God’s blessings much during that time, except once in 1980 when Jesus seemed to sing to me and guided me to write the song, “Comfort.” (See YouTube: Judith Vander Wege/Comfort). This greatly encouraged me and helped me hold on for another year.
1981-1984: I was in turmoil and a crisis of faith after divorce and a wrong relationship. But Jesus gave me a vision in 1983, letting me know he loved me.
1984: I had to go through another divorce (this time from an abusive relationship). But meanwhile, God had led me into the Old Testament book of Isaiah to teach me and to rescue me from being “robbed and plundered and trapped in holes with no one to rescue” (Isaiah 42:22). His mercy astounded me.
1985-1986: God began healing my emotions.
1986-2003: God blessed me with another husband—first with a dream indicating it was ok to marry him.
1992: God enabled me to minister to my dying father and help him regain spiritual peace.
2000: When my colon burst (after a hysterectomy), I was in ICU for five days, then many more days in another room, then another surgery. I was blessed by so many people in the church who showed love to me! That made it a Blessing.
2003: When my husband died of cancer, I was blessed to know he had recommitted his life to Christ and would go to heaven.
2006: God blessed me with another husband who loved the Lord and me. The Lord sustained me through his illnesses and then his death in 2022.
There were other blessings I didn’t recognize at the time. But these were the ones I especially connected with God’s love. I praise and thank the Lord for all these blessings, including the grace that is sufficient for every day.
Happy Thanksgiving everybody. Please respond and tell me of your blessings.
Judith Vander Wege
Leave a Reply