Two years ago, two lives were changed. Two lives forever connected and impacted by the Lord’s faithfulness. A gift was sacrificially given. A personal and family sacrifice so a fuller life could be lived. Multiple families have been impacted as stories of the Lord’s faithfulness are shared. Legacies being built one story at a time. 

June 16 was the 2-year anniversary of my kidney transplant. My life changed that day. But the journey to transplant is where the story begins. The journey is where I encountered God in the ordinary.

My journey had physical and emotional ups and downs. Days where I was too physically exhausted to do much more than binge watch a show. Other days I didn’t have the emotional band width to hold a conversation. The waiting for a kidney donor seemed endless. And for a period of time, I felt as if God was so very silent. 

One morning I was too tired to read my bible and no longer knew what to pray. My daily practice of spending time with Jesus wasn’t working. I couldn’t focus and I was frustrated God felt silent.

Has God ever felt silent to you?

I remember the day clearly. My shrugged shoulders, my foggy mind and my racing thoughts. It was all too much. Instead, I choose to lay down and sleep. It was the best thing I could have done. My body surrendered to the rest it needed.

When I awoke, my body was relaxed, my mind clear and I had an overwhelming sense of peace. It was a holy moment. God had refreshed my soul in the stillness of my sleep. I felt Him saying:

That day God opened a corner of my heart that had been closed off. I began to recall His past faithfulness in my life. Through health battles, family changes, moves, raising children, developing friendships, the list could go on. He had been faithful.

God’s past faithfulness is an encouragement for our future struggles and a legacy for future generations.

I also began to encounter His presence in the ordinary places of my life. Life around me took on a new brilliance. The sunsets began bursting with bright new colors, the waves on the lake reminding me of God’s power and I saw Him creativity in the smallest details. I began to see Him in my husband’s smile, the hug of a friend, and I especially began to see Him through the eyes of my grandchildren as they discovered the world around them.

Today I share with you Jesus’ faithfulness not because He answered my prayer for a kidney donor, but because He walks beside us every day. No matter what we are going through He is faithful. He is faithful in the waiting, in life’s challenges, when we can’t “feel His presence,” when we’re mad at Him, when we don’t feel like praying, when we skip reading our bibles—He is faithful. He is faithful and present whether we recognize Him or not. 

June 16, 2020, will always be a special day for me. A day my donor and I treasure. Kristina and I have experienced His faithfulness in our lives. We’ve both been transformed by the journey to transplant. We know and trust He will continue to see us through anything else that comes our way. 

Our faith and love for Jesus has grown. We have a new appreciation for the life He’s gifted us. And our story is a legacy of His faithfulness that has impacted our family and friends. We are truly blessed to be daughters of the Lord and sisters in Christ. 

Be encouraged my friends, if God feels silent to you, know He is with you and you are with Him. Look up and around you, He is present. And as you experience Him in your life, share with others. Your story of His faithfulness is a legacy meant to be shared. Your story encourages us all!

“Lord, you are my God;
    I will exalt you and praise your name,
for in perfect faithfulness
    you have done wonderful things,
    things planned long ago”
Isaiah 25:1 

To read more stories of God’s faithfulness as I waited for the gift of a kidney donor CLICK HERE.