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50~Blessings In Disguise
Words & Music by Ed King 5-10-01
Everything...that happens to me,
Is a blessing...though often in disguise.
Many things...that happen to me,
Appear at...first glance...to be a tragedy.
But "BLESSINGS IN DISGUISE" are nothing new,
They've been...around since the beginning of time.
Yes, "BLESSINGS IN DISGUISE" are nothing new,
And recognizing them...guarantees peace of mind (mine)
Everything...that happens to me,
Is a blessing...though often in disguise.
EVERYTHING...THAT HAPPENS TO ME,
IS A BLESSING...THOUGH OFTEN IN DISGUISE.
THOUGH OFTEN IN DISGUISE!
************************************************************
The words to this song came to me a few moments after my Auto Insurance Company informed me that my premium was going to be raised from $331 every 6 months to $1,312 every 6 months. (That will get your attention...if you are still on a low budget income) as I was at the time. That was before I was introduced to a company that doubled my money every 90 days for almost a year and then like the plant that shaded the prophet was cut down and disappeared this momentary blessing passed on to make room for more blessings.
Most recently I had built an online business to the point that on February 2, 2006 it was scheduled to start paying me $6,000 a month but then on February 1, 2006 STORMPAY, the Internet bank that was handling all of the funds froze all the money in the account. I am most certain that this too is ANOTHER BLESSING IN DISGUISE. Just you wait and see!
This is July 19,2008 and I was right again as I now am involved with 4 different internet companies all of which are paying me 20% a month on the money I have invested in the businesses...BUT MY FAITH IS NOT IN ANY OF THESE COMPANIES...MY FAITH REMAINS CENTERED AND FOCUSED ON GOD.
Now, back to my true story...
After taking a couple of gulps, I remembered that I had only one choice:
WHATEVER HAPPENS...BE GLAD IN THE LORD!
And so I immediately BE GLAD IN THE LORD...
As instantly, I was reminded that this had to be another
"BLESSING IN DISGUISE"
I do not know what lies over the next hill or around the next bend in the road...
But Jesus does...and I know that He does...and I also know that He IS looking out for me...and that He has EVERYTHING
under control.
Since I know that I love God...and am called according to His purpose, I know that all things, even this thing, as unpleasant AS IT MAY APPEAR TO BE at this present moment, yes, even this thing IS WORKING TOGETHER WITH OTHER THINGS FOR MY OWN GOOD.
July 19,2008 I didn't know what unpleasant really was until my wife of 62 years developed Altheimers and for almost a year now doesn't know who I am. I relish every moment we have together and some of them are very unpleasant but many othere are very sweet even if she doesn't know who I am. God knows my heart and our situation and how I long to see her mind restored BUT WHATEVER HAPPENS I WILL CONTINUE TO BE GLAD IN THE LORD for I know that he loves us and cares deeply for us...remember He died for us.
October 12,2008 7AM
Some thoughts concerning the passing of Mary Alice Hawker King, the love of my life and companion for the past 63 years plus! She went home to be with Jesus last evening on the 9th floor of Harborview Medical Center in Seattle Washington
My heart is breaking, but thank God He knows it. I praise Him for holding my heart in His hand and reminding me that He is thinking of me constantly and that He will never ever leave me. He is so faithful!
As I write these words the tears are flowing like a river, tears of joy because I know Jesus and I know that Mary now is seeing Him face to face realizing that the greatest thing in heaven is seeing Jesus face to face.
As song number 7 on my personal website says:
Eternity Can't Be Long Enough
http://www.originalgospelmusicbyedking.com
I will be receiving much comfort and consolation at this website in the remaining days of my life.
No one can ever fill the empty void in my heart but Jesus and He is doing that even as these words are flowing.
Song number 50 "Blessings In Disguise"
Reminds me that everything that happens to me is a blessing, though often in disguise and this blessing is certainly one of those which comes in a disgusie.
Mary's last week on earth began Saturday October 4,2008.
I had just taken 2 glasses of iced tea out to the enclosed patio where we have practically lived since we had it built some 3 years ago.
I originally referred to it as our little cruise ship as the fully glass enclosed room reminded me of the dining area on the cruise ships we sailed on back in the late 80's and early 90's.
I went back into the kitchen to finish preparing our lunch when our little 8 year old Yorkie came running into the kitchen indicating to me that something was wrong. I looked through the kitchen window to see Mary flalling her legs which I first thought to be exercising when I saw that she was slumped down in her chaise lounge. I ran out to find her making a continuous gourgling noise and not able to respond.
I immediately dialed 911 and then lived through 2 eternities, the five minutes or so that it took to hear the sirens and then another 5ive minutes or so that it took to see the emergency vehicles in the drive way.
I could never praise the response team enough. They were really great. I also learned a new appreciation for ambulance drivers.
As we neared the Hospital an attendent came forward and told me that Mary was responding and was coherent, which was thrilling to hear. She had had a seizure at home and shortly after reaching the hospital she had another one.
This last week was so very precious in so many ways. The most impressive to me was the day that the Neurology Dr. Standing at the side of the bed pointed to me standing a the foot of the bed and he asked Mary,"What is his full name? And Mary very deliberately said, "EDWARD.......HARMON....... KING...... JR"
That was such beautiful music to my ears as for the past year and a half she has been so confused as to who I was. She was constantly asking me both day and night, "Where is he? When is he coming home? Is he out at the base? And I would say, "Honey, I am he and I am right here with you." and she would say, "I mean the other one."
Although she just now passed away, she has really been gone forever it seems even though it's only been about a year and a half.
That's been so hard these many month's. I remember one day early one being out on the patio and breaking down crying and she sternly said, "What's wrong with you?" and I said, "I love you honey, I miss you so much and I want you back."
It was then I realized that she really didn't know what was going on and so I knew I could never do that again.
I decided to make the most out of a bad situation and began telling others that we were having more fun than anybody in town as we did a lot of hugging and hand holding even thought we didn't know who we were hugging and whose hands we were holding.
I've been saying that of all the women I have know in my 83 years that Mary is the funniest lady I have ever known and she never ceased to keep the Doctors and nurses in stitches by some of the off of the wall comments she would make.
Through out this last week of her life every time anyone would ask her what my name was she would emphatically say,
"EDWARD....HARMON..... KING..... JR" and then one day I was holding her arm under the cover and I asked her,
" Whose holding your arm and she said rather authoritatively, "You are" and I asked, "What's my name?" and there it came again,
"EDWARD....HARMON.... KING....JR" and so I have every reason to believe that something connected to the seizures made it so that during this last week she really knew that it was me and that I was there with her.
I remember praying a couple of days ago, "Lord, You know what I want even though I probably don't know, I think I know what I want, but I do know this Lord,
I want Your Will, not my will but Your will be done and as I pray this I know 3 things. I know that Your will is perfect, You will see me through it and You will never ever leave me."
I know that Mary was really suffering in the closing days, but as I would whisper in her ear "I love you" she would respond with, "I love you too"
That was so precious, but it was so hard that last day when I would whisper, "I love you" and she couldn't respond.
When I came home last night I opened my Bible and found Romans 5:1-5 staring me in the face.How precious the many precious promises found recorded in these few words.
So now, Since we have been made right in God's sight by faith in His promises,
We can have real peace with Him, because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us.
For because of our faith, He has brought us into this place of highest privilege where we now stand,And we confidently and joyfully look forward to actually becoming all that God has had in mind for us to be.
We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials for we know that they are good for us...they help us learn to be patient.
And patience develops strength of character in us and helps us trust God more each time we use it until finally our hope and faith are strong and steady.
Then when that happens, we are able to hold our heads high no matter what happens, and know that all is well,
FOR WE KNOW.......HOW DEARLY GOD LOVES US,
and we feel this warm love everywhere within us because God has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with His love.
I hope and pray that these words will impress upon you a new and greater appreciation of God and His great love and compasion for each one of us.
As I have been thinking of some of the blessings related to this worst experience of my life I realize what a blessing just the timimg has been. From our perspective there can never be a perfect time for the passing of one we love so dearly.
This calls to mind what I refer to as my "7 Point Jewel"
1. Far more valuable than gold in a vault,
2. Is the assurance in my heart,
3. Of the knowledge in my head,
4. That God is meeting all my needs,
5. According to His riches in glory,
6. By Christ Jesus,
7. At Just The RIGHT TIME!
This could have been last year this time when I was going through chemo- theraphy and totally washed out.
It could have been at a time when my son-in-law Rick, Teena's husband was not available he has been such a tremendous help to me.
And then I realized, I am 83 years old...This could have happend when I was 23 and Mary was 21...it does happen to a lot of young people, after all Mary lost both of her brothers when they were only 19.
Yes God has been so good to give us these 63 plus years together and even this last week of her life, the worst week of our journey here...
He filled that week with so many precious moments which I will treasure as long as I live.
NO ONE can have ANYTHING... unless God gives it to him.!
"WHATEVER HAPPENS" BE GLAD IN THE LORD...
Makes perfect sense, as usual, to the one who knows and IS living for Jesus.
And YES that day was also another one of those good days...
Another one of those full days...
Filled with God's blessings...
Full of His Love...
Love that IS flowing...
OUT FROM WITHIN!
Just like the day...that rainy December evening a few years ago when a ten ton truck ran a red light and totaled our van. The first thing I did when the van stopped spinning around was to start counting my blessings. That was some three years ago and I'm still counting...MY BLESSINGS...
I didn't realize at the time that the fact that our van was spinning around was indeed a blessing to be counted.
God always has the BIG PICTURE in mind...
God is not shortsighted as human nature seems to be...
And if we will spend enough time with God in His Word...
We will become rooted and grounded in His Word and then...
We too will always have the BIG PICTURE in mind...
It's still TRUE that God will keep him/her in PERFECT PEACE whose mind is stayed, fixed, focused on HIM!
And Now today October 17,2006 I will bring you up to date with my home based busines adventures all designed to be able to increase my favorite ministry giving.
This section will be brought up to date in the next couple of weeks...
WOW!Will miracles ever cease? The above 2 ventures have now been cut down by another pesky worm...BUT DO I THROW IN THE TOWEL AND QUIT? ABSOLUTELY NOT! Just yesterday July 23, 2007 I witnessed one of Tammy Faye Bakker's last interviews and I felt that I knew exactly where she was coming from as the tears flooded down my face...when you know JESUS...really know JESUS there is no giving up ever because JESUS will never leave you nor forsake you!
Just yesterday I underwent my 3rd Chemotherapy treatment of a scheduled 24 and I don't know where it is leading me but ONE thing I do know and that is JESUS IS WITH ME TO END AND HE IS THE ALPHA AND OMEGA THE BEGINNING AND THE END WITHOUT END!
Here is a little update on March 14, 2010.
I lived through the 24 Chemotherapy treatments with flying colors so to speak, without even one moment of nausea, what a Blessing that proved to be, at least I certainly thought so. Well, My Doctor's every 90 day check ups continued with little or no change in my condition and every thing appeared to be smooth sailing until I went into GOOD SAM HOSPITAL the first week of November 2009, where my kidneys failed and my Kidney Doctor used the D word DIALYSIS and I concluded, here we go again, PRAISE GOD from WHOM ALL BLESSINGS flow. We will see where this Blessing in Disguise is going to take us.
From that day in early November 2009 until 3 weeks ago I was on Dialysis 3 times a week, but three weeks ago my Kidney Doctor took me from 3 times a week to only ONCE
A WEEK. He told me that he rarely ever is able to do that.
Could it have something to do with "by HIS STRIPES I was healed" Any how, I am still CONVINCED that GOD can be TRUSTED and so I will continue trusting HIM from here on out knowing that many of HIS BLESSING come disguised as all kinds of scary things. But you can't fool me, I know that GOD LOVES ME, HE has proved it far too many times for me to ever doubt it again. Part of my daily marching orders is "BE ANXIOUS FOR NOTHING"
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