We have had some tentants in one of our rental properties that we have grown to love. Jerome has ministered to them for 2 years. They are a precious little family. They have 2 girls that are 3 and 4 and an 8 month old baby, Conner. Conner was born with a bad liver. He has been VERY sick all of his little life. He has been on a transplant list. He finally got his transplant a few days ago.
On Jerome's way home from collecting rent a few nights ago he had this time with God. He said the only way he could describe it is that he felt a pure lust for Conner to be healed. He wanted it so badly. He desperatley wished he had the power to make it happen. He was overwhelmed with this desire.
Then he stopped by another one of our properties. The guy who manages these particular units for us told Jerome he had rented an upstairs unit to a single mom with 4 kids. Her kids' dad is in prison. One of her kids is a boy in a wheel chair. She wheels her son up and down the stairs. He said he felt an overwhelming desire to go meet her...minister to her. He felt this pure lust again to help her know and understand God's love for her. He wanted to move her to a unit that cost more but was not upstairs and pay the difference in her rent. He decided he couldn't help everyone. He was limited by his time and money. As he was walking back to his car her and two of her daughters came down the stairs. He talked to them for a few minutes.
When he got in his car and started driving home he felt the pure lust he described again. God showed Him that this is what He feels for the world. He wants all men to have His peace and joy despite their financial or physical circumstances. Like Jerome is limited by his time and money...God is limited by man's free will. He will not force us to let Him in. He will pursue...He will break us...but He will not force.
He has a pure lust for us to be made spiritually whole in Him.
Conner's body rejected the liver. Yesterday they gave Him a week to live. This evening they took Conner off of life support and he passed away. Henry and Jodi (his parents) are sick with grief. We are sick with grief. Jesus is grieving with us all.
Jerome is at the hospital. A life group that has been ministering to them for months is there as well. Pray they see God's love thru people...thru His peace and comfort.
Pray that they know, despite Conner passing away, that He is good. Pray for them to see God working all things together for good in all of this.
He loves this family and has a pure lust for them to know His love deep in their inner being.
12 comments:
Oh, Shanna, you and Jerome will never know the depths of what you have done for this family. They would be on the streets without you. You guys are just the purest form of what Jesus looks like. I love you and pray that God blesses you in amazing ways for what you do. I pray we can reach this family and they can know what we know. Thank you so much sweet friend. For your selflessness and for your example.
Shanna, I'm just aching inside. Absolutely heartbroken.
Can I still pray for a miraculous healing? I'm gonna cuz I'm like that.
Shanna- hope you and Jerome can get some rest today- I'm sure you are worn out physically and emotionally. My heart goes out to this couple on many levels. I can't imagine the grief. To know that God loves us more than we love our own children is just unbelievable, because we love our children SO much!
Deleise...I am so happy God has given us the rental properties so we can help others with them. Well...Jerome does all the helping and I do the praying. We will all keep loving on the Winersmith's together...you play a key role! Thank you for your strong love for them!
Cindy...I realized by your comment I wasn't clear so I changed the wording in the blog. Once they took him off life support he immediately passed away. Life support was all that was keeping him alive. We prayed for healing up until the very last moment and then worshipped God even though he didn't not answer our prayer for healing...
Christi...It was a hard night. I got to the point where I didn't even know what to pray. I just worshipped and asked Jesus to pray for me. I feel His peace today...I hope Henry and Jodi do. Isn't His love unfathomable...I hope they know He is good.
Shanna, my heart is just breaking. Last night, I had not been on the computer all day so I didn't know anything that was going on with Conner but around 9:00pm I just really felt in my heart that the Lord had taken/was taking Conner home, and I had such a burden to pray for the family.
6 years ago my cousin's daughter (she had just turned one) drowned in a bucket of pine-sol water. She was at children's for 3 weeks before my cousin was able to have the strength to take her off life support. I prayed and prayed and prayed that God would heal that precious baby. Jonathan and I spent hours at the hospital ministering to her and my family, who no one is saved. I never in my life felt as heartbroken as I did the day she died. My cousin was a young mom, 19 at the time and not saved. Going to the funeral was so hard, I was 9 months pregnant with Seth at the time. My heart longs for Conner's family to know Jesus, to know His love! ANd so that someday they can spend eternity with Conner. I have been praying and will continue to pray. I cannot make it to the funeral b/c that is the day of my sister's custody trial and I will be out of town. Do they need help with funeral expenses? THis was a huge hardship on my cousin. Please let us know if there is anything we can do to help.
So thankful the Lord placed ya'll in their life. How awesome is his timiing.
Donna...Thank you for your prayers. How sad for your cousin!!!! They do need help with funeral expenses. We are letting people give thru OASIS so they can get tax credit. Jerome was just saying today how amazing it is that God gave him a heart for the Wintersmith's and then they ended up having a sick baby. He has a plan to love them into eternity with Him!
You guys are AMAZING! I love the analogy of "lust". Praying extra strength for you all today and this week and that this family would just feel the peace and love of God's presence. What a difficult thing to go through. I'm so glad they have you!
Oh Shanna. I am so in awe of what God is showing you and Jerome. I also just pray for this little family. Thank you for sharing this insight. I too have had feelings like what Jerome descibed and I didn't know what to do with them now. This helps me know how to pray. I love you both so much.
Shanna! My heart just breaks for their family, your faimly, and all close friends! I know its soo hard losing one you love deeply! I'm constantly praying for hope and peace. i love you!
I don't even know what to say. I am praying that they turn to God. This is such a great loss, and I can't even begin to imagine the pain that they're feeling. I'm so glad that they are blessed to have you and Jerome in their lives. I'm sure that they would be in a very different place right now. I will see you Friday.
words can't do justice what i want to say or pray...interceeding spiritually. hugs and love,
Robin...Thank you for your prayers.
Cristy...I know you will be praying :)
Jenny...I am happy you can make the funeral!
Sherri...Thank you for praying!
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