Thursday evening, August 31, 2023, the call comes as I’m getting out of my truck to walk the sidelines of a high school football game. “Mom is in the emergency room with blood clots in both legs!” Forty-one days later on October 10th mom is discharged from the hospital to a nursing home. During these 41 days, she has blood clots removed from right leg and during procedure doctors discover a stint in her left leg that was inserted incorrectly, from a former procedure. In an attempt to regulate and control possible stroke implications meds were administered that caused slight, although concerning, internal bleeding. Blood transfusions were a regular part of treatment every few days. She developed immunities to the blood transfusions and began to require a highly specialized and processed blood. Two weeks into stay, she, my father, older brother and younger sister tested positive for Covid. As she approached what we thought would be a discharge date, blood work came back with elevated enzymes. Once diagnosed she was rushed into emergence surgery late one evening to have her gall bladder removed. During these days of trying to minister to mom, dad and brother, my sister had her husband to care for her and trying to maintaining ministry to athletes and coaches, I became tired and drained! On Thursday afternoon October 12th, after an extremely emotional day with mom at the nursing home, I was driving to Ore City for a football game. As I drove, I was having a heart to heart with my Heavenly Father. I was expressing my tiredness and my desire to go home rather than go to the game. I asked for strength to be an encouragement to the team, to be used by Him and for safety to get home after the game. As only God can do, He allowed me to see His activity through five deep Gospel Conversations with coaches and one direct ministry opportunity with an athlete. As I drove home after the game, the Holy Spirit ministered to me by reminding me of Paul’s words in 2 Corinthians 12:10, “Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ’s sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong.” God is always at work around us! It is our job, in relationship with Him, to see where He is working and join Him. I pray you relate, rely and rejoice in Jesus today!