"PRECIOUS IN THE SIGHT OF THE LORD..."

"PRECIOUS IN THE SIGHT OF THE LORD IS THE DEATH OF HIS SAINTS..." (Psalm 116:15).

MEMORIES...AND HIS PLAN FOR EACH OF US...SURROUNDED BY, AND RESTING IN... GOD'S INTIMATELY-LOVING, BEYOND WHAT I COULD ASK FOR-PLAN!!!

My Birth Parents : Father- Taft Coker, and Mother Sara, both died in the year of my sixth birthday.

"Precious and Important in the sight of the LORD is the death of HIS saints..." (Psalm 116: 15).  This was SO IMPORTANT to GOD that HE had ALREADY planned my life BEYOND the tragic loss of my parents!!!  So I was adopted by my UNCLE JOE and AUNT WILLARD TAYLOR--- my Adoptive Parents!!!

During some of the later days of my Dear adoptive Mother, I TREASURED  the PRIVILEGE of spending 2 (Two) Fridays per month with Her. Mother then lived in an Assisted-Living Retirement Center, which was located about 35 miles from my home in Cleveland, Ga.

On those 2 Fridays each month, I would collect my Mother and drive her several miles south ("down the road") to her Hairdresser's Beauty Parlor.  I would leave her there, then I would drive about 1 (one) mile farther south, and park under the trees in the parking lot at New Hope Baptist Church.  As I sat there in my car, facing the highway, I spent the time reading the BIBLE, praying. and meditating on GOD and HIS WORD.

During those later years, Mother was gradually losing her ability to hear - so, as we rode up and down Mize road, I did not talk much, nor ask her any questions.  But Mother would talk to me, and sometimes she would tell me some things about my Birth Mother (Sara) that I did not already know.  (My Birth Mother and Adoptive Mother were Sisters).

During one of those trips driving down that road, my Dear Adoptive Mother told me that the house directly across the road from where I sat in my car and prayed...that was the First house in which my Birth Parents lived  after their wedding!!!

In all of those years (before the day that she told that to me)...I had been praying for that house and and for the families that lived there-----because 2 of my elementary school friends had lived in that house!

As I meditated on that...our LORD gave to me understanding that my  (Birth) Mother and Daddy probably prayed about their (future) children (my Sister Brenda and me) while they lived in that house!

Again, While I was parked at that same place---("down the road") to my left, about 1 (one) mile, is the church which I attended as a child and as an adult!

"Up the Road" (to my right from where I sat in my car, I could see the home of the Payne family.  Mr. and Mrs Payne had 2 (two) daughters, and because the members of that family were  my church friends---I had prayed for their Daughters from the time of their birth!  And Yes, because of GOD'S Faithfulness (2 Timothy 2:13) I continued to pray for the Payne girls into their adulthood.  NO ONE could have ever predicted how GOD would answer those prayers!!!

Stay with me now--- I am going to jump ahead... to some years later...My wife Mary and I have 2 (two) daughters (Katy and Carrie).  When Katy got married, she and her husband lived in Monroe, Ga. Therefore, Katy's Son (Chandler) attended both Elementary school and High School in Monroe, Ga.

While Chandler was attending elementary school... each year, the school  had a "GrandParents' Day",  On that day, we GrandParents could visit the school, meet our grandchildrens'  teachers, and visit their classrooms.  

When Mary and I attended "GrandParents' Day in Chandler's Second grade---We became aware that Chandler's Second grade teacher---was one of the daughters of the Payne family!!!  So, Chandler's Second Gade Teacher was a person that I *** (Chandler's GrandFather) had prayed for since she was born!!!*****

"And we KNOW that ALL THINGS work together for GOOD to those who are called according to HIS purpose."  (Roman's 8:28).

Definition: "Purpose", Strong's #4286 - The word suggests a Deliberate plan... an Advance Plan.  Our Salvation was not only well planned, but demonstrates GOD'S FAITHFULNESS"!!!

READ THE BIBLE REGULARLY!!!  PRAY OFTEN!!! THANK GOD!!! TRUST GOD!!!

HE Knows HIS plan that HE has for YOU!!! (Jeremiah 29:11).

  "JESUS CHRIST IS THE SAME!!! YESTERDAY, TODAY, AND FOREVER"!!!  (Hebrews 13: 8).

HE IS "OUR HOPE"!!!  (1 Timothy 1:1).

HOLY GOD'S FOREKNOWLEDGE**** C J...AND C J****

HOLY GOD'S FOREKNOWLEDGE AND WHAT HE CAN DO THROUGH HIS CHILDREN!!!!!!!!!  A PERSONAL EXPERIENCE!!!

"YOUR eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed.  And in YOUR book they all were written, the days fashioned for me, when as yet there were none of them. (In other words, GOD wrote down our every day before we were born!!!). 

"How precious also are YOUR thoughts to me, O GOD!!!"                                (Psalm 139: 16-17).

"Now to HIM WHO is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all we dare ask or think, according to the power that works in and through us...". (Ephesians 3:20/Amplified Bible).

First: Some background on our family members --- to make the story more clear, and easy to follow:

My wife Mary and I (Barry) have 5 grandsons. And we have two (2) Great-Grandchildren---who are Twins:  the boy ("C J"), and the lovely little girl ("Clover").  Also included in this Personal Experience are my youngest sister - Carole Jo, and Carole's husband - Bud.

Carole Jo is a very "tender-hearted" person.  When Mary and I found out that we were going to have GREAT-Grandchildren...I immediately called Carole Jo.  Carole Jo agreed to start praying for the twins immediately.

Because  C J and Clover were born early, they had to spend their first two months in the Newborn Intensive Care Unit (NICU).  Of course we all were eager to get them home so that we could hold them and love on them!!!

While C J and CLOVER were in the NICU our Daughter Katy, (Grandmother of C J and Clover), was able to take pictures of C J and Clover frequently...and she would send the pictures to the members of our family---so we could SEE the wonderful babies that we were all praying for---and all of us just fell in love with them!!!

By the time that the twins came home from the hospital; Carole Jo was staying at her home---taking care of her husband Bud while he was battling cancer... So she could not have the opportunity to hold and to "love on" the babies (that she had fallen in love with, and had prayed for thru the months.

A few months after C J and Clover came home from the hospital, they were strong enough to visit Mary and me here in our home in  Cleveland, Ga.  So I called Carole Jo to tell her that C J and Clover were going to be at our home on a certain day and time, and I invited her to join us!

Praise the LORD Carole Jo was able to get someone to stay with Bud for the afternoon, and she came and joined us in holding and "loving-on" C J and Clover!!!                                                      

At a certain time that afternoon, Carole Jo was holding C J---and you could see that Carole Jo's eyes were "brimming with tears" because of the JOY she was feeling at FINALLY getting  to hold C J and Clover!!!

When Carole Jo stood from her chair...she suddenly exclaimed..."C J is PATTING MY BACK!!!"

PRAYERFULLY, we came to understand that when we adults are comforting a crying baby---we hold them close to us...and pat them on their back --- So C J was comforting Carole Jo!!!!!!!!!

A few days later, I was sharing this story with my dear friend Jane, and Jane helped me understand... that GOD was comforting Carol Jo THROUGH C J !!!!!!!

As I thought and prayed about all this, the Holy Spirit brought to my remembrance the story in the Bible where GOD spoke to the Prophet Balaam...through a donkey!!!

We read in the Old Testament book of NUMBERS about Balaam - a Prophet of GOD. In this passage, Balaam was riding on his donkey while journeying to another country.  But Balaam was not planning to do what GOD had directed him to do.  When the trail led through a narrow place...three (3) times Balaam's donkey turned aside and would not go forward.  Balaam beat the donkey with his staff...            "...then GOD gave speech to the donkey...and HE spoke through the    donkey...then GOD helped Balaam see what was happening...The Angel of the LORD said to Balaam  "Go with the men...but you must say ONLY what I tell you..." (Numbers 22: 22-35).  [

[For the full story-Please DO read Numbers 22:22 thru Numbers 23:24.]

DO NOT stop reading yet--- HOLY GOD MOST HIGH  has a very      INTIMATELY TOUCHING finish to the story... A  few days later, Carole Jo told me that when (her husband) Bud wrote personal notes to HER that he addressed her as "C J"!!!  So HOLY GOD OUR FATHER (knowing that Carole Jo was taking care of Bud)---HE           comforted Carole Jo (C J) through baby C J !!!!!!!! 

"Blessed be the GOD and FATHER of our LORD JESUS CHRIST,      the FATHER of Mercies, and the GOD (WHO is the Source ) of every comfort (consolation and encouragement)".                                            (2 Corinthians 1:3/Amplified Bible).