I have been unable to attend church for over two years due to my arthritis. I can get around okay, however I am unable to sit on the pews and I can’t sit on the folding chairs in Sunday School. Dr. Ling ordered a wheelchair for me but I was unable to sit on that either because of the pain. So I returned the wheelchair.

It is not right to continue using Medicare money for the wheelchair when I am unable to use the wheelchair. There are times that I have to get up from my office chair in my office at home and go sit in my recliner because of the pain.

I am not the only one who has had this experience. Over the last three and a half years, I have received several emails from people who also requested someone from the churches in their area to either call them or come visit them, but nobody called or visited.

I have to admit, Pastor Traylor, that I allowed satan to put bitterness and resentment in my heart over the situation. However, one day God spoke to my heart and told me that I needed to forgive instead of harboring bitterness and resentment in my heart because nobody called me or came to visit me. I asked God to forgive me and He was very compassionate and understanding. He forgave me. I ask you, Pastor Traylor, to please forgive me for the negative thoughts I had about Olive Baptist Church.

My heart is very sad right now as I read on your blog about Jean Rea going home to be with Jesus. While I am so glad that she is with our precious Saviour, I will miss her so very much. She is the only person on earth who really understood me. She made this remark to me several years ago. At the time, I really didn’t understand what she meant. She said “Joanne, you can work but you can’t work.”

I finally realized what she meant and she was so right! What she was telling me is that I could work physically but I couldn’t work emotionally. Up to that day, I had constantly allowed satan to discourage me and make me feel guilty because I was unable to work most of my life. Thank God that I can work for Him now and that He trusts me enough to give me the ministries of encouraging pastors and writing daily devotions.

Thank God that one day the Saviour of the world came to me when I couldn’t go to Him. My precious Saviour put His arms of compassion and understanding around me. He drew me close to His heart of unconditional love and whispered softly and tenderly in my ear “I love you, Joanne. I will never leave you.” I count it a great joy and honor to have the privilege of writing daily devotions for Him. What a friend! What a Saviour, this Jesus of Nazareth! There is no friend like Jesus. No one loves us like our Heavenly Father and our precious Saviour loves us. All hail, King Jesus! Worthy is the Lamb of God!!

In His Service,
Joanne