Post 13.5. I didn’t post # 12 just yet
I read today that Mercury is in retrograde. I have a ‘mental mentor’ that sends me assistance… mentally you know. Duh. Today it was the explanation of what I was feeling from an astrological standpoint. Mercury is the ruling planet of Gemini (me). And its in retro-grade. Sounds exactly how I feel… 😬 Now, some of you might say… but you’re about to quote scripture how then can you believe in astrology?? I believe God created both. And I’m happy to go there another day. 🙂 During the reading about retrograde it also said…lemme quote
What caught me tonight is the last line. Coincidences can be extraordinary. Think about that. What does that mean? Well. I don’t think it was coincidence that I caught the beginning of the episode about The Legendary Dale Earnhardt. Now I’m gonna insert my Facebook post to catch you up… for those without the space book my daddy would say. Yes, he really thought that was what it was called.
“Yall can either call me redneck or crazy or both. I have so much to say about this. But yes I’m from near Bristol and when I was 18 or 19 I went to my 1st Bristol race. Way before the stands. When Winston cigarettes could still sponsor major sporting events and it was still cool. When it was Bristol International Raceway. Back when it was concrete bleachers like at little league. Andrea Wilde & Jeff Goebel maybe Jeff Lowe ? went. Andrea made brisket. We walked up the hill from the grass parking and hell I’m not even sure we had tickets. That was the 1st time I saw Dale Earnhardt race. It was really incredible. I know this will sound so… nascar- but he was such a legend. I remember when he died and I was truly sad. Ok… the most nascar thing I can say is “I quit watching racing that day”🤪 I was so fascinated and saddened I learned everything I could about his death.
Jump forward to tonight. I flip through the channels and see autopsy… the last hours of Dale Earnhardt. This was the 1st time I read about the scripture. If you can find the program… watch it.
I guess today after my blog post~I needed to see God. You cannot make up Dales story. More later…. but for now- come see God with me. Read the story. ✝️ love yall..#3😉” Then I added this link:
https://www.beliefnet.com/entertainment/books/2004/09/duct-tape-and-the-word.aspx
I believe there was more message there than coincidence. Message For Me. Maybe I’m a widow and I grasp at straws. Or maybe. I believe. When I felt the Holy Spirit descend upon me the day after I lost Jake… it was as real as you & me. I’ll never ever forget the feeling. I could’ve chosen to believe I was a devastated mother grasping at straws or I could choose to share the extraordinary event with everyone who would listen to me. That’s what I did. And you know what? They believed. They saw no coincidence or grasping mother. They believed. And so was reborn… born… discovered… tested… my real ~~Faith~~. Jake was,unbeknownst to me until later that he is resting now… in the Garden of Faith. Coincidence? Not a chance. Everything became about my Faith. It was a pivotal word on that journey. In a time that no parent can ever conceive nor ever should HOW in the world can faith grow? How can God not have changed this? FAITH.
I find it absolutely critical during this time of grief to find the extraordinary ‘coincidences’. I got daily visits from a red bird when it was absolutley critical for me to understand. I had NEVER before been visited specifically by a Cardinal. Could it be explained away that I had nothing but time to sit and look out the window? Probably. But it wasn’t until after the visits became uncanny and downright OBVIOUS that I read that other people experienced the same. Then my mother had the MOST extraordinary event… another day again😉. The world cannot understand. BUT Faith can. We become so accustomed to the WORLD around us that we don’t see sometimes. Retrograde. A time to reflect on the past…6 months today (the 28th) another coincidence? Extraordinary. I had no idea until just now as a matter of fact.
I just find it ‘extraordinary’ the things that occurred the day of Dale’s death. The LAST LAP of THE DAYTONA 500?? In his entire career he only won Daytona ONCE in 1998. 2 years after he won he was blocking the sea of drivers behind him to assure his teammates (and son) victory lane that race when it seemed so clear he was deliberately fighting for that -when he could’ve Intimidated his way to another victory without a doubt. The last lap. He died on the LAST HALF OF THE LAST lap of a 500 mile race. He was almost home! His son ahead of him. Doing what he loved the most. Sound familiar? I have more to go with that another day… the coincidence but I want you to find the extraordinairies today. Then the scripture.
The name of the LORD is a strong tower;
the righteous run to it and are safe.
–Proverbs 18: 10
“Dale Earnhardt was at peace with himself and the world on February 18, 2001. Darrell Waltrip would later recall how Earnhardt told him before the running of the 2001 Daytona 500, “I’m the happiest I’ve ever been in my life”, in an article by Kyle Dalton on sportscasting.com. And one last thing… Dale said, ‘If I ever get killed in a race car…I don’t want nobody crying and moaning and groaning… It’s what I love to do, and don’t worry about it,’” Marlin said. “That’s the way Earnhardt was, and when he buckled that seatbelt Sunday, he knew anything could happen.”
I’m going to leave it here today. But on a day that I was feeling particularly… retrograde… I have again been given so many things in guidance. So after my earlier post and the events occurring since I posted… I have come to a peaceful realization. Had I not maneuvered this day in the manner in which I did, what would I have taken away from it? That I was productive and took my truck to the dump and emptied it? I was given this day to reflect. I was where that stone had meant for me to be. To absorb what was around me. To see the extraordinary. To pray. A lot. To stop on a story about a man I had so much respect for because of who he was as a man not having ANY idea the impact it was about to have on me… profoundly ( more on that later too😉). I had not realized today was a milestone. 6 months. Your soul knows, friends. Your body knows.
Lastly, I must share once again the best advice I’ve yet been given on grief. “If you let your body lead you… it will tell you what you need.” We have to learn to forgive ourselves when we cannot keep up with our “before” selves. When we see others doing things we just cannot today. For most… life will keep going. For us… on this side… the cold, hard fact is our lives will never be the same. But……………… my bereaved…… it will be better again. One day. It will. FAITH. Look for the extraordinary. If you can see it then you were chosen to. But you have to get out of the world. Even on the most perfect, beautiful, breezy, 75 degree day in the green, rolling hills of East Tennessee. Extraordinary coincidences.
Thanks for joining another thought so quickly but I could not rest without sharing. Peace be with you friends. Be well. Love, JHW+
Previously Letters to Linda 