THE HURRICANE
They are not completely dressed. We are still waiting. But they asked me to take their picture anyway because they are so excited to meet their forever family. These bears have been called by Jesus himself. Awhile back I woke up one morning and God said “ Operation Teddy Bear”. And I haven’t stopped since. Hurricane Helene did not just destroy homes, businesses, churches, grocery stores, roads. It brought trauma to the children…because some of them have lost one or more of their parents, siblings, animals. This was confirmed from the woman I spoke with and a cowboy pastor ( more about him later!) God was specific that I was to send teddy bears with the message “ Jesus (with a heart) Me to a town called Marshall, North Carolina. I looked on YouTube for Marshall, North Carolina…It was essentially wiped out. After hundreds of calls a woman who heard from another person that a woman from Sun City AZ had a message from God. And the message was this “ I haven’t forgotten you. I love you. These bears will bring you comfort and a reminder that in the midst of all your sadness I will bring you through the pain and to a place of JOY..your new home will look different but you will find Me there”. I cried myself when I heard this message. This message could also be for you. Are you in need of comfort? Have you lost someone or something? Have you forgotten the love God has for you because of your circumstances? I can assure you He hasn’t. How? Because if God can chose a semi-retired woman all the way from AZ to send teddy bears to Marshall, North Carolina, He can move any obstacle or mountain in your life…to bring you HOPE, PEACE, JOY, COMFORT. Your life may look different than what you had envisioned but it can be rebuilt better, stronger…the life God had always intended it would be. It is through the obstacles that we need to trust God more and in the end find God faithful. I finally found a community center that would love to receive 200 teddy bears. I just need to raise the money…more like $5,000.00. I have partnered with build-a-bear here in AZ. With all the costs, it’s $25/bear. I have set up an account through Zelle and will have it set up with Venmo tomorrow. We are still working on the teddy bears T-shirts message and hope to have that finished before our fund raiser next Sunday at my house. More information will be sent next week but, like I said in the beginning, these teddy bears couldn’t wait. And either can God. As I step out in faith that we will raise this money, I think of how I would feel if this was my child, or grandchild, who needed comfort now…needed a furry, fluffy teddy bear with kind and hopeful eyes to be the arms and heart of Jesus.