This is typically the time of year that people reflect on the year past and set goals for the year to come. New Year’s Resolutions! I’m inclined to joke about how many of us break our resolutions on January 1 – good intentions, the road to failure is paved with many of those.

Recently, events in my life have caused me to reflect on more than just the past year. Some are good memories. Others are events I’d like to forget. But, I do believe that God has a purpose and a plan for our lives and sometimes the things we want to forget are the very things that have molded us and shaped us into the person He intends us to be. So, I share some of my reflections with you.

I have been often reminded of my very first client. She was a tiny little lady – Ms. Lucy. She was being financially exploited by the very person who was supposed to be caring for her. Her house was deplorable – you could smell it from the street. And her family had no idea what was going on. They lived out of town and trusted the person who was supposed to be caring for her. I called in the first of many favors asked of people over the last 7-1/2 years. The Director of Nursing at a nursing home agreed to admit her and work with us on the paperwork. I became like family to Ms. Lucy. She was so demented that she had no idea who I really was. Just the lady that visited on a regular basis and talked with her about her family. She died the summer of 2005 – just a few months before Katrina hit.

Several clients have died over the last 7-1/2 years. Many of you remember me talking so fondly of Mrs. Lomino. She was like a grandmother to me. I evacuated her for Katrina and again for Gustof. Another tiny lady. I had to trick her into the nursing home. Her family agreed to the placement. It broke my heart that she did not speak to me for a week. But, in the end, it was the right thing to do. I had walked into her house twice to the smell of gas – the gas burner on the stove was on with no flame. She became the life of the party at the nursing home with all her antics and confusion. She died the summer of 2009.

I cleaned out quite a few houses. Some full of devastation from Katrina – some just clean up from years of stockpiling. While that might seem like an unpleasant thing, my memories of those times are fond.

I lost a client to the floods of Katrina. She lived right behind my church. She refused to evacuate. The neighbors across the street also refused to leave – but they were able to escape the waters. I remember clearly talking to two of her friends who felt the guilt of not being able to save her. I searched for almost two months after the storm, with her daughter, trying to find her. We held on to hope that maybe she just couldn’t get to a phone or was in a hospital somewhere. Her daughter finally got word that her mother matched the description of a body at the morgue set up in Gonzales. I will never forget identifying her that day. And, again, I was able to call on a contact to get her body transferred to a funeral home quickly.

I evacuated a lady and her three daughters for Hurricane Ivan in 2004. That event was a story to be told. In the midst of it, it was not so funny. But, after the fact, it is comical to look back and remember the commotion she caused. She was one of my first clients. Her daughters became known as “the girls.” They loved their mother dearly despite the effects a brain tumor had on her personality. She died shortly after that. Those girls stayed by her side night and day those last few days. I will never forget how God ordained events in this situation to make everything come to completion before this lady passed on. I stay in touch with “the girls” still. They have grown into three of the finest young ladies I have ever known.

I buried another client not long after Katrina. He was in the hospital when Katrina hit. His family evacuated to Baton Rouge not knowing where he was. I will never forget the phone call I received on the Thursday after Katrina hit. A nurses aide from Thibodaux Regional Medical Center took it upon herself to make the call. She said she had my uncle in the hospital. Now, this man was black – and there is no way he was biologically related to me. But, at that moment, I realized that he was like family to me. My phone number was the only one he could remember. What a blessing to be able to contact his family and let them know where he was and that he was OK. He died right before Christmas 2005. I spoke at his funeral. What an honor!

Many clients have reminded me of my own relatives over the years. One lady reminds me of my maternal grandmother. One reminds me of a great aunt (Aunt Bea!)

I’ve had some very ungrateful clients too. I have had to sever ties with a handful over the years. When people don’t want to do what they need to be able to move on, I have to let go and allow them to pursue things their way. For the most part, I have kept in touch with family and friends. Each time I have had to sever ties, I pray about it and trust God to lead me in the right direction.

I had one situation that caused me tremendous grief – not just because of inconvenience, but because of the damage caused by lies, deceit and selfishness. Even though it was almost four years ago, the repercussions are still felt today. And I am sad for that because it keeps me from helping people who truly need it. People love to gossip. People love to repeat hearsay. It can often cause unjust damage. And it is not that it is about me personally – it is because it prevents me from helping others. In the end, all accusations were found to be false – but the rumors still abound today.

Personally, I saw my middle son serve in the Navy, meet his wife, and have two children. What a joy it is to be a grandparent!

I have been in a church since May 2005, Lakeview Christian Center. I am grateful to God for placing me in this incredible body of Christians who work tirelessly to honor God in every aspect of their lives. We have a broad ministry called Mercy Ministries. I am honored and humbled that God allows me to minister to people thru this ministry.

Over the last two to three years, the scope of my work has changed dramatically. There was a time that I had a dozen clients at a time. I was actively involved in their care – taking them to doctor appointments, setting out medications, coordinating every aspect of their life. Physically, this has taken its toll on my body – particularly my back. In December 2008, I sprained my ankle very badly. That event also contributed to the decline in my back. The Lord has graciously, slowly changed the scope of my work so that I am not so involved in the day to day care of nearly as many clients. I do have a handful that I still work with. However, I work a lot with people in evaluating the situation, consulting and advising.

I have helped numerous people apply for disability. Only one was denied and had to hire an attorney. Even then, he was approved upon appeal. Getting approval on initial application is always thought of as impossible. But, nothing is impossible with God. I have to tell people over and over again that my experience has not been denial. What a joy to share in that blessing and give God the glory.

I, personally, have been recently approved for disability. Because of the issues in my back as well as my feet, I am just not able to do as much physically. I still work part time – but it is amazing to see how much God accomplishes despite the limitations.

And what a blessing to see how God has provided financially! The sources ebb and flow over the years. Families who are in the position to donate, do so. And many of you have supported just because you recognize how important this ministry is.

I have said since inception that people should not have to pay to find out what benefits are out there. And they should not have to pay to apply for benefits. God made it clear to me from day one that I will not charge for what I do. And He has blessed me for my obedience. Every year the amount of donations increases. And when I think about all that has transpired in that category, I am blown away. In November of this year, I sent out an appeal for $1,000. I received double that! Things get tight and I used to worry. But, over the years, God has come thru so faithfully, that I can now experience tight purse strings and trust that He will provide.

Thank each and every one of you who have contributed financially. You are truly a blessing. And thank each and every one of you who continues to pray and support spiritually and emotionally. I cannot do this without you.

So, as the year has ended and 2012 is upon us, I pray that each of you experiences God’s peace and grace in abundance. I pray that you might know Him more and more and the love and compassion that He has in store for you. Most importantly, I pray that you know the gift of salvation that God has for you. The free gift of Jesus Christ!

So, my goal for Healthcare Solutions – A Christian Ministry for 2012 is to serve even more people than I have ever served in one year. That I might have exponentially more opportunities to share the love of Christ thru helping people meet their healthcare needs.

“Whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.” Philippians 4:8

“I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers, that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him, having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which He has called you, what are the riches of His glorious inheritance in the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His great might.” Ephesians 1:16-18