Do you remember the old Maxwell House coffee commercial that claimed a cup of Maxwell House coffee was ‘good to the last drop’? While there is some truth to that claim, many people do not agree with Maxwell House being good even with the first drop. This proves that we, God’s children, have our own tastes and treasures to behold in the good life God has provided on the planet Earth. So, what has the Lord showered down on you that tastes Great like Tony the Tiger’s Frosted Flakes?

In Ephesians 1:8, we learn about the richness of God’s grace and how He loves and looks after His children. “He has showered down upon us the richness of His grace — for how well He understands us and knows what is best for us at all times.”

In other words, God’s grace, mercy, and how He understands His children’s dilemmas and delights are delicious to experience and ‘good to the last drop’! When we stay closely connected to Christ, life is good as we live and love the way we should…by Jesus’ example!

Enjoying a summer afternoon on the beautiful shore at Topsail Beach was definitely delightful. The wind stirred a cool breeze that kept the sweltering heat from sending me inside for relief.

Sitting through several rain showers only made my determination to stay on the beach even stronger. As the heat index climbed higher and higher, I almost changed my mind. But God put a song in my heart that reminded me of His agape love for all His children, and the love He sends to us with a divine kiss that many times we have stubbornly missed.

With a fiery sunshine streaming rays that warmed me from head to toe, thoughts of all the times Jesus sent drops of love to me that I never even tasted stirred my emotions with a trip down memory lane. The joy of accepting Jesus as my Savior when I was 12 in 1965, falling in love with Tim Spell when I was 15, giving birth to two sons in my 20s, God growing our love as a family and blessing us with two businesses in the 80s, sons who were baptized as Tim and I held hands on the church pew our family claimed.

Scrapbooks I filled with tons of treasures for our sons to cherish one day when we are gone Home. Twenty-three years later, Tim went to be with Jesus, leaving me to care for an empty nest. Making my way on a road I’d never traveled took its toll, but God and my family stuck with me as He headed my broken heart and I kept seeking sunshine to stream inside and keep me alive and on fire for sharing good news messages in the Sampson Independent and telling God’s love story wherever He would lead me, even when I sometimes cried.

God sent me on a mission trip to Belize with an assignment to teach middle school children for two days as He opened the door for mission work at home when I listened and learned the joy of doing things God’s way.

In 2008, Tim’s Gift Inc. came to be — with God’s favor and hard work from my son, Cameron and me. God began growing it as we committed to pray with each person He sent our way. Oh, the joy of serving our Lord and giving help and hope to people here at home as well as sending medical supplies and equipment to Honduras and Belize each month makes me want to say: “Thank you Lord for looking after your children even when sorrow tries to smother our faith and stop the power of your Word and Love from being shared wherever You lead.

Then, the Lord sent James Vann to Tim’s Gift to share his sorrow after the passing of his wife, Sarah. We prayed together at the prayer table and talked of the difficulty of losing one’s mate and dealing with loneliness every day. Then, one fine day after we prayed, James asked me to join him for dinner at Cracker Barrel.

Being caught off guard, I quickly responded, “No, James — God’s not ready for that”! He smiled and said, “I was your friend when I came and will be your friend when I leave”

Then, God went to work on both of our hearts after I confessed to saying what I thought God didn’t want me to do. That’s when the divine pounding began in my healing heart and James was on my mind day and night. When he returned days later and asked me out again, I said, “Yes, I would be delighted to have dinner with you.”

Fourteen months later, James and I were married and worked together giving help and hope to people in need while God was growing our love for Him and one another ever sweeter and stronger. We honored the memory of Tim and Sarah and marveled how God gave us a second love to cherish for as long as we lived. But God’s plans were in place for James to go to Heaven 23 months after we said “I Do” and pledged our love to one another till death parted us.

Healing again after two amazing love stories with two mighty men of God who colored my world with love took time! It seemed the sun would never shine again, but it did when I gave the reins to God. I trusted Him to heal me again so I could serve Him and help people in need of knowing the Lord will heal and help us through all things when we go forth in faith, trust and obey, even when the rain never seems to stop — there is LOVE IN EVERY DROP!

Wow, thank you for reading some chapters of my love story that have spewed from my happy heart as the sun shines on the shore at Topsail. I hope you have healed if your heart has been broken and live to tell stories of how good God is to send sunshine that chases away the storms seeking to spoil our love stories.

May you make memories and share stories from your heart too. They can be heartbreaking but God heals when we take heed and look to Thee. Our love stories can be sunshine on rainy days for those who think all their hope, love, and joy have gone away.

I am living proof that LOVE in any language straight from the heart pulls us together never apart. Don’t be afraid of raindrops; they can bring showers of blessings. Maybe you have a knight in shining armor waiting to ask you to dinner, too. Never be so picky that you miss the blessings God has in store for you. I’m surely thankful for two awesome loves and a first love with the One who will never leave or forsake us.

Thank You God! Your agape love is good to the last drop!