Feedback to gracEmail for Sunday, Jan. 3
The most recent previous gracEmail, published on Sunday, January 3, 2016, and titled “Knowing so much but so little,” was unusually well-received by many subscribers, who responded in appreciable numbers with feedback intended to encourage, inspire, and inform–and who accomplished with flying colors all they intended to achieve.
You touched my heart, and reminded me how incredibly blessed I am to enjoy the constant support of such a band of brothers and sisters as together we pilgrimage in all our diversity to the heavenly ciy. Your feedback also reminded me just how thoughtful, perceptive and articulate you are, traits about which I already was well aware. If you somehow missed reading Sunday’s gracEmail, you can catch it at: edwardfudge.com/?s=knowing+so+much+but+so+little
And the following excerpts from some of the feedback will, I think, enable you to share at least some of the joy it gave to me.
Feedback
Very often when reading your mails, I can see the deep wisdom you were trusted with by the great God we both serve. Im one who sees you as an answer-man, not someone who knows all, but someone who seeks reality. I pray for your relief and deliverance to serve all who read and listen to the treasures of your books and articles. Thankfully, with love. HANNES Z. (SWITZERLAND)
Very encouraging words. Hope–no matter what the storm! You are in our prayers, Edward. — ROSS AND TRINA R.
Thank you, Edward, for these insights. Its a blessing that God loves us while were young and vigorous, and he loves us in our infirmity as we look forward to our new bodies in a better place. — VANCE D.
We read you regularly and are steadfastly appreciative for your contributions to our living a Christian life. We are suffering with you as you allow it. Thank you. — CAROL AND HULSE W.
I admire your outlook on life. Thank you for all the wisdom you have imparted through gracEmail. God will continue to use us no matter how our bodies deteriorate if we are willing to follow Him. — DAVE W.
We continue on this path with you. It’s a long walk in the same direction, as Peterson says. Blessings! — ILA B.
Thanks for sharing your heart, Edward. Your counsel is thoughtful and bears being heard. It is refreshing to find assurance in scriptural teaching and to strive to be among those who can utter “Why not me?” along with others who are suffering. Thank you again for your encouragement. We do pray for and encourage you during these days. — ADRIAN S.
Edward, This is a powerful message that is written so very well. I know it wasnt easy” to write, but your endurance through pain has obviously given you insights few of us will ever obtain. May God continue to strengthen you through it all to keep teaching the rest of us! — CHARLES M.
So well said, Edward! Thank you. The Lord is in our midst. Our love and prayers are with you. — JULIANNE M.
Edward, May God continue to give you the light you need to take each step along the way. The distance we can see to take each step certainly seems to diminish as we grow older, but hopefully our trust in the One who leads grows in inverse proportion so we need to see less and less to have the confidence to keep going. God bless you and give you relief from the pain. — DENNIS D. (BRAZIL)
Edward, thanks for teaching through transparency, suffering and knowledge not sought. — COY W.
Your beautiful words have touched my heart. I have been blessed with very good health so far, but I realize that my great treasure is not my good health, but my relationship with Him and the love, hope, and peace He provides. May God continue to bless you in the most important ways! Thank you for sharing these thoughts and your life in Christ with us! — DONEVA C.
I am praying for Gods peace for you as I read your message and type this. –LAMAR M.
Ah, Edward, your life and words are an encouragement. I wonder if I will be able to be gracious when the body truly begins its course towards dissolution and death. Well, God be with us, now and at the hour of our death, as they say. And may God bless you, Edward, as you show us the way a Christian faces these times. — ALLISON B.
Yes, my brother, very much indeed! And you express it so well. Thank you. — A.C. O.
Very encouraging Edward, you continue to be so inspiring. My response to this gracEmail today is to take heart. The crosses we bear daily look and feel as different as each individual. We pray for less pain, more healing, and more wings-like-eagles living for you. We humbly request your prayers for our loved ones who endure a pain that you and I do not know. Thanks again for your wonderful ministry and your down-to-earth approach. — GREG P.
Thank you, Edward, for this encouraging word from the Lord. — JEFF C.
I am always blessed by your writings. Thank you for sharing your physical and mental struggles with us so openly, helping us to deal with our own struggles either at present or to come. “Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal” (2 Corinthians 4:16-18). Thank you, Edward Fudge, for helping us to see the unseen. You are my hero in the faith! — LINDA E.
Praying for you brother. You are an encouragement and an inspiration. I am grateful for your example, made most profound to those who interact with you in the context of your suffering. — AARON R.
Thank you for these reflections, Edward. Know that I continue to pray for you, body and soul. Blessings in Jesus Christ. — RON H.
Thank you for sharing, and for the years of tidbits and understanding from God’s Word that has strengthened and renewed lives daily in our walk with God. I want to express the deep sadness that I feel for you in the struggle with bodily pain. I will still look forward to your rich knowledge and insight into God’s Word, and I thank you for that. God be with you each step of the way. — DONNA W.
Paul said that he knew the secret of being content in all things, and I heard you stating the same message in this gracEmail. Brother, I have come to see so much more of Christ and the kingdom because of what you do. While my wish and prayer is for you to be free of pain and all the complications you mention, I also pray for every word you speak and text you write to reach one more person like myself and bring them closer to the relationship God wants with all of us.. — MIKE X.
Mr. Fudge, very well spoken. Thank you for your thoughts–so relevant in this broken world. But no matter how broken the circumstances, there is always the Lord’s beautiful Hope. There will come a Day. God be ever close to you. Because of Jesus. — THERESA G.
Edward, my dear brother and friend, Thank you for your continued efforts to help us as believers to put everything in the proper perspective. You and your work are great blessings in my life. Thank you! To God Be The Glory. — BRUCE H.
LONG-SERVING MISSIONERS
In the special issue of family notes for December 30, 2015, I noted that gracEmail subscribers Chester and Angela Woodhall, who this year mark forty-five years on mission with Jesus across southern Africa, “might be among the longest-serving missionaries from Churches of Christ presently on the field.” I have since learned that Tony and Leslie Coffey, also gracEmail subscribers, who serve Christ in Ireland, will celebrate the completion this summer of forty-six years there. It gives me joy to report that at least two families of gracEmail subscribers are among the longest-serving missionaries from Churches of Christ presently on the [mission] field. If you know of any other gracEmail subscribers who are missioners of extraordinary longevity, regardless of sponsorship or affiliation, please inform me of those details so I can mention them here.