Happy Friday! Time for my Five Minute Friday contribution. Check out the amazing five minutes takes at fiveminutefriday.com by our special community of writers.

I’ve been sharing snippets taken from Five Minute Friday: A Collection of Stories Written in Five Minutes Flat compiled by Susan Shipe. They are a testament to the value of the exercise. This week, I’ll share some perspective from Jolene who I hope inspires you to check us out or, better yet, try your hand at focused, unscripted writing for just five minutes. And share it on the website. Start at the Community tab.

“I stumbled across Five Minute Friday several years ago, when I noticed that several blogs that I read participated in the weekly link up. I checked it out one Friday night, and thought it was a fun idea and a great writing exercise. I didn’t realize then, that it is truly a community. The fellow FMF writers became my friends as we gathered each week and commented on each other’s posts. I have several friends that I would never have met if it had not been for Five Minute Friday. I am blessed to be part of this wonderful community of writers.”

The prompt is YOUR. This should be interesting.The timer has been set, so I guess it’s time to GO…

The last thing I read last night was my Five Minute Friday friend Andrew’s post. He is dying. He knows  it. In the post he took an introspective look at himself and his life … how his plans were askew with visits from both Satan and God.

I drifted off into slumberland with his words etched in my mind. I also received a nocturnal visit — only just from God. This is how the conversation went …

“So, what are your plans today,” the Voice asked.

“The usual. Nothing special planned,” I responded.

“Am I included?” the Voice asked.

“Of course! I’ll start with some time just for You, take the dog out, make coffee, wander around social media, share some hopefully encouraging words with family and friends, and get back to some writing.”

“Hmm,” was the reply. “Just that brief encounter with Me when you wake up?”

“No. I’ll probably lean on Your guidance throughout the day.”

“Hmm. Those are your plans.”

“Pretty much.”

“What about My plans? You going to follow them?”

“Well, I’m … STOP

… going to try.” I paused. Thinking through the suspended state I added, “I always try to follow Your plans.”

“And do you succeed?”

“No. You know that better than anyone. But I try.”

“What do you want to do right now?” the Voice asked.

Since it was still the middle of the night, I said, “Sleep!” I rolled over, got my feet caught in the sheet and blanket and literally rolled out of the elevated air mattress onto the carpeted floor. Angelina literally popped out of the bed as well. I looked at the time. It was 4:54 a.m., a couple of hours before normal wake up time. The vision was long gone. The dog had a stunned what just happened look on her face. I looked at her and blurted out, “Well, if you want to make God laugh, tell Him your plans.”

I started the pre-dawn day — Angelina was not going to go back to sleep — with extended quiet time with my Lord and Visitor. But every task I attempted this morning ran into roadblocks — nothing catastrophic, but repetitive enough to divert my attention back to the dream. I ran out of coffee {I did have enough for a mug but had to run to the store when it opened}. The Internet went down for a couple of hours. Friends I usually reach out to with a quick message suddenly wanted to talk. They needed extra encouragement and/or self-assurance. Forty seconds morphed into 40 minutes, often just listening or searching for just that right word or phrase. Other than this post, I haven’t been able to add a word to the WIP.

I found myself going back to Andrew’s post again and again. “God’s didn’t say it’s all right, that He’ll fix everything. He didn’t offer Double for my Trouble, or to turn my setbacks into setups for greater things. He didn’t say that my purposes will be fulfilled. He did say that His purposes are fulfilled. Always. He did say, “Your sins are forgiven.” And He said that if I accept that forgiveness, I am His, and He is mine, that His purpose for me is my salvation through Him.”

I wish I was more than just a virtual friend to Andrew. At this point, all I can do is virtually hold his hand as he crosses the River Jordan. Andrew knows what his new address will be — in the ritzy neighborhood on the other side of the Jordan. We’ve chatted about it. I also know we will meet soul to soul some day at the beginning of eternity.

Prayers for a safe journey, Andrew, and for all whose life you have touched, beginning with Barb and including me and our FMF friends.

THOUGHT TO REMEMBER: If you judge people, you have no time to love them — Mother Teresa