It Is Well
September 2022 Blog
Customer Spotlight ~ “It Is Well”
“Through it all, my eyes are on You, and it is well.”
~ Karen, an Evilena’s Red Dresser customer.
Our blog this month features one of our sweet customers, Karen H.
Karen & her husband, Steave
Karen attended one of our paint workshops earlier this year, and we had a chance to talk with her and to learn a bit about her ~ Karen has a very inspirational life story, and we are so excited to share her beautiful thoughts here with you!
We asked Karen a few questions, and she graciously shared her heart with us. We hope that her story is a blessing to you, as it has been to us.
Karen, can you tell us how you first heard about Evilena’s Red Dresser?
“Years ago, when our twin sons were young, as a family we would look for furniture to refurbish and resell to earn some additional income so that our boys could go to a Christian school. We would scout out “treasures” from antique stores, resale shops, estates sales, etc, and my husband would refinish the furniture.
One day, I was driving down Rt 45/LaGrange Road in Frankfort, and I spotted the Evilena’s Red Dresser sign, and I noticed a very cute and interesting-looking shop below the sign. When I entered the store, I sensed a great peace. I was greeted by the very kind, lovely ladies that work at Evilena’s. I always enjoy the workshops and painting classes! They encourage my creativity, but most of all, it is the camaraderie between the ladies that I enjoy so much. I also love the wonderful selection of clothing that is offered at Evilena’s.
From that first visit to Evilena’s Red Dresser, I have made new friends, and found a lovely place to shop, and to participate in events and activities that enrich my life. I also appreciate that they have a special spot in the store where you can leave your prayer requests, and take a free Bible if you need one! I am so grateful to Jan for owning and running such a beautiful place!”
Can you please share a bit about your faith with us?
“Oh, yes, I’d love to! I am so grateful for the opportunity to share some of my life and story.
I was raised in a home where we were taught morals, traditions, religion and reverence for God, but as I got older, I came to realize that there is a big difference between religion and a relationship with God through His Son, Jesus. When I was 18 years old, I went through a difficult loss. As a result of that loss, I gave my heart to Jesus. I found a verse in the Bible, Romans 10:9, that says ‘If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is your Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved.’ I believed this truth from scripture, and after my salvation experience, my whole outlook and perspective on life changed for the better! Whereas, before I was negative and sad most of the time, now I had peace, hope, and joy that I didn’t have before. I began to hope where I had no hope, I began to have joy where I didn’t have joy, and I experienced a love from a Heavenly Father unlike anything I’ve ever known.
My faith and trust in God has carried me through some very difficult circumstances. We all have ups and downs in life, however, I think the key to victory is how we deal with the situations that come our way. I am a cancer survivor. When I turned 52 years old, I was diagnosed with leukemia. We prayed for wisdom from God concerning big decisions we had to make. I had chemotherapy, radiation, and a bone marrow transplant. Now, 14 years later, I am 100% cancer-free! All thanks to our Great and Faithful God!
What a wonderful testimony of God, our Great Physician’s healing power! We are so glad that you are cancer-free and doing well now! Would you like to share a bit about your family?
“A few years after I became a Christian, I met the love of my life, my husband Steave, and we were married. We have been married for 43 years. Not all of those years were turbulent-free…we are both first-borns…and we had to navigate through some control issues. God worked through each of us, and He smoothed off many rough edges. We are grateful for His patience, His mercy, and His grace!
About 4 years into our marriage, I became pregnant, but sadly, this pregnancy ended in a miscarriage. It would be the first of three heartbreaking miscarriages over the next few years. We prayed to God during this difficult time, and this is when He gave me the promise of Ephesians 3:20 from His word. ‘I am able to do superabundantly, far above all that you ask or think, infinitely beyond your highest prayers, desires, thoughts, hopes or dreams.’” (Amplified Translation)
After much prayer, we were led to go to a specialist. He was able to diagnose the problem, and soon I was expecting a child again! God blessed us with twin boys! This was truly beyond what we could ever hope or dream! God gave us two precious sons to raise!
Wow! What a beautiful blessing those babies must have been! They certainly are an answer to your prayers. Would you like to share any additional thoughts or verses that are special to you?
There is a song called, ‘It Is Well.’ The words say, ‘Through it all, through it all, my eyes are on You, and it is well.’ I have been able to weather the storms of life, through loss, heartbreak, illness, because God has always seen me through.
Another verse that is very encouraging to me is Hebrews 12:2 ‘Fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith.’ Our faith is continually strengthened and perfected as we focus on Jesus.
Karen, thank you so much for sharing your beautiful testimony with us, and with our Evilena’s blog readers. It is so encouraging to see the way that God has orchestrated your steps, and how He has faithfully been with you through all of life’s twists and turns. We are so glad for the happy day that you walked through the doors of Evilena’s Red Dresser for the first time! You are a blessing to us, and we appreciate you so much!
Happy Fall, Friends! Is it well with you? Please know that we would be honored to pray for you, or to talk with you about a relationship with God. You are always welcome to come in and chat, or help yourself to a Bible, or leave a prayer request in our prayer box at the store. It would be our pleasure to pray for you and to talk with you. Walking this journey of life with God by your side brings hope and peace to each and every day!
