What happens when God orchestrates seemingly unrelated events into a beautiful tapestry of purpose? Joy Kotz unexpectedly became her father's primary caregiver, especially given their emotionally distant relationship and his age. Yet in this powerful conversation, she reveals how three months of caregiving during her father's final days transformed both her heart and their relationship.
Joy shares the remarkable story of how she felt called to donate a kidney to a church member, only to discover she wasn't a match—a disappointment that turned into divine protection. Had she undergone surgery, she wouldn't have been able to care for her father when he was diagnosed with congestive heart failure just months later. Through intimate moments like washing her father's feet and celebrating family milestones together, Joy found herself treasuring a season she initially resented.
The story doesn't end there. After her father's passing, another kidney donation need arose, and this time Joy was a perfect match. Looking back, she sees God's hand guiding each step, preparing her through caregiving for this gift she would later give. Her journey reveals profound spiritual lessons about timing, purpose, and finding meaning in difficult seasons.
For anyone in the midst of caregiving challenges, Joy offers wisdom from her experience: "Remember that it's a season. Keep your eyes on Jesus. If He's called you into this, there's reason and purpose in it." Her commitment to living without regrets and being faithful to what God places before her each day provides inspiration for anyone walking through their own season of caring.
Subscribe to A Season of Caring podcast for more stories that will help you live content, love well, and care without regrets—finding God's presence even in life's most demanding seasons.
My Favorite Murder with Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark
My Favorite Murder is a true crime comedy podcast hosted by Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark. Each week, Karen and Georgia share compelling true crimes and hometown stories from friends and listeners. Since MFM launched in January of 2016, Karen and Georgia have shared their lifelong interest in true crime and have covered stories of infamous serial killers like the Night Stalker, mysterious cold cases, captivating cults, incredible survivor stories and important events from history like the Tulsa race massacre of 1921. My Favorite Murder is part of the Exactly Right podcast network that provides a platform for bold, creative voices to bring to life provocative, entertaining and relatable stories for audiences everywhere. The Exactly Right roster of podcasts covers a variety of topics including historic true crime, comedic interviews and news, science, pop culture and more. Podcasts on the network include Buried Bones with Kate Winkler Dawson and Paul Holes, That's Messed Up: An SVU Podcast, This Podcast Will Kill You, Bananas and more.
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