Answered Prayer

I had an answer to prayer walk in my house today. I've been praying for someone for all of this year. The story has been up, down, to hopeless. I had given up all but the slimmest hope of God fixing this person's heart. They were acting selfish and didn't seem to want to get help or seek for the right answers for their life. They gave up responsibilities that were important, probably their job, and were hanging with the wrong crowd.
Through fellow family members I found out most of my information because they didn't want to talk or share anything. The last real 'talk' we had I was lied to (so I had thought). This hurt pretty bad because our relationship has always been one where I felt they could share anything and I would not judge or put them down.
I prayed in the beginning very fervently for this whole situation. I would literally cry myself to sleep because they meant that much to me and I couldn't bear the thought of them turning their back on their spouse, kids, me and the Lord. I continued to pray even after the supposed lies they had said. It hurt and changed my perspective of them. Time after time I heard of no change. It was getting worse. My hope of seeing or hearing this situation ever turning around was so low I almost forgot about them just so I could handle the stress of it all.
However, God's answer to prayer walked though my door today and I was flabbergasted, blown away, dumbstruck and in total awe of what has and was happening. They turned their life around and were giving the marriage, kids, and God a try again. I was so happy!!
In conversation, I had mentioned the lies and they said that they did not lie and to call them for information next time! Much of what I heard was overblown or wrong. Normally I don't rely on hearsay at all, but I didn't have anyway of contacting them and they meant more to me than just some person. I needed information for prayer after all! Lame excuse. I believed the half truths and the 'lies' over what God could do. Faith is to stand on what God says. I was believing in hearsay and fear. God is so good. He reconciled this situation and taught me a lesson at the same time.
God recently also had me pray for someone with a physical problem that was misdiagnosed. This record did not allow them to get health insurance. So I prayed for the diagnosis to be reversed and within one week it was! There is a process to undo the health records yet but I'm praying for that as well.
With two major prayers answered with a short period of time my faith is flying high!! God is the answer for everything no matter how impossible or bleak things may 'seem'. Pray and believe then wait and see how God will do it. He will you know. Waiting may take a while but: 'Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.'- Gal. 6:9

Amen!!

Selfless Love

Just a short note to share some good stuff happening in this world. Patti (fellow blogger) goes to a church in North Carolina that started something called 'Revolutionary love'. They go around and pay for someone else's meal or bill in stores, restaurants, or just in public somewhere. They also give them a card saying why this is being done with an invite to their church. It is a great idea and should be shared. So this is why I'm blogging it. Click HERE to read all about it. You will be blessed!

Surprise, You Still Got It!

I was just remembering last night at church. I was talking to a friend when he wigged out and handed me a card to pick up his son in children's church. He was going into a meeting and didn't want to keep the guys longer than need be. So I went back and picked up his son. I handed the children's pastor the card and told him his dad wanted me to pick him up because he was in a meeting. He said no big deal and called him to leave. The son looked at me with a puzzled look and I said the same thing again to him. He just looked at me and asked when his dad would be done and I told him. He was just standing there so I told him to "leave, you're free do whatever you want." I didn't think nothing of it but he looked at me like I was still his teacher, with all that trust and willingness to follow my lead. God is so good!! I forgot last night how much God used to and still is using me with kids. My mind was on the mistakes our youth pastor was making in his sermon. Then I was getting somebody else's kid. (something I never did) I was nervous the pastor wouldn't let him go because of the policy they have. I see the trust Pastor has in me too. It's good to be me!! I guess I feel like I have to prove myself everywhere I go. Oh no, God moment. God just revealed to me that I not only need reassurance or acceptance (something I just had revealed to me a month ago) but I need to prove my worth. Whoa, I knew I had issues with not being good enough in the world but in church too? God is still fixing me. I am changing and nothing is stopping the process this time!

God's Will

Life has been hard to handle lately. I had taxes to do which is a big deal to me. Can I say that I hate doing taxes? I would rather get a root canal. I have three months of mail to catch up on. My wife is 'cleaning' and is constantly needing assistance. I will be cleaning now also (now that taxes are done). God's been using me quite a bit to encourage a family to stay on track. In order to do much of what I've done, I have lost sleep. I also use the internet (too much) to read and research stuff. I would be way behind if I just went to sleep when I should.
Well, dealing with all this stuff leaves little time for God. I seem to get going and time just flies by. God is left behind for 'important stuff'. I have been trying to hear Him lately and live in faith. It gets difficult to know what God wants in a given situation if we don't communicate with Him like we should. Sometimes He's really clear and other times you're saying "huh?"
I posted earlier in 'Selfish Update' that I was going to live a risky faith filled life being led by the Holy Spirit. I have been successful so far on this endeavor. However, a line has been crossed that is hard to recover from. To walk in faith involves doing things you don't normally do. It also puts relationships at risk. People could start to look at you funny (or funnier than normal!). You have to take inventory of why you're doing what you are doing. You have to weigh personal comfort and safety against risking it all for the will of God.
The line that has been crossed is the possibility of being wrong, more specifically being wrong with a friend's life. I reflected on the consequences of a possible error on my part, when stepping out in faith. The results were not good. My heart grew heavy and fear tried to step in. I haven't let myself go there until then because walking in risk taking faith is scary enough. Why ponder the possible bad outcome to increase the intensity of taking the action you believe is what God wants? God gives you strength to walk in faith and do it easily. When you take that first step of risking it all, it just gets easier after that because the results encourage you to follow God consistently. You get favor, direction, results, etc. You feel confident and you look for people to help.
OK, what if I'm wrong? What if I chose something that wasn't meant for a family at this time? What if my decision sets them back financially for years to come? Is the risk worth taking in that scenario? Yes the bottom line is it's their decision to make but my encouragement for them to walk in faith is defiantly a factor. I could be held accountable in their eyes. I could lose their friendship. All my trust in them that I allowed to happen, after many relationships of broken trust, could be annihilated. This would be a devastating blow emotionally that I don't know if I could recover from. All this risk just to try and follow God.
Well, to determine if the risk is worth it, I think you need to find the answer in the Bible. Who took risks that changed the world (or their's alone)? Can't you come up with more names than you have fingers and toes? There is: Noah, Abraham, Joseph, Moses, Gideon, David, Esther, Daniel, Jonah and Jeremiah just in the Old Testament. How about Just Jesus? Name the risks He took confronting the religious leaders of His day, clearing the temple, preaching of eating His flesh and blood, etc. Jesus had all His friends abandon Him. He lost everything even His life. Was it worth it? Was it worth losing everything to live in God the Father's will? I have to say yes, emphatically yes!! His death is our salvation. We no longer get what we deserve (the wages of sin is death). We gain eternal life. In His leaving we received the Holy Spirit and all His gifts (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control). What did He get? Jesus got to return to His father. He also took back all the authority He laid down in coming to earth. He sits in the judgment seat ready to judge the whole earth. His name is above all names. The list goes on and on.
This is how He wants us to live: risky and passionate. Although this lifestyle is a little nerve racking, I believe the good far outweighs the bad. If we don't do what the Holy Spirit is guiding us to do and protect our reputation, our money, our job, our plan, etc., we will never truly see the glory of God until we get to heaven. I will risk it all for you Jesus.