This week was a week of good news. All results on the biopsy were benign thankfully. Only scar tissue which I cannot explain except to say that I was a breastfeeding mom on and off for 14 years...could explain things a little!
Back to regular life which is great. The waiting for the results was the hardest part. Glad that is over...
Now we are looking forward to Friday. The whole family is...I feel like I'm in the times of the Great Awakening over here. There is an actual "Revival" being planned for this weekend, again, in our small little town at a worship center nearby. My daughter is in the band, my other daughter is inviting everyone she can think of, including our whole family, and it is supposed to be a night to remember!
I still find myself wondering how this has all come about, but I'm not going to question it. I'm just going to thank God for the awakening going on and I'll keep praying that it spreads to everyone who comes. That is a kind of epidemic we shouldn't be afraid about while the whole world is watching the other one that is going on that is causing fear.
Meanwhile, I had a funny boost of encouragement this week unknowingly by a mom of 2. My 2 boys are playing basketball each Thursday night at a local church. I always enjoy anything that gets me meeting new moms and especially non-Christian moms as it can be a fantastic opportunity to make friendships and share our faith. For a while now, none of them knew I had 8 kids. I'm not trying to stand out so I was keeping quiet about that at first, but week after week when you come and chat, it slips out. Last week I was inundated with questions, "What kind of vehicle do you drive?" "What are their ages?" "You homeschool?" But the question they really wanted to know was, "What is your grocery budget?" When I told them what I spend approximately per week, I said it somewhat sheepishly. To me, it seemed so high. Then the mom of 2 said, "What?! That's what I spend in a week!" I was shocked! I didn't realize that over time maybe I have improved, maybe I have become more frugal, maybe I have actually learned a thing or two to keep our budget down. It felt so good to know that I am getting better at feeding our large family on the same budget as a small family. I told my husband and he instantly said, "Oh, I know it." He talks to people at work and knows they spend a lot of money either on eating out or packaged foods. I rarely buy the packaged foods and we eat out still, but not like the average family, I guess. I think a lot of moms are doing what I'm doing, but maybe not. Today will be our third meal with a pork roast that I cooked on Sunday. It went from the roast to a giant stew to more stew today. I will get the occasional eye roll when they see it for the 3rd time, but who cares. I've also learned to buy almost all my meat at less than $2/lb and I've stopped looking for the meat on the regular sale price and I now look for the meat that says, "Special today" which means it is reduced and then reduced again, making it feel almost free. Those are my favourite grocery shopping days.
We had our best garden a few years ago and since then we have had very little luck with gardening. This summer we hope to move the garden to a place that the cows used to use meaning it is well-fertilized. I have the younger kids on board, so I'm hoping to save some money this summer by having a great garden.
We're sticking at it with the next-to-no-money-clothing budget and literally only going to the thrift store down the street on the $1 days which are my kids favourite days! I'll admit it, sometimes I would like to just go and spend on a bunch of new things. We have a lot of success at thrift stores, but new is nice sometimes!
We were given the gift of free bunk beds which we will use for our girls. We'll spend a bit on repainting and making their room look a little more fresh with a coat of paint on the walls, but it shouldn't cost too much. Just a lot of time and effort.
When I look around our house, we still have the same furnishings from 17-25 years ago. We have crates for shelves, given-to-us couches, chairs from kijiji, lamps from the thrift store, all renovations done by my husband....that is how we've made things work and I actually don't mind a bit. I feel happy that we've been forced to be more creative and think outside the box.
All of this to say, I felt encouraged this week by these moms without them even knowing it. Whenever I think the things I do isn't making a difference, I'll get that little reminder that no, it is making a difference. Somehow, after all these years, we are still surviving on one income. I don't take that for granted one second.
Tuesday 25 February 2020
Friday 14 February 2020
Power Couples Powered by Prayer
I have another story. It just gets crazier and crazier. And I think I'm starting to figure out why and what's at the bottom of all this nuttiness.....prayer....
I live in a sleepy little town. There are maybe 22,000 people? Something small like that. When I drive my kids to work early (7 am? is that early?!) on a Saturday morning, no lights are on. I don't even pass a car usually until I hit the main road. This is one cute little town, nothing going on here, but wait...there is....
Every Thursday night, kids from a variety of places come to the local coffee shop (the equivalent of a Starbucks for our town) and they sing worship songs, pray on their knees and hear the Word of God. What?! Impossible! In our sleepy little town? When my brother-in-law heard this crazy thing was happening each Thursday night, he too, had to ask..."Beamsville?" he asked? But isn't that just the way....not any different than Bethlehem (hey, they start with the first same letters and same number of letters..cool!) No one would have suspected what a miracle would have happened in Bethlehem either. Micah 5:2 described Bethlehem just like I did, "though you are small" - kind of like "sleepy little town". But great, no, amazing, no, miraculous, things happened in this little town, the Messiah was born there..."out of you will come for me one that will rule over Israel....". Well, all I know is that "out of" our little town, amazing things are happening and perhaps one day we will see how amazing, but what I am seeing even now is incredible!
The young people, all teens, come from the Christian school and other young groups. They worship like the place is on fire. They sing with their whole hearts. They jump around like it's a rock concert. Then they hear from the young campus life mentor who heads the whole thing up and he shares a devotional out of God's Word, more singing, and then the kids break into groups and they pray and pray and pray....on their knees....For two hours this goes on. Kids lives are changing. Families are changing. People are getting saved and growing in their faith in a way no one can explain. How did this all start?
Last summer, I was selling my microgreens and I was standing beside the booth of the guy selling peaches. After watching him and his kids for an hour or so we got to talking and I found out he was the man behind it all. I don't know the whole back story, but he and his wife had a vision. Could it be a vision for Beamsville? I don't know, but they didn't just think about it, they acted on it. They took what was a corner lot, where I don't even remember what was there before they renovated it, and turned it into a trendy coffee shop, but they didn't just make it a place where you could have dessert, coffee and a snack, they designed it with the idea of making a youth room, a meeting center, all for the purpose of God's glory. He described this to me in the summer. I heard it but didn't know how we could possibly be involved. I had been praying for my children and ways they could connect with others, but our church was so far away. To go to the youth events they offered was impossible.
Then, somehow, they connected with the campus mentor couple, and they slowly started this weekly worship night and then a once a month "all youth groups in the area" night. Once again, somehow, through our church, my daughter got connected with this couple and they asked her to play keyboard. She went and brought my daughter. They both came back in awe.
Soon after they went to the retreat and the rest is history. Now my daughter goes every Thursday, has made great and godly friends, only has to drive 5 minutes and comes back recharged every single time.
We had this young couple who head up the spiritual life over at the school this past Sunday for lunch where we heard it all described. Then the wife came over yesterday to chat some more. I wondered how long she could stay. She had to leave around 1 so she could go pick up her husband. Wondering what they were doing for the rest of the afternoon, I asked her. "Oh, we are just praying. We have to schedule a time for prayer each week for the Thursday Worship night or it doesn't happen. We pray for what we should talk about each week, the students coming, the whole night." That's when it hit me. This is what is behind ALL OF IT - prayer. Simply prayer. This couple understands the power behind it all. This couple gets it. They know if they are not on their knees, then nothing will happen. But because they are praying, and praying all the time, my children, my family, myself, are all benefiting spiritually, not to mention all the other students this couple has connections with. As she and I talked more that afternoon, she shared how that's what she and her husband are known for even amongst her own family. It is so amazing and such a good reminder to maintain this in our family as well.
I wonder what is going to happen with our little town. Take the two couples from this small town that I've mentioned. Both godly couples. One has the financial and business wherewithal to fund the building and the ministry. The other couple, consider themselves missionaries and have to raise some of their own support, are simply obedient to the call of God in their lives. Due to both of them being in tune with their Heavenly Father, things are happening just down the street from me. I wonder what else and who else these praying couples will impact with their powerful prayers. If you walked by either of them on the street, you wouldn't know how incredibly powerful they are. People talk about "power couples" in Hollywood. I would have to challenge that definition just by getting to know these unassuming families in the last few weeks. They are the true definition of "Power couples" as their power comes not from beauty, prestige, fame and fortune, but from the ultimate source of Power. I feel so privileged to know them and am so grateful for their walks with God. I am a recipient of their faithfulness. Our town is being blessed because of them. The local Christian school is being blessed. It is definitely a ripple effect. I'm so grateful.
I live in a sleepy little town. There are maybe 22,000 people? Something small like that. When I drive my kids to work early (7 am? is that early?!) on a Saturday morning, no lights are on. I don't even pass a car usually until I hit the main road. This is one cute little town, nothing going on here, but wait...there is....
Every Thursday night, kids from a variety of places come to the local coffee shop (the equivalent of a Starbucks for our town) and they sing worship songs, pray on their knees and hear the Word of God. What?! Impossible! In our sleepy little town? When my brother-in-law heard this crazy thing was happening each Thursday night, he too, had to ask..."Beamsville?" he asked? But isn't that just the way....not any different than Bethlehem (hey, they start with the first same letters and same number of letters..cool!) No one would have suspected what a miracle would have happened in Bethlehem either. Micah 5:2 described Bethlehem just like I did, "though you are small" - kind of like "sleepy little town". But great, no, amazing, no, miraculous, things happened in this little town, the Messiah was born there..."out of you will come for me one that will rule over Israel....". Well, all I know is that "out of" our little town, amazing things are happening and perhaps one day we will see how amazing, but what I am seeing even now is incredible!
The young people, all teens, come from the Christian school and other young groups. They worship like the place is on fire. They sing with their whole hearts. They jump around like it's a rock concert. Then they hear from the young campus life mentor who heads the whole thing up and he shares a devotional out of God's Word, more singing, and then the kids break into groups and they pray and pray and pray....on their knees....For two hours this goes on. Kids lives are changing. Families are changing. People are getting saved and growing in their faith in a way no one can explain. How did this all start?
Last summer, I was selling my microgreens and I was standing beside the booth of the guy selling peaches. After watching him and his kids for an hour or so we got to talking and I found out he was the man behind it all. I don't know the whole back story, but he and his wife had a vision. Could it be a vision for Beamsville? I don't know, but they didn't just think about it, they acted on it. They took what was a corner lot, where I don't even remember what was there before they renovated it, and turned it into a trendy coffee shop, but they didn't just make it a place where you could have dessert, coffee and a snack, they designed it with the idea of making a youth room, a meeting center, all for the purpose of God's glory. He described this to me in the summer. I heard it but didn't know how we could possibly be involved. I had been praying for my children and ways they could connect with others, but our church was so far away. To go to the youth events they offered was impossible.
Then, somehow, they connected with the campus mentor couple, and they slowly started this weekly worship night and then a once a month "all youth groups in the area" night. Once again, somehow, through our church, my daughter got connected with this couple and they asked her to play keyboard. She went and brought my daughter. They both came back in awe.
Soon after they went to the retreat and the rest is history. Now my daughter goes every Thursday, has made great and godly friends, only has to drive 5 minutes and comes back recharged every single time.
We had this young couple who head up the spiritual life over at the school this past Sunday for lunch where we heard it all described. Then the wife came over yesterday to chat some more. I wondered how long she could stay. She had to leave around 1 so she could go pick up her husband. Wondering what they were doing for the rest of the afternoon, I asked her. "Oh, we are just praying. We have to schedule a time for prayer each week for the Thursday Worship night or it doesn't happen. We pray for what we should talk about each week, the students coming, the whole night." That's when it hit me. This is what is behind ALL OF IT - prayer. Simply prayer. This couple understands the power behind it all. This couple gets it. They know if they are not on their knees, then nothing will happen. But because they are praying, and praying all the time, my children, my family, myself, are all benefiting spiritually, not to mention all the other students this couple has connections with. As she and I talked more that afternoon, she shared how that's what she and her husband are known for even amongst her own family. It is so amazing and such a good reminder to maintain this in our family as well.
I wonder what is going to happen with our little town. Take the two couples from this small town that I've mentioned. Both godly couples. One has the financial and business wherewithal to fund the building and the ministry. The other couple, consider themselves missionaries and have to raise some of their own support, are simply obedient to the call of God in their lives. Due to both of them being in tune with their Heavenly Father, things are happening just down the street from me. I wonder what else and who else these praying couples will impact with their powerful prayers. If you walked by either of them on the street, you wouldn't know how incredibly powerful they are. People talk about "power couples" in Hollywood. I would have to challenge that definition just by getting to know these unassuming families in the last few weeks. They are the true definition of "Power couples" as their power comes not from beauty, prestige, fame and fortune, but from the ultimate source of Power. I feel so privileged to know them and am so grateful for their walks with God. I am a recipient of their faithfulness. Our town is being blessed because of them. The local Christian school is being blessed. It is definitely a ripple effect. I'm so grateful.
Wednesday 12 February 2020
Absolute NO VACUUMING Today!
I am so glad yesterday is behind me. So much of the concern laid in the unknown as I went in for the biopsy. Yet, all the verses I've ever read, studied, meditated on came into my mind over and over....particularly the phrase, "no fear, no panic, no dread". And so I instead, funnily enough, looked forward to it....in a way! My husband was able to take the time off and made it an amazing day. I have trained him VERY well. Being our 25th year, I have made it clear I am celebrating ALL YEAR. Sooooooo....that means, if I'm having a procedure done that could be potentially life changing, we grab lunch before hand! Oooooorrrr....after it is done, we go out again! And that is what we did! It made for an actually fun day. My sister came, even though she didn't need to, and supplied food for all the meals and snacks for the whole day and then some. I had parents and friends praying. I felt well-supported.
The final results will be in a week or so. I thought I was on the "unlikely for bad news" side, but it appears, according to the doctor, that there is a ranking scale and I fall right in the middle, so it could go either way. I'm not worried. We joke about it. We know it "won't matter", regardless of the results because when God is control everything, absolutely everything, works out for His glory in some way.
The best part of the procedure was that under NO CONDITIONS am I supposed to vacuum today! Very funny. Or ski, or aerobics, or weightlifting....all things I might have considered doing if they hadn't specifically mentioned them. Haha. So I'm off the hook. Whew!
Perhaps I am too honest with the kids, but I can't help it. I prefer to be an open book. I explained what was going on and I explained that there was risk and that we don't know what the future holds. Naturally there was some concern, particularly with my 11 year girl and 9 year old boy. Yet we looked back on the past month we've had, full of miracles and unusual blessings from all the things that have gone on in my two daughter's lives with work and school, to the people getting saved all around us, including my neighbour's husband who we will see get baptized this weekend, to the non-believers in our lives who are starting to ask amazing questions about faith, to strange sources of money we didn't expect......the list goes on and on.....I told the kids, "Do you think God allowed all those miracles and blessings to happen just so that we would know that we don't need to be afraid?" Yes, they all agreed. God is clearly working. We see it. So when we wonder about the future, we just need to reflect on the past...then we are reminded there is no need to fear....EVER.
When I was in the procedure, back at home my sister grabbed all the cousins and they all sat and prayed together, each one of them. Who has that privilege?! Very few. A bunch of younger cousins, all under the age of 12, six of them, praying for their aunt/mom. Even in knowing that I feel so blessed. This is how I can walk around in anticipation! Curious about results, wondering even. I almost can't wait to hear what they are. Living life like that changes everything.
My husband read Isaiah 30 where it says, "And though the Lord give you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction, yet your Teacher will not hide himself anymore, but your eyes shall see your Teacher." The bread of adversity, the water of affliction. We've had that many times in our marriage. And though we didn't love it at the time, those times have 100% taught me that I can trust Him. I've seen Him use adversity and affliction in my life, only for good. My eyes see my Teacher for sure, the true Teacher, who uses adversity and affliction for good in my life.
This morning we sat with my super stressed son. I just found out yesterday that he "accidentally" took a 4th year course thinking he had all the right prerequisites. He didn't. The course calendar had lied, or at least had missed out on some very vital information. He feels like he is drowning. No, change that, he IS drowning! But, I stopped him. I told him that this is the greatest thing that could have happened to him. He doesn't need to fight the course, but instead use the adversity and affliction to push him, to make him study even harder. He was up and gone yesterday by 6:30 am and got home after 9 pm. He studied 15 hours or something crazy like that. Tell me he won't be doing that in med school if he gets in. So God is using the drowning feeling to push him, to make him excel. I feel sorry for him, but at the same time I told him to be excited. And that's how I feel, too. I'm excited for next week's results. I know God is doing something crazy in our lives right now and it is a fun ride to be on.
Today one of our unsaved friends is stepping out in faith and meeting with a staff person from Power to Change on his university campus in Ottawa. He's so amazed at how this other girl we all know got saved. He can't believe it's true because she was quite the party animal up until a week and a half ago. He's meeting with my brother on the weekend. He has to know how and why he got saved. If this guy gets saved, there is going to be one big party in heaven and on earth! So when I see these things going on, when I witness answers to prayer on a DAILY BASIS, then I know beyond a shadow of a doubt, I can trust the One who allows adversity and affliction.
When I met with another friend this past weekend, I sat with her and I didn't mean to go on and on, but I just couldn't stop. She encouraged me though and said, "Tell me more!" So I did! I had so many things to tell her that God had been doing that it encouraged her in her own life. Maybe that's why I write it all down. Just in case my kids ever wonder if God worked in our life they'll be able to read these things and say, oh yeah, He did.
Well, at least I don't have to vacuum today. I can just sit and watch dust and dirt accumulate completely guilt free! See, another odd blessing in my life!
The final results will be in a week or so. I thought I was on the "unlikely for bad news" side, but it appears, according to the doctor, that there is a ranking scale and I fall right in the middle, so it could go either way. I'm not worried. We joke about it. We know it "won't matter", regardless of the results because when God is control everything, absolutely everything, works out for His glory in some way.
The best part of the procedure was that under NO CONDITIONS am I supposed to vacuum today! Very funny. Or ski, or aerobics, or weightlifting....all things I might have considered doing if they hadn't specifically mentioned them. Haha. So I'm off the hook. Whew!
Perhaps I am too honest with the kids, but I can't help it. I prefer to be an open book. I explained what was going on and I explained that there was risk and that we don't know what the future holds. Naturally there was some concern, particularly with my 11 year girl and 9 year old boy. Yet we looked back on the past month we've had, full of miracles and unusual blessings from all the things that have gone on in my two daughter's lives with work and school, to the people getting saved all around us, including my neighbour's husband who we will see get baptized this weekend, to the non-believers in our lives who are starting to ask amazing questions about faith, to strange sources of money we didn't expect......the list goes on and on.....I told the kids, "Do you think God allowed all those miracles and blessings to happen just so that we would know that we don't need to be afraid?" Yes, they all agreed. God is clearly working. We see it. So when we wonder about the future, we just need to reflect on the past...then we are reminded there is no need to fear....EVER.
When I was in the procedure, back at home my sister grabbed all the cousins and they all sat and prayed together, each one of them. Who has that privilege?! Very few. A bunch of younger cousins, all under the age of 12, six of them, praying for their aunt/mom. Even in knowing that I feel so blessed. This is how I can walk around in anticipation! Curious about results, wondering even. I almost can't wait to hear what they are. Living life like that changes everything.
My husband read Isaiah 30 where it says, "And though the Lord give you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction, yet your Teacher will not hide himself anymore, but your eyes shall see your Teacher." The bread of adversity, the water of affliction. We've had that many times in our marriage. And though we didn't love it at the time, those times have 100% taught me that I can trust Him. I've seen Him use adversity and affliction in my life, only for good. My eyes see my Teacher for sure, the true Teacher, who uses adversity and affliction for good in my life.
This morning we sat with my super stressed son. I just found out yesterday that he "accidentally" took a 4th year course thinking he had all the right prerequisites. He didn't. The course calendar had lied, or at least had missed out on some very vital information. He feels like he is drowning. No, change that, he IS drowning! But, I stopped him. I told him that this is the greatest thing that could have happened to him. He doesn't need to fight the course, but instead use the adversity and affliction to push him, to make him study even harder. He was up and gone yesterday by 6:30 am and got home after 9 pm. He studied 15 hours or something crazy like that. Tell me he won't be doing that in med school if he gets in. So God is using the drowning feeling to push him, to make him excel. I feel sorry for him, but at the same time I told him to be excited. And that's how I feel, too. I'm excited for next week's results. I know God is doing something crazy in our lives right now and it is a fun ride to be on.
Today one of our unsaved friends is stepping out in faith and meeting with a staff person from Power to Change on his university campus in Ottawa. He's so amazed at how this other girl we all know got saved. He can't believe it's true because she was quite the party animal up until a week and a half ago. He's meeting with my brother on the weekend. He has to know how and why he got saved. If this guy gets saved, there is going to be one big party in heaven and on earth! So when I see these things going on, when I witness answers to prayer on a DAILY BASIS, then I know beyond a shadow of a doubt, I can trust the One who allows adversity and affliction.
When I met with another friend this past weekend, I sat with her and I didn't mean to go on and on, but I just couldn't stop. She encouraged me though and said, "Tell me more!" So I did! I had so many things to tell her that God had been doing that it encouraged her in her own life. Maybe that's why I write it all down. Just in case my kids ever wonder if God worked in our life they'll be able to read these things and say, oh yeah, He did.
Well, at least I don't have to vacuum today. I can just sit and watch dust and dirt accumulate completely guilt free! See, another odd blessing in my life!
Monday 3 February 2020
Born Again on 02 02 2020
Yesterday was the first palindrome date apparently in the last 909 years or something crazy like that. To be born on 02 02 2020 would be the coolest thing, I thought, and told my husband out loud, "Someone has to be born today so they can have that birthday!" Little did I know that someone would be born on that day....born again.
Last night my older four kids and I had the privilege of walking one of their friends from darkness to light. It had to be one of the most amazing experiences with my children to date. They had met her through the restaurant they worked at. I had heard of her for months and wasn't super happy with what I had heard about her. She wasn't the best influence around them and often made them feel uncomfortable with her behaviour. I always had this underlying fear she and the other staff would ultimately succeed at bringing my children down spiritually as it isn't the best environment at times.
But, unbeknownst to us, she had a church background and had participated on mission trips to El Salvador over the years building houses and helping out in various other ways. Each time she went she would experience a spiritual high of some kind, but would then return and life would just go back to normal as she fell back into her old friendships and way of living. She didn't know how to change what she was doing and, quite frankly, didn't want to. She was having fun. However, all the while, she was feeling badly deep down and felt like she was in a spiritual fog.
On her most recent trip this past month, from day one, her eyes were opened as she started to hear other people's testimonies of what God was doing in their lives, how He was real to them. She said she started seeing everything differently for the first time in her life. She found herself crying every day as she longed for this in her own life. Her eyes were even opened to just the beauty of nature and creation for the first time. She started to see there was no way that could have just come about on its own. God had to be real. But how could she keep that feeling of closeness to God? She had so many questions.
On her first shift back at work she immediately started talking to my son and tried to explain what little she could in between serving people. My son sensed something was different about her right away and told me when he got home about all her questions. I said, "Bring her over!" She was immediately receptive and was so happy to come. What I wasn't expecting was to have it work out so that all four of the older ones could be together with me. I wasn't sure how things were going to fall into place.
After sharing her story with us I wondered to myself, maybe she hasn't taken that step of faith herself? And suddenly all my years of growing up in a family where the gospel was shared regularly with everyone my parents met, where I had been trained as a young child to share my faith, where I had learned to use tracts to bring people to faith, where I had seen people walk through understanding how Christ is not on the throne of your life, though He longs to be.......it all kicked in that moment and I asked her,
"Do you have full assurance that if you were to die tonight you would know 100% that you are going to heaven? Have you ever asked Jesus to come into your life?"
"No."
"Would you like to pray that prayer right now?"
"Yes!"
We all started crying. What a moment. I got my wits about me and and stumbled through the prayer of salvation and she literally repeated the words out loud phrase by phrase for all of us to hear. Then, each one of my children prayed for her as tears streamed down all of our faces.
"The angels are rejoicing!" My daughter said happily! Hugs and more tears.
Then, the questions. Trying to answer everything she wanted to know. Where to go next, how to keep herself from toxic people who will try to steer her away from God, how to read the Bible, how to pray, how to get into a new group of friends who will build her up, how to make sure we see her more.....wow...such an exciting time. What a privilege for us as a family to be alongside her.
I was so grateful to know she had seen a difference in my kids at work that she knew there was something about them that she longed for. She wasn't sure how they had handled each challenge at work compared to how others handled things. To know she could go to them made me so happy. I praised God for how He used them in her life. I was the most blessed to be able to walk her through her final steps into the kingdom. The groundwork had been done before I ever met her.
I don't know how many people it takes before someone comes to Christ, but I know it is rarely just one. Many, many people come into our lives that we watch, talk to, ask questions with before making a decision....to be someone along the path can be hard as you often never see people make a decision for the Lord. To be the one at the end can be the most fulfilling and that was my privilege last night. Incredible.
I thank God on so many levels, for my parents, their hearts for the lost, for the Christian organization that trained me at all the staff training events summer after summer as a child, for my time at university where I really saw a heart for the lost, and then for my kids last night who have somehow managed to get that heart, too, and are now seeing how as a family unit we can bring people to Christ....together! How amazing!
Before she came over she had already purchased a Bible, a journal and another book to help her in her faith. On the first page of her Bible I had my daughter write her new birthday, her spiritual birthday, 02 02 2020! What a cool birthday! I couldn't believe someone had gotten born on the very day I thought would be the neatest birthday of all time! We all wrote our names to signify we had been there when it happened with verses alongside our signatures. She'll have the Bible for many years to come and she'll never forget what happened to her I'm sure. I know I won't forget.
Last night my older four kids and I had the privilege of walking one of their friends from darkness to light. It had to be one of the most amazing experiences with my children to date. They had met her through the restaurant they worked at. I had heard of her for months and wasn't super happy with what I had heard about her. She wasn't the best influence around them and often made them feel uncomfortable with her behaviour. I always had this underlying fear she and the other staff would ultimately succeed at bringing my children down spiritually as it isn't the best environment at times.
But, unbeknownst to us, she had a church background and had participated on mission trips to El Salvador over the years building houses and helping out in various other ways. Each time she went she would experience a spiritual high of some kind, but would then return and life would just go back to normal as she fell back into her old friendships and way of living. She didn't know how to change what she was doing and, quite frankly, didn't want to. She was having fun. However, all the while, she was feeling badly deep down and felt like she was in a spiritual fog.
On her most recent trip this past month, from day one, her eyes were opened as she started to hear other people's testimonies of what God was doing in their lives, how He was real to them. She said she started seeing everything differently for the first time in her life. She found herself crying every day as she longed for this in her own life. Her eyes were even opened to just the beauty of nature and creation for the first time. She started to see there was no way that could have just come about on its own. God had to be real. But how could she keep that feeling of closeness to God? She had so many questions.
On her first shift back at work she immediately started talking to my son and tried to explain what little she could in between serving people. My son sensed something was different about her right away and told me when he got home about all her questions. I said, "Bring her over!" She was immediately receptive and was so happy to come. What I wasn't expecting was to have it work out so that all four of the older ones could be together with me. I wasn't sure how things were going to fall into place.
After sharing her story with us I wondered to myself, maybe she hasn't taken that step of faith herself? And suddenly all my years of growing up in a family where the gospel was shared regularly with everyone my parents met, where I had been trained as a young child to share my faith, where I had learned to use tracts to bring people to faith, where I had seen people walk through understanding how Christ is not on the throne of your life, though He longs to be.......it all kicked in that moment and I asked her,
"Do you have full assurance that if you were to die tonight you would know 100% that you are going to heaven? Have you ever asked Jesus to come into your life?"
"No."
"Would you like to pray that prayer right now?"
"Yes!"
We all started crying. What a moment. I got my wits about me and and stumbled through the prayer of salvation and she literally repeated the words out loud phrase by phrase for all of us to hear. Then, each one of my children prayed for her as tears streamed down all of our faces.
"The angels are rejoicing!" My daughter said happily! Hugs and more tears.
Then, the questions. Trying to answer everything she wanted to know. Where to go next, how to keep herself from toxic people who will try to steer her away from God, how to read the Bible, how to pray, how to get into a new group of friends who will build her up, how to make sure we see her more.....wow...such an exciting time. What a privilege for us as a family to be alongside her.
I was so grateful to know she had seen a difference in my kids at work that she knew there was something about them that she longed for. She wasn't sure how they had handled each challenge at work compared to how others handled things. To know she could go to them made me so happy. I praised God for how He used them in her life. I was the most blessed to be able to walk her through her final steps into the kingdom. The groundwork had been done before I ever met her.
I don't know how many people it takes before someone comes to Christ, but I know it is rarely just one. Many, many people come into our lives that we watch, talk to, ask questions with before making a decision....to be someone along the path can be hard as you often never see people make a decision for the Lord. To be the one at the end can be the most fulfilling and that was my privilege last night. Incredible.
I thank God on so many levels, for my parents, their hearts for the lost, for the Christian organization that trained me at all the staff training events summer after summer as a child, for my time at university where I really saw a heart for the lost, and then for my kids last night who have somehow managed to get that heart, too, and are now seeing how as a family unit we can bring people to Christ....together! How amazing!
Before she came over she had already purchased a Bible, a journal and another book to help her in her faith. On the first page of her Bible I had my daughter write her new birthday, her spiritual birthday, 02 02 2020! What a cool birthday! I couldn't believe someone had gotten born on the very day I thought would be the neatest birthday of all time! We all wrote our names to signify we had been there when it happened with verses alongside our signatures. She'll have the Bible for many years to come and she'll never forget what happened to her I'm sure. I know I won't forget.
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