God Moment
11 Sep 2010 2 Comments
in My Striking Life Tags: God, god moment, prayer
Tonight was really amazing. I am touched at how God prepared me for a surprise tonight. And it was so good.
Today is Friday and all day I was looking forward to a night at home…..ALONE. I was going to get into my jammies and make some hot wings and watch “Four Weddings” on TLC. Husband and daughter #2 are camping with the church Youth Group and daughter #1 is cheering at an away game. And I’d be getting the house ALLLLLL….TO…..MYYYYYYY….SELF! Yes, Lord, bring me some solitude!!!
This afternoon, after work I was heading home and I began to think “Someone is going to come to our house tonight and need help.” And then the thought came into my head that this person would be coming to see my husband. But I knew he wasn’t going to be home. So this scenario played in my mind for the drive home and I thought, “Even if they aren’t asking for me I will just let them in and try to help.” Surely I could pray for someone, right?
Seriously – this was a scenario that ran through my mind. I got home and kissed the husband and kiddo goodbye and put my chicken wings in the oven. Then I went up to my room to put comfy jammies on. As I changed I wondered “Should I wear this? Someone may be here and do I want them to see me in this tank top?” I kept shrugging it off…no way, no one is coming to my house. This is silly…go eat some hot wings, will ya??
So I settled in on the couch, ate around 700 chicken wings and was watching “Four Weddings” when I heard a knock.
Yep, you heard me. A knock on my front door. And I thought “Who could that be???” Seriously, I’m in my JAMMIES people! I decide to peep through the peephole and the sun was setting so all I got was an eyefull of sun, totally washing out whoever it was at the door.
So, deep breath, I open the door. And there was a young couple there. And for a moment I thought “Wow, are they selling something?” Then the young man asked if my husband was home. And I said “No, he’s camping with the Youth Group tonight. Sorry.” And then…even thought I was in my jammies….I said “Do you want to come in?” And they came in. And they needed to talk. We talked for 2 hours! And we prayed. They’re coming back tomorrow when my husband is home.
God prepared me for that visit. I may have turned them away when they asked for my husband. But I didn’t. I let them in. And it was a true God moment.
He is so faithful. God is so awesome. I just want to be of service….
I Found Her!
09 Sep 2010 Leave a Comment
in My Striking Life Tags: friend, God, prayer
This summer I went to Georgia for 3 weeks. It was another difficult visit, my mom was moody and my daughters were with me and had to endure the drama that is “My Family”. But one of the highlights of going to Georgia is going to church at Trinity Fellowship in Sharpsburg. I have been to many services there and that is where I became “STRIKING”. A woman ministered to me at that church while I was going through a very dark time in my life. Her name was Karen. I vowed to never forget her.
I have been back to that church 6-7 times since that day and every time I looked for Karen. A sweet blonde woman that had big beautiful eyes and a sweet kind smile. She had a son and a daughter. Her husband was in the military. I remembered these little details about her and wanted so much to talk to her again.
So, I went to church on a Sunday morning. I had the girls with me and we had just been through a hard week with my sister – she struggles with addiction and had not been on her best behavior. She had asked me to pray for her at church that morning and I said “I always do.” And that morning, at the altar call, I stepped forward and asked for prayer for my sister.
When I turned to go back to my seat I saw her. Karen. She was seated 3 rows behind me. I didn’t know she was there, I only saw her because I was coming back from praying for my sister. And my heart jumped…and my mind swirled with all that I would say.
How would I approach her? Of course she doesn’t remember me. What do I say? I don’t want to cry! But I feel like crying…
After the service I turned around and she was there. With her husband, daughter and son. She looked the same. And I was not going to let this moment pass me by.
I approached her and when she looked at me, I instantly began to cry. I didn’t want to cry!!! But I couldn’t stop.
I said to her “Are you Karen?” and she said yes, and looked at me puzzled. She said “Do I know you? Have we met? Do I know you?” and I said yes…laughing through my tears and embarrassment at the spectacle I was making!
Finally, I said to her, “Yes, we have met. It was a few years ago and you prayed for me.” She began to remember, she said “You aren’t from here, yes, I remember you. I prayed with you.”
Then I told her “I have wanted to find you, I have been here a few times and always looked for you. I wanted to tell you that I’m ok and that I reconciled my marriage. And the words you said to me changed my life.”
I proceeded to tell her about how my husband retired from the military and we moved to Wyoming. I told her that when we left Washington the pastor asked us to give our testimony and that SHE was part of it. I told her we were happy and that my husband was the head of our men’s ministry.
She cried with me. She kept saying “I didn’t do anything – GOD did it. He gave me the words to say to you. It wasn’t me. It was GOD. God healed me and gave me experiences that would help you.” Over and over she said how humbling it was to see me and to hear what I had to say. She was so gracious.
We exchanged numbers and addresses and I told her I would send her a Christmas Card and the next time we were in town we’d have to have dinner together.
I found her, my friend and the woman who told me that I was Striking. It was an amazing day. God is so good.
