I'm writing to tell you a true story about how I made my way to a very loving family and the loving arms of the Almighty Lord.
I never ever did any thing to hurt my husband but a set of hotel receipts he found was going to prove difficult to explain. The members of my church women social had something of a surprise when the new assistant pastor was out to teach the seven of us a goodly lesson. How was I going to explain to him that the receipts were from the winning of an short excursion including 3 nights in a cheap hotel near the old city beach. We promised to keep away from phones, emails, and postcards on our 5 day sabbatical to find Christ and renew our women's group connections. Daniel was now looking at the copies on cheap paper trying not to ask any questions that would suggest in faithfulness.
I choose the church though the persons in the congregation had somewhat of a bad name in town. Very little was put into the church building and the inside was in need of dissent furnishings. But, it was the place where I first found my way to the Lord. The people embraced me like a friend. I was shattered to pieces finding out that my husband Daniel loved going hunting more then he like to spend time with me. I finally joined this church and became a member a few months later giving my tithes and offerings from my own wallet. Daniel mistrusted church people saying they were only there to get money out of you, and you get nothing back. But I loved them and my spare time was spent working for my salvation with this little group of people.
Closing my eyes, I told him about the change of plans and that as agreed I couldn't contact persons at home for help, we were relaying on the Lord to reconnect our women's group to faith. We talked about living in a dirty room, symbolising our church. Falling on faith with despair instead of seeking goodness by way of faith in a congregation of believers was the way followers in Christ lost direction ending up in total confusion believing good meant goodness. We shared the common words and the horrible odors having them represent the ugly way people do to themselves thinking they were building a church family when really they were making a quiet hell that lead to the failure of the church's foundation and thrust into deep poverty. As we sat in the torn and shredded upholstered chair left from days gone by, leered at the shabby mattress with its yellowed sheets and battered blankets stained from food or brawling we compared it to the ghetto building we use for our home church.
I left behind something of me in that room when we finally decided we had had enough of the nastiness and filth. My softened skin shone like a baby's pillow as I drew in deep breathes feeling a newness as I drug my drugged body through the clumsy opening of a old beach side, laughable at best, resort!
The lesson proved to be the eye opening experience. I needed to know it was time for a change. Time to be truly baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus, and time to make a newness in my church behaviors. Victory in Jesus, my savior forever. He taught me and He brought me with His redeeming love! I personally went back to the church and closed the doors on the old ways and reopened the freshly painted doors to the new church we all started as we gathered in revival to the One Lord. Baptising our love to only the faith in the almighty power of righteousness of God's great hand we hung a new sign up and on our hearts.
I stood staring at the man I had married because he said he loved me. I knew he was also going to be with me because he never showed any concern for another. I never heard him even mention a name from the past. Shuffling a little, I paused and said out loud at him, "I'm sorry. I know this looks awful, it was something totally unexpected...about the surprise weekend. It was to teach us about filth, dirty, and vile behaviors but more importantly about who to turn to when things look that way." I smiled and turned to the receipts and dropped them into the trash can by his little office desk. Looking back up to him I added these final words, "Can you trust me after this?" He simply smiled and said, "Sure I can."
When I look into his soft pillow face now three years later I recall the way I stood explaining that church relief trip at turn my life around, and him with it. I stand in our starting and newly refurbished church pews singing to the joy of the Lord. When hunting season isn't in he stands there with me. Praise God I found my way home. To all the wonders, to all the powers and to all the mighty hand of the Lord!
