"There will always be enough flour and olive oil left in the containers, just as the Lord had promised through Elijah." 1 Kings 17:16
The story of the widow of Zarephath has always tendered my heart. This widow gave all she had because to a man of God who told her to do so. God's reputation as the covenant keeping, all powerful, one and only God must have be renown. Elijah's reputation must have been well-known, as well. The widow swore by the LORD God of Elijah. What is our reputation like? That is for another day but definitely something to think about.
My heart was drawn to the sacrifice of the widow and her great faith in the God of Elijah. She made her situtation clear...it was desparate. However, in faith she trusted the God of Elijah. I wonder what she expected to happen. Did she expect the meal to multiply and they would all die together? Did she think the meal she and her son ate before Elijah arrived was her last? What a turning point in her life. What turning point in the life of her son.
Do you have a turning point? A day or an event in your life that changed you forever. Was there a time when at your weakest and most desparate, you used your last bit of strength to give God all you had left? Let's share. I will go first.
I have had several pivotal points of faith in my life but never one like this. It was during my husband's 18 month battle with an eye infection that would not respond to treatment. He faced the very real possiblity of losing his sight in the eye. All the while dealing with an undiagnsed chronic illness that left him often not able to use his hands, move his hips, and other joints.
He was gone on a trip and in church that Sunday the Lord moved me to my knees at the altar of our church. He had prepared me during the week by whispering to my spirit He would be requiring me to move from my pew on Sunday. In true daughter-to-daddy style I argued and stubbornly dug my heels in telling Him, "No." But the Spirit moved me, heels and all. I meet Him with trembling hands and a tear-stained face giving Him my husband's sight and health.
I still worried about Him but I did not carry the weight of that concern any more. Months later He would receive a diagnosis and find a treatment that his eye would respond to.
The Lord God, the same Lord God of Elijah, took my little bit and made it enough.
13 Comments:
Wendy, like you, there are several times in my life that stand out to me, but one in particular, I really felt the hand of God.
My husband had an attack of amnesia...almost total...I won't go into details, but his eyes even registered that he was not "in" his body...they were vacant. After calling an ambulance, my 16 yr old son and I followed him to the nearest town, where I stayed with him in the ER. He was so pittiful...he knew something was wrong but he couldn't figure out what it was. He even forgot our grandson and DIL. In the middle of all this, not knowing if I would get my husband back or not, not knowing what was happening to him, I had total peace...I was completely wrapped in it.
Jim was transferred to Nashville to Baptist Hospital where they could not find a cause for it. It lasted about 8 hours, and gradually he regained his memory. I will never forget the peace that passes all understanding that I had that day. God was so real and close to me, I wasn't afraid. I will never forget His goodness and mercy to us that day.
Jan TN
Wendy,
Yes like you I have times that stand out, but there was one that stands out. There was a family feud going on and it was straining all relationships. After battling for a couple of years praying, pleading crying, desperate and exhasted.
One morning, I gave up - in the right way - I finally gave it to God like I never had before. I prayed and told Him I didn't care what happened, if no-one in my family ever talked to me again, if I lost everyone of my friends, if I had to move away and start over, I would do whatever He wanted me to do. I was going to follow Him, because as long as I had Him NOTHING else mattered.
There were still months of healing the relationships, guards being let down trusts being re-built, but I did see change after that point.
Even more than the change I saw outwardly, I saw and felt the changes God was doing in me. I was letting Him mold me into who He wanted me to be. All my life I had tried to be who everyone else thought I should be.. you know that people pleasing thing.
Now it's wonderful that I get to explore who I am the real me what I like, what I want... through the desires God puts in me.
It's been almost 5 years since this has happened, and I am very happy that I had a little over a year of mended fences with my Mom before she went to be with the Lord. God's timing is so good.
I don't know why we hold back, God can run things so much better than we can. :)
Have a Blessed Day.
Lynn
Hi Girls,
My oldest came down with severe acne. We tried every over-the counter medicine out there. Nothing seemed to work. Finally, resorting to a dermatologist, who gave him an antibiotic and creams to use-which we did for another 3 months. Instead of improvement, it got worse. My brother had gone through Accutane when he was in HS and he recommended this to me, along with my Mother. Both thought that I should discuss this w/ the doc. At the next appointment the doctor actually recommended Accutane. She spoke of the controversial side-affects that went along with it. One, being 'you can't be in the sun.' Another one,-a monthly blood test would need to be taken. We had an upcoming beach trip planned. My son was dead-set against the treatment. Sitting there in the office I'm thinking, "the doctor is rec. this... my family is pushing for it..." But, my son says, "no." I felt led to honor his request, so we chose to continue the original treatment.
Driving home I tried to change his mind. Of course, I got,
"your the parent, you need to just tell him what to do. He's going to scar...from my family." I was very burdened, feeling pressure from outside sources, but trying to listen to the desires of my 16 year old too! After all, it was his body taking this controversial drug! The next morning walking, I was praying to God and giving Him my burden. Crying out in tears...asking Him to tell me what He wants me to do. Telling him what my son's desires were, but pleading with Him for guidance. I did not want my son to end up with scars. As I was walking, praying, bawling out to the Lord (thank goodness for sun glasses), the Spirit came on me like I have never felt since! For a few sweet moments I experienced something that I can hardly explain. I became chilled with goosebumps that felt like they were surrounding me and almost like lifting me up in the air. Little tiny pellets bombarding me at every spot on my body. A cool breeze surrounded me. I heard a whisper at the same time that said, "I will take every pimple away before the first day of school. His face will be cleansed." Then that chilled feeling disappeared. I was beside myself with excitement. I truly felt the Holy Spirit...I told my son about it, and I told him that God wanted me to honor his request. That God would heal him if we believed in Him. He had a big smile that I'll never forget...
Then came the waiting...would I believe God. As I spoke boldly to family members I could see their doubt. The longer the time period went on I had to dig deep for my belief. I kept praying daily, Lord I believe you, I'm not turning my back on you. I know you will get the Glory here. Then...just as sweet as he can be...out of the blue, and yes before school began they were gone!
If we can only give our whole heart...no telling what could happen. God's power...we can't even comprehend it! That is where I want to be. 100% all of me for Him. I've got a long way to go. Bit by bit he is transforming me.
Thank you girlfriends for sharing
God's Glory this morning!
Love you to pieces, Lori - AZ
Morning my sweet friends,
I went to my first She Speaks in 2007 and was just being obedient to what God had asked. It was scary, filling, adventurous and moving all at the same time. It is very easy for me to feel at ease in large crowds so going alone was no problem. But I suffer from chronic pain and was still recovering from a life altering event. As God moved during that weekend my prayer was to just be open to whatever He would want in me. I needed the things out of my life that prevented me from serving him. (excuses)
That Saturday night at the evening service they had this beautiful alter call. They asked you to come and leave something at the cross. Then take a ribbon as a reminder it was left there. It was as if I sprinted to the cross and laid down my pain. That night I knew that I needed to try other ways to deal with it and that God was going to use this life changing event for good. First it had to be given to him to do, I couldn’t do it.
So here I am going to my 3rd She Speaks and looking back, my life is so far from where I was then. The event that happened got my attention to get my eyes back on the Lord. My pain has gotten my heart back on what HE wants me to do, not what I want to do.
Thank you Wendy for sharing about your husband, being the one in the chronic pain is so hard because you see what it does to your loved ones. There is a wonderful book by a Christian writer Lisa Copland “Why Can’t I Make People Understand”. It is for people in chronic pain.
Miss you all and am praying for you,
Diane
PS My Dad's heart-valve replacement surgery is scheduled for tomorrow. I will be leaving here at 3:45a.m. to get him to the hospital...so I'll take my Bible, along with my prayer scarf [knitting] I'm working on. :) For 6 weeks while he can't drive I will be caring for him...hopefull, during this time God's love will pour out of me as I serve my dad.
Lori - AZ
Any special prayer requests, ladies?
I've got a lot of time waiting in the hospital...
good morning ladies,
its thursday morning and i am just coming home from my 24hrs of being on call....i delivered 5 beautiful babies ...praise God...BUT in the wee morning hours, a patient of another hospital came to my community hospital in pain. she had a terrible past history, with several 3rd trimester losses and a uterine rupture ... i stabalized her and transferred her to a tertiary care hospital about 45minutes away...just as i was leaving the hospital, the accepting doctor called me with a bad report...the patients uterus ruptured upon arrival to the hospital, and although they saved her, the 29 week infant did not survive despite the emergency c section. i am so saddened... the baby was doing well when the ambulance took her from my care... i am so saddened. i am searching my heart to evaluate my medical judgement...i believe we did all possible, with love. i prayed with her and for her, and my nursing staff is all Christian. i can't tell if what i feel is saddness, guilt, guestioning my judgement... i ask for prayer....lori, you said you have time!!... please pray for my patient and her husband, who now have lost 4 babies, the medical staff who delivered her, and me and my staff...please Lord, if there is anything for me to learn with respect to medical judgement, please let me learn it. please let me support my staff, and this family in their time of immense grief, and to handle whatever is to come...in Jesus' name. AMEN.
thank you,
amy jane
Boy, it's hard to post anything after Amy Jane. My heart in your heart, Amy.
My experience of feeling the presence of God kind of relates to Amy's story. I serve my community as an EMT. My first 2 calls were very awful ones. The first was a man who committed suicide by shooting himself in the chest. He was alive when we arrived. The second were 4 teen boys who played chicken in their vehicles and crashed; killing one instantly, with 1 boy trapped upside down in a vehicle and 2 others splayed out in the field.
Needless to say I really hadn't grasped what I had signed on for. My heart was HEAVY...after 2 weeks of sleepless nights I cried out to my Lord and said "if you want me to do this job Lord You've gotta help me here....my heart cannot take this pain"....just like that it was as if a heavy barbell was lifted off of my shoulders...literally...the lightness and clarity and peace I felt was one that passes all understanding. I knew I believed in my Jesus' power - but that just sealed the deal.
Praying for you all...especially you Amy....may God lift that bar bell of grief and distress off of your shoulders and cover you in a blanket of peace.
Morgen
Good Morning Girls! I am actually in the middle of my turning point and boy will I glad be glad when it's over :-)Two years ago my husband (who is also a Pastor)and I knew God was calling us to a particular area to plant a brand new church. Although we had a great amount of financial support it wasn't enough to fully fund this church. After much prayer we decided to use up our savings and cash in our retirement account. Soon afterwards the church began to flourish and all was going well. The church was financially self-sufficient however, it was not bringing in enough to pay my husband a salary so he worked a full-time job as well to meet our families needs. Anyways, about two months ago my husband was laid off due to the economy and he still hasn't been able to find employment. Because of this we were forced to hand the church we started over to another Pastor so we could go move in with my parents four hours away. This was our only option as we had previously used up all our available funds to start the church. I know we were in Gods will two years ago and even though I can't understand the place we're in today I can only trust Him to see us through as we continue to obey Him.
It has been 21 years ago this week that my husband had an aneurysm in his aortic valve and needed open heart surgery to have a valve replacement and repair to the aorta, he was 32 at the time.
Our children were 3 and 5. I was a basket case this whole time as the Dr's evaluated the situation and were not expecting to see a robust and healthy young man needing such a surgery.
I had all these thoughts and questions that I felt I could not share with Dave while he was in the hospital. I kept asking what if he dies...what will I do, I am not prepared to go on without him. We did everything as a couple and did not like the thought of raising our children without him.
Dave had a very positive attitude and was still very light hearted and joking as the vistors came in and out of his room.
I felt very lonely not being able share this burden I felt with him...afterall how could I tell him I thought he was going to die. We never talked about death at this point in our marriage and didn't even know what his wishes were if that should happen.
I felt I was spiriling down more and more and was filled with sadness.
I went into his hospital room one day and noticed that his IV sight looked sort of red and possibly infected. It was the weekend before his surgery and the Dr. looked at it and said we cannot do the surgery with an infection in your body. Dave was so upset cause he wanted to get it over with.
They put the surgery off for another week. This was one amazing week for me. Immediately God started to work on my negative attitude to prepare me for Dave's surgery.
I was listening to a Christian radio station on my way to the hospital when the Pastor was talking about having a Positive attitude. I then ran into a church member in the grocery store whose husband had an aneurysm in his aorta in the stomach area when he was in his 70's and he had only a 10% chance of making it and he did.
Dave was given an 80% chance of a successful surgery with a very confident surgeon and I had been putting him in the 20% that wouldn't make it.
Dave also got to come home for the weekend so that we could have some time together. A very close friend took our children for that weekend. Dave shared a letter with me that he had written in the hospital that opened our disscusion about death, dying and wishes and expressed so much love for one another!
By the time he was rolled into surgery I gave him a thumbs up and told him we were going to grow old together. I would have never been able to do that the week before!
I used to feel sorrier for the person who had the chance of dying but truly I learned it's the people who are left behind that hurt the most. Dave was in God's hands either way!
Still praising God for that week that was just for me and the outcome of his surgery....When I told Dave it was for me...He just said, "Thanks a lot!" LOL He is still going strong with a metal valve that has a tick (we can actually hear it and he can feel it inside his chest). If we gather in a circle for prayer with a group someone will usually say who's got the loud pocket watch? Dave just says it's just me and my valve. So thank-full for that ticking valve. Our children are now 28 and 25. Truly a turning point in both of our lives. Our love for one another and our faith in God was very much strengthened.
Praying for answered prayers of those in need of it today!
Love Debbie in Illinois
WOW...ladies... I'm overwhelmed by all these stories. Thanks for all your personal sharing.
On Tuesday, on my blog I listed about a dozen "ah-ha" moments; times when I was amazed by the awesomeness of the Lord as He touched my life and spoke into a need.
I think a true turning point for me was last summer when I faced my fear of flying and booked my flight to NC to attend "She Speaks". I stepped out in faith, being obedient to God's call on my life. Was I afraid? YES! Sitting at the airport waiting to board the plane, a girl caught my attention as she walked by. I looked up...I KNEW her!!!! I followed her to her seat and called her name. I hadn't seen Lorie in over 30 years! She was flying to NC to attend the conference as well...on my plane! But wait...it gets better!!! As the stewardess gave the boarding call, Lorie and I moved into line and she began explaining to me that her seat had been booked on line, but when she arrived at the airport only moments ago they had changed her seat. She couldn't understand why as our plane wasn't even half full. She pulled out her boarding pass and guess where she was sitting? RIGHT BESIDE ME!!! The Lord had changed her seat just minutes before our flight was to leave. Did God see my fear? YES! Could He have asked me to travel alone? YES! Yet in His infinite love and mercy He provided above and beyond what I could have asked or imagined. As I stepped out in obedience and faith I met the Lord in incredible ways over that entire weekend.
Today I was struck by 1 Kings 18:44, "Finally the seventh time..."
Perseverance!
It's almost rare today to find anyone with this type of determination. Few seem to demonstrate sticktoitiveness in any area of life. Children tire of music lessons, paper routes and dance lessons and parents find it easier to relent than teach the ability of seeing something through until completion. It's truly no wonder the divorce rate is so high. Many are taught that when the going gets tough, you simply leave. They enter marriage without any real lasting committment in mind. We need to be learning resolute tenacity.
What would have happened if the prophet had quit on the sixth time? What if Elijah had stopped praying, or the servant had stopped looking? They kept believing. They stayed the course. They trusted God. God answered!
Maybe you're like me and you find yourself caught in the sixth hour waiting for that distant little cloud to appear that brings hope. Keep looking up. His rain is coming.
Love & prayers to you all,
Joy
Hi Ladies,
It's been a while since I've posted but I wanted to let you know I'm still here and reading along with you. I’m committed to this year and it has been a wonderful experience!
I have many God Moments but I will share this one. Several years ago a young couple knocked on my door asking for a ride to the next town near by. This is highly usually for my neighborhood. They looked so young and so lost. I asked them why they chose my house and not the others. They didn't have an answer, so immediately the Holy Spirit began to minister to them both. I found out they were runaways and the parents of both children were looking for them. I convinced them to call them parents and let them know they were okay. The girl's grandmother had just passed away, and if they did not call that night she would not have known. I witnessed to them and they both gave their lives to Christ. I told the young man, please don't let me read about you in the newspaper, because you are not doing what is right. A couple of friends and I took them that night to the next town. When I got to work, I inquired about them and I was told they were both into Demonic Worship. I had no idea of their past, but I knew they got saved in my living room. It wasn’t long before I did read about the young man, he was found dead in a pond. However, I was able to go to the visitation and meet with the Mom face to face and to give her the wonderful news that her son gave his life to Christ the night I called her. I don’t know what transpired the night of his death, but I believe God had arranged our meeting so he could know of his Perfect Love.
Lori and others, you are in prayers.
Blessings!!
Debbie – North Carolina
Five years ago, I was having test ran on my heart. A stress test/echo cardiogram was ready to begin but the tech guy said he needed to go get the Dr. before I started the treadmill....the Dr. came in and asked me if I was alone. I told him that I was alone and he explained that they were not going to be able to do this test.
It appeared that I had a large aneruysim on my aortic valve. They sent me down to do a CAT scan to find out how large it was. After the CAT scan they asked me again if I was alone...I needed to contact my Dr and my husband right away.
This was my turning point!
I had a large aneruysim,
my Dr. told my husband that if this was his wife he would drive an hour and a half to Springfield where they do these surgeries. He advised us not to wait...the next thing I remember was the surgeon telling me that my life was going to go on hold for awhile. On Valentines Day I was going to have heart surgery.
At this point, I really felt I had to give it all to God...my children, my husband, my own life...it was all really in His hands. I was not fearful of death, I knew I could wake up in heaven or in recovery. Either way, it was all in God's hands. Isn't that really how life is...we only think we have control?
Like Deb's husband, my valve clicks...my husband jokes about the crocodile in Peter Pan (who swallowed a clock)...as if I am a crocodile. I have to take blood thinners and make sure my blood pressure stays down (would't want to blow a valve, lol). The Dr. advised me not to work outside in extreme heat; meaning the summer hay on our family farm had to be shared with someone else. For awhile I was depressed about the changes that had to occur in my life afterward...yet one day another turning point, God wanted me to live here on earth to fulfill His purpose. I don't claim to fully know His purpose for me...I just try to please Him. As for "turning points"...I have had several (the death of our 8 year old daughter, my husband's hospitalization for a dangerous case of shingles, etc.)...enough to make some dizzy! As long as I keep turning the right direction...I am thankful He never left me but made me stronger through my weakness.
nancy
Dear Wendy,
My turning point moment was after my husband was in a motorcycle accident and had just gone into surgery. I had come so close to losing him in the accident and then now to have to have surgery was very frightening. I drove home during the surgery to get ready to be with him in the hospital during his recovery. During that drive home, I didn't have to be brave or pretend I was okay, and I just cried out to God.
I felt so frightened and alone, but as I was praying (more tears than anything), God met me right where I was. His peace and presence overwhelmed me right in that car.
My husband did recover, but in that moment and through that whole situation, I found myself in a deeper relationship with my Savior.
Sincerely,
Crystal
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