In my last post WANTED – YOUR BURDENS!!, I ask my
blog followers to share things God has shown them or things that have happened that they don’t understand, or special experiences they’ve had with God.
Here are two responses I received. Please use the Rely box to share your own stories or to comment as the Holy Spirit leads.
This one was from Lynn Champagne –
Today I cried in the car on the way home from work, in the pouring rain, while listening to the song “The Healing Hands of God”.
I thought of all the times He has healed my broken heart and healed me when I was sick. As I thanked Him, tears welled up so suddenly I could hardly contain them. Tears of joy from being healed over and over again and tears from long-ago hurts to my heart mingled together as they spilled down my face. The more I cried, the more I felt God’s presence, there in the car with me. Which made me cry even more. It seemed He was telling me He never once wanted my heart to be broken. Never once. He never wanted me to hurt or be ill. He was telling me the amount of His tears for me were represented in all the rain I was seeing. Me. He loves me that much. Tears for all the times He cried over my broken heart or sickness mingled together in the sky with His tears of sheer joy over me.
He shed tears for me. Because, you see, God always wants to deliver us, but we are not always open to Him. Yet every time I came to Him for help He cried with me, with sheer joy.
I know what you mean when you say: He was telling me the amount of His tears for me were represented in all the rain I was seeing. I often think that He is manifest in nature. I live in thePacific Northwest. Many times as I look at the tree studded mountains and deep blue skies woven with pristine, white clouds I think that these are but the outer garments of God. He is present with us in the tapestry of nature. Appearing in many forms. Including tears of rain.
This one is from Lynette D. Grace –
Dear Nikki:
If I were going to ask a question of God it would be what is my purpose in life? What is my purpose for being here after I survived the stabbing and the other woman died. Why couldn’t I save her and we both walk out of the house alive together?
This is my experience.
At the age of 16 (21 years ago), Johnny D. Bell stabbed his mother to death in the basement of their home. Without provocation Mr. Bell stabbed me, I survived the attack. Last year he was coming up for parole. Before he did I wanted to talk to him about why he stabbed his mother to death and what was the reason why he stabbed me. I wrote him a letter asking him to put me on his visitors list and he did. I filled out the application and I was approved to visit. During our visits I asked him the questions I needed to ask and to the best of his ability he answered them very generously. Through our tears recounting the incident of that tragic morning, he was remorseful and asked me for forgiveness for his actions against me and I forgave him and we became friends.
Some think that due to his crime I shouldn’t have anything to do with him. Some may not understand that there were questions about what happened that only he and I could answer for each other thus promoting the process of healing for both he and I. Not just for me the “Victim” as I am called but for Mr. Bell the offender as well. He too is a human being and has a need to be made to feel whole as well. As God forgives me I feel we should forgive others. I am only doing for him what I would hope someone would do for me if I were in that situation. If I were sitting in prison for such a crime, wouldn’t I want someone to come to visit me?
This is an awesome testimony. I have heard of “victims” forgiving their “perpetrators” and I have wondered if I could do it. I praise God I have never been put in that position. I find the thought as challenging as – Would you share your faith if it would cost you your life? These are the kinds of things that cause us to look inward. If any of you have been faced with a situation like this I would love you to comment about that here.
These posts took my breath away. I wonder if others, like me will hesitate to post anything, because when I read these I feel humble, small and inadequate. This is not a complaint, they simply strike me to my soul. So I will share with you a thing I posted yesterday, unedited, so you will have to read with the typos – if I were to edit it, I may be tempted to alter it. I posted it because I was compelled by the Holy Spirit, and one young person (who has contemplated suicide in the past) read it and told me it described what she has felt so many times. I don’t live in lush valleys in my ministry, but the wilderness. God told me that is where I would be, to pick up and love those stray lost lambs and bring them into the fold. I don’t have big numbers on my ministry, and I must admit, it troubles me and I try not to let my heart be two sizes to small.. I try not to dwell on it. I race hard after the Lord, because it is my desire to serve Him all the days of my life, and I let Him enfold me in His arms and wipe away my unshed tears. So He asked me to write it and post is, and here it is:
I think about people who struggle to have their Christianity in foreign lands; I think about people who don’t even know what it means to have clean water to drink, or food every day. I think abut where I came from – such dire circumstances, and I remember all God has done for me, and I feel small. I am sometimes numbed by things from my past. I am sometimes burned at the soul by hateful things I e
ncounter with other people. In those times I feel paralyzed and ashamed that I am not stronger, wiser, kinder, more forgiving, more loving, more compassionate. And when I am alone, the darkness knocks at my door from the north, east, south and west.. and I cry against it int he name of our Lord. And then, He just lays me down and says to rest, to let the healing take place.. And I ask, How long, O Lord, how long will it take me to get well.. and He answers: Every step closer to me makes you more whole. It doesn’t matter how long it takes, because we have eternity together, you and I. Unshed tears hurt my eyes, and my head throbs. I grab hold of His hand for dear life. And through the heady mist of uncertainty, the Lord sends a beautiful friend to deliver a message.. like this message. Today. And my heart and head are calmed as I read those words: Let your hope make you glad, be patient in time of trouble and never stop praying…
(Romans 12:12)
Sunny, this is a beautiful post, so inspiring. Your post shows the power of sharing our burdens and including how God hears and comforts us when we go to Him. Thank you for taking the time to post this. I hope others will share.
Thanks Nikki. These posts were amazing♥
Darlene R. Brown I have another one. One nite my husband and I had an arguement and he ask me, do you think we will make it (our marriage) and I said yes! Well, I went to bed and I prayed, but I asked God, will we really make it? And then I turned over my eyes wide opened and I saw very briefly me and my husband very old sitting outside on a front porch looking out at, I asume our grandchildren…..the vision was gone as soon as it came….all I cud say was…thank you Lord for answering my question! And that was 6 yrs ago. As of today we have been married for 14yrs. So we are on our way! Again…thank you Lord for all that you have done, is doing, and will do ! Amen!!!
Darlene R. Brown One nite I was in bed and I was getting ready to pray…and I started sayn, I love you God….i kept sayn it over and over…..until I started crackn up….I was filled with such joy….tears now as I type this, but then I ask God, do you laugh? I was so tickled by my love for God…I went to sleep praising Him and rite before I fell asleep, my husband already had his arm over me, but then I felt another arm over the both of us and it was heavier than my hubby’s and I felt so elated…God had put His arm around both of us and I woke the nxt morning smiling because God held me (us) until I fell asleep! Wow what a wonderful experience…to feel God that way! Thank God for holding me!
Thanks for taking the time and making the effort to post testimonies that encourage faith in Christ. Indeed, God is still at work in hearts and lives throughout His world.
Hi Nikki. I want to thank you for stopping by my blog. Your comment confirmed some things that I’ve been praying about–I treasure your thoughts and discernment.
God bless you. My prayers are with you!