Category: testimony

God Is Right There

On By vickleaIn Scripture, testimony2 Comments

Over forty years ago, something so totally unexpected happened in my life that not only was I not prepared for it, I still look back on it and ponder how in the world I survived the events. One day, I was a young mom celebrating with my husband that our baby was about to turn a year old. Then, the phone call came. In the middle of the night, of course. My grandmother in Virginia called and said my entire family was packing up and leaving Virginia and if I wanted to tell them good-bye, I needed to get to Virginia right away. Well, I didn’t understand what was happening, but I told my husband and he helped me to calm down enough to pack our things and get ready for the seven hour drive to my hometown. Unfortunately, when I got there, my family was gone. My mom, my dad and my three younger siblings…gone. I was greeted by the sheriff’s department who were investigating my father and told that I could get personal items out of the house, but nothing else. The home I had lived in most of my life before marriage was going to be auctioned. I was in a cloud of confusion and despair, hoping to hear from my parents that they were just on a trip and would straighten everything out soon. My husband had just separated from the military as we prepared to attend Youth With a Mission in New Jersey, and we had a few months before our school started. So we spent that time first staying with my grandparents and then in a long-stay motel while we waited for our new life in NJ to begin. Meanwhile, I was dealing with the grief of losing my family, the overwhelming grief of my grandparents who had always had my mom in the same town with them, and a change in life’s circumstances that meant we had no viable income but were depending on God. Everything was changing, and I am not one who likes any change at all, much less change that turned my world upside down. But God was right there with me and He had a plan. The experience with YWAM was not one I would want to repeat, mostly because they were not set up for young families, even though there were half a dozen of us attending this session. I had to relinquish my young daughter to their daycare early every morning and did not see her again until after evening classes, sometime around dinner. It was breaking my mamma’s heart not to be with Hope, but I dutifully did what the leaders said to do, attending classes, working a job off campus to pay off bills to the school and studying God’s Word diligently. It was in burying myself in His Word that I found the comfort that I needed. After all, it had only been a few short months since my family disappeared and now I was in a new state, living in one room, eating barely recognizable food (we had chicken fly soup a lot…because we said the chicken flew over it but never stayed there), and expected to do the menial labor of cleaning houses for just enough money to pay to do our laundry. I was desolate and felt abandoned by all but God. My husband was preparing to go on a missions trip and I was working extra to help pay for that adventure for him. He, by the way, was all in for YWAM, and I was the reluctant participant. I saw my husband less than I saw our daughter, but that was okay at the time because God was with me. Every spare minute I had was spent in God’s Word, praying for my family and desperate to hear from them. The only people I heard from was the FBI…no, really, the FBI was involved and kept trying to get me to tell them where my parents were. Thanks goodness, I honestly did not know! Anyway, in the darkest, bleakest days of my life, God was right there. He held me in the long nights as I cried out my grief and despair. He comforted me with His Word and reassured me that He was right there with me.

We completed our classes at YWAM and my husband and I decided that since I was pregnant again (in spite of using birth control), he would go back into the military to support our small family. After two years, I unexpectedly got a letter from my mom. The family was in FL and was safe but I couldn’t tell anyone where they were. Eventually, a couple of years later, I was able to visit them because daddy did some kind of deal with the authorities and they knew where he was then. Two years without knowing where they were…two more years before seeing them again. My five year old sister was nine, my brothers were almost grown. In fact, one had quit college and given up a full scholarship to go with my parents when they fled Virginia. They were working and barely surviving, but they were alive! My grandparents, by the way, never got to see them again. They were too frail to travel to FL and my parents could not return to VA (or wouldn’t…I’m not sure). They did talk on the phone, but that was before technology allowed for video calls, so it wasn’t the same as having them less than fifteen minutes away. Anyway, that’s how I know that the more you need God, the more present He is in your life. I would not recommend YWAM to any young family, but for me, at that time and under those circumstances, it was the best place for me. I was filled daily with God’s Word which was the exact nourishment I needed to face each uncertain day.

My parents are both dead now. My siblings have their own families, two in Fl and one in CO. We are all close to each other, clinging to the relationship we have together and all with a faith that one day, we will get to see our parents again in heaven. Whatever the future brings, I have full confidence that God and I can handle it together. My saying to myself and others who wonder at my strength during tragedy is,” Nothing will happen today that God and I cannot handle together.”

Closer Than You Think

In one unsuspecting moment, everything can change.

A relationship can shatter, a dream can suddenly end. Your heart can break for a million different reasons: grief, rejection, loneliness, uncertainty, tragedy, betrayal.

When something terrible happens and the world makes zero sense…

The Lord is close to the brokenhearted; he rescues those whose spirits are crushed. 
Psalm 34:18 NLT

David, the writer of Psalm 34, preached what he lived. He experienced some intense highs and fierce lows, but he recognized God’s presence in the midst of his circumstances. He knew that God was near, and God could change any situation in an instant.

Is your heart broken? Is your spirit crushed?

God is near.
He hasn’t left you to fight for yourself.
He sees you in your heartbreak.
He meets you where you are.
He has not forgotten you.
He has not abandoned you.

This doesn’t mean you won’t face hard things. But even when your mind races and your heart doubts, God offers a peace and an intimacy that cannot be fully explained.

Because of Jesus’ death and resurrection, we now have constant access to God’s presence through His Holy Spirit. There are many places in the Bible where the Holy Spirit is described as the Comforter—ready to soothe, guide, counsel, and encourage. 

The comfort we receive from God is a gift from His Spirit who is always with us. So if your heart is breaking and your spirit is crushed, know that you are in good hands. God is near, and He will not abandon you.

Today, take a few moments to name anything that has crushed your spirit. Then, give yourself permission to just sit in God’s presence for a few moments. When you’re ready, consider memorizing today’s verse and meditate on it throughout your day.

Giving Leads to Being Thankful

On By vickleaIn Scripture, testimony3 Comments

At our house, we give gifts at Christmastime, remembering that the greatest gift that we have ever received was God’s gift of His Son Jesus. We bake a birthday cake for Jesus and sing “Happy Birthday” to Him on Christmas Day. Reflecting on how much God has given puts a spirit of generosity into my heart and it seems to be present in others, too.

I recall seasons when we didn’t have much money to give gifts, but we still celebrated, with small tokens of love and a lot of laughter and fun with family. It has never been about the gifts, but it is always about the giver and the thought that the person put into the gift, the effort they made to get something that they were sure I would enjoy.

But Christmas is not the only season when people need to be remembered and receive gifts. This is a habit that should continue all year long, as God brings someone to our minds and whispers a need that they may have. Then, we meet that need and we end up receiving a blessing because we were obedient. Some people use the phrase, “what goes around comes around” and others say it’s something called Karma. I prefer to think that it’s a circle with God. We give; others receive; they, in turn, give, and eventually, when we least expect it, we receive a blessing. And the end result is being thankful and giving glory to God!

Let me give an example of what happened to us when we were attending Youth With A Mission in New Jersey. This was back in the 70’s and our daughter was still in diapers when God spoke to us about attending this school. I must confess that is was not what I thought it would be because the organization itself was geared more towards young singles, not young families and they really were not ready or equipped to deal with the needs of those of us who had children. There were seven families there with little ones and after a few weeks of struggling with the demanding schedule and lack of nutritious food for our children, we met together to pray. I’m not joking about the food; it was enough to fill the belly but I’m not convinced it was nutritious for any of us. We had muesli for breakfast, which was really baked oatmeal immersed in water. Filling, yes, so we were thankful, but I must say that it was not at all tasty. We usually had PBJ sandwiches for lunch and sometimes for dinner, we had what we jokingly called “chicken fly” soup. We said the chicken flew over the soup but there was no real chicken in it. Anyway, there was no milk on the menu for our little ones. Hope had recently been weaned and needed milk for her young bones to develop well, as did the the other little ones with us. So, in our prayers, we specifically asked God for milk for our children. I don’t remember how faith-filled I felt that night as I went to bed, but I knew somehow God would provide milk for our children; I just had no idea how. After all, each couple had come to the school with only the personal possessions we had not sold to be able to attend the school, so we had no money to go out and purchase it. At the time, none of us was employed, so there was no income to depend on. We had not told anyone else in the school about our concerns and our prayer for milk, so it absolutely had to be a God thing that the next morning, each couple awoke to find a cold gallon of milk outside our doors. Seven gallons for seven couples! We were amazed at God’s provision, testified in the group meeting and waited expectantly for someone to admit that they had been prodded to buy milk for us. No one admitted the purchase, but what was even more miraculous was that each time one of us was running low on milk, a new gallon appeared outside of our door. We thankfully received and gave the milk to our little ones, nourishing their bodies and our souls. That gift has been a testimony for years of God’s provision. He loves little children so much that He takes the time to provide for the nourishment of their physical bodies. I have no doubt that He used someone at that school to do so, but no one came forward to admit their generosity, so I give all of the glory to God who is the provider of all things. In receiving that milk, I was encouraged to complete the training at the school and learned a lot about the Bible, its history and its Author from some really great teachers. I received so much more than the milk for Hope. I got a testimony of God’s provision that has remained a constant reminder of just how much He cares about the little details of our lives. I have shared the testimony numerous times and each time, someone receives a blessing from hearing about it. Not from my words, but from God’s work and the surprises that He has in store for us when we believe and step out in faith.

Generous giving leads to thanksgiving to God which in turn leads to more generous giving and overflowing thanks to God. It’s a circle of giving and receiving and thanking and then doing it all over again. I am always amazed at how God knows and meets our needs, and the story that I told above is a true one that I have shared with my grandchildren who need to know how much God loves them. He truly, truly, watches over each of us and meets our needs. Sometimes, He may use me to meet a need of someone else. Sometimes, if you’re listening, He may use you. Be ready and willing to give and enter the circle of thanksgiving and giving glory to God!

Have a blessed day in the Lord, listening for His voice at all times, because today may be the day that He needs you to be a giver.

Thankful for the Hard Times

On By vickleaIn Scripture, Song, testimony4 Comments

When things get hard, I get closer to the Lord. I push in and almost try to become a part of Him as I pray, sing, whatever I have to do to get as close as possible to the only one that I know can help me.

This morning, I read the testimony of a young woman who went to be with the Lord in February. Her dream was to sing for a wide audience and sing she did, with all of her heart, on an American show on which she was a favorite. She never got to win the final prize or record in a big studio or become famous because she died. But it is her testimony of how she faced the hard times of cancer, and a husband who left her in the midst of her illness, that has stayed with people and crossed the internet repeatedly. I share that with you today just to ponder if you, too, think that you should be thankful in the hard times.

God Is On the Bathroom Floor

The testimony is not perfectly written, but it is heart-wrenching and a true testament of turning to God when things get hard. I cannot imagine what this lovely soul went through, but I know that she went through it with God.

It has always been easier to be thankful when things are going well, when the sky is blue, the weather is perfect, the kids are all healthy and other relationships are in the right place. But that is when I have found that sometimes I forget to be thankful, just because everything is so good. Then, along comes something difficult: a lost job, a staggering economy with high prices, illness, or any number of other things. At those times, I don’t hesitate to go before the Lord and thank Him for His guidance, provision and love. So, why am I (and probably you) so accustomed to going to God readily in the hard times? Because we know that He is our shelter, the only real refuge we have from the onslaught that is life.

I have never suffered as Nightbirde did, but I have faced hard times. And I know that the only answer is finding and holding on to faith in God, no matter whether you find Him in the bathroom, your bedroom or out walking around in the woods. In a world that is spinning out of control, I am thankful that God is stable and holds out His hand to each of us to keep us stable, too. God holds us up if we just call on Him. Our call starts with thanksgiving for His loving presence, in the good times, in the hard times, at all times.

“Hold On To Me “ by Lauren Daigle