When my husband and I received our first bad check, his first comment was to take them to court. I felt the need to pray and put it in God’s hands. Here’s how God worked it all out:
Rodney, a property manager for several homes, calls us when he needs fencing work. Our business relationship started off great but lately things haven’t been going so well, for Rodney that is. Apparently he has too many properties, no organizational skills, and now as I look at the returned check in my hand with a big stamp across it – Insufficient Funds, no money.
I picked up the phone. “Hey Rodney, this is Karen from Town and Country Fences. How are you doing today?”
“Busy, real busy, what’s up?”
“I got a check from my bank today. It was returned for insufficient funds. It’s the one you wrote for the St. John Street job”.
“No way, that can’t be. I just saw David at the bank and deposited seventeen hundred dollars. You can run that check back through. Sorry about that. It’s okay now.”
Rodney’s voice sounded shaky so I told him okay and goodbye. I looked up at my clock; it was ten minutes to five. Something in my spirit told me that Rodney had lied. I drove to the bank and arrived just in the nick of time with one minute remaining.
I presented the check to the teller and she punched away; then excused herself as she stepped over to the bank manager. I noticed his name on the pen lapel: David Williams.
David came around from behind the teller’s window. “Mrs. Story, can I speak with you a moment?”
I nodded as he continued, “I’ m sorry Mrs. Story this account does not have enough money to cover this check.”
“Really? I just got off the phone with Rodney and he said he made a deposit today.” I was starting to get a little upset and blurted out, “He is not stealing from me, he is stealing from God.”
David continued, “Rodney comes in here every day so why don’t you come back tomorrow.” He handed me the check. “I’ll give him a call and let him know that he needs to make this check good. You see, Rodney is a friend and he has been having some financial issues, but I think it’s time for us to have a Come to Jesus Meeting.”
In response I told him when we first started doing business with Rodney, God had given us a burden of prayer for him. We felt he had problems, but hadn’t had the opportunity to get to know him on a more personal level. We were trying to have a good business relationship and it wasn’t looking too good right now.
He went on, “I am going to call him tonight and I’ll get back with you tomorrow. But I have a question Mrs. Story: what did you mean by saying that Rodney was stealing from God?”
I love it when God opens a door for me to share with others, even if I do sound a little nutty. I told him our church had a building campaign; we prayed before we made a financial commitment. The amount God placed on our hearts was obtainable, but with some sacrificing of things like dinner out less. My brother-in-law blessed us to pieces recently by giving us Town and Country Fences. Every dime we make after bills have been paid, employees paid, we give to the church.
The phone rang the next morning with David on the other end. “Good Morning Karen I hope I haven’t called too early.”
“No. No. I was still asleep,” I responded as I pulled myself and my brain together. “I was writing a story last night, no, it was morning, 3 AM. I had to write it down so as not to forget.”
Rodney replied, “Strike while the iron’s hot. I do that too. I like to paint. Do you want to know why I called?”
“I’m sure it’s about the check. It’s good now?”
“It sure is,” he responded.
“Well isn’t that wonderful. I guess your Come to Jesus Meeting went well?”
“Yes it did.”
“Goodbye David. Thank you for calling me. I better get to the bank, you know, strike while the iron’s hot!”
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Second Chances
God allows all things to work for His good, even for me. All means “all” as in everything, every situation, good or bad. He gives us chances too.
“Mom is in route to the hospital. She collapsed in her church while decorating for Christmas Eve services”, my sister Margaret said hurriedly. “I’m following the ambulance and she’s going to Trident Emergency. I’ll meet you there”.
Quickly getting dressed, jumping into my car, pulling out of the driveway, I called Margaret back on my cell phone.
“Margaret, what happened?”
“Mom is in route to the hospital. She collapsed in her church while decorating for Christmas Eve services”, my sister Margaret said hurriedly. “I’m following the ambulance and she’s going to Trident Emergency. I’ll meet you there”.
Quickly getting dressed, jumping into my car, pulling out of the driveway, I called Margaret back on my cell phone.
“Margaret, what happened?”
“All I know is that she woke up this morning with a headache and was feeling sick to her stomach. She’s throwing up blood and Mary had to get a trash can. Mom gave her my phone number. I got to hang up now. I’m driving, I need to call Matt.”
“Oh Jesus, Father God, Holy Spirit, please, please be with my mom right now. She can’t leave me yet. This is in your hands God. I feel you near me, thank you”, I prayed and drove as fast as I could to Trident. I phoned Craig, my husband, and let him know about Mom and asked him to find Bill, my brother, and bring him to the hospital. I also asked Craig to call Cathedral and get mom on the prayer list.
I parked and ran into the emergency room. Margaret was standing in the hallway. “They have taken her to x-ray, let’s sit in the hallway outside where they have her now”, Margaret spoke while walking towards wherever. I was in la-la land. “This is happening, this is real, just go with the flow”, I told myself as Margaret repeated what had happened at St. Luke’s.
Very soon, it felt, we were able to see Mom. She was sitting up in bed telling us she felt nauseated and has a bad headache. Nurses where around her checking this and doing whatever nurses do. A man appeared and introduced himself as a neurosurgeon. His name was Dr. Tyler and behind him stood mom’s family doctor, Dr. Levinthal. They directed and walked us to a sitting area room across the hall. My brother and husband where coming through the big double doors, spotted us and came into the room.
Dr. Levinthal closed the door and we all found a seat and Dr. Tyler spoke first. “Your mom has had a brain aneurism, that’s why she’s throwing up and her head hurts. We need to stop the bleeding and we are scheduling surgery for tomorrow morning or sooner.”
I remember questions being asked and answered but most of all I recall Dr. Levinthal saying, “We are not sure how well your mother may recover from this, she may have some personality changes”. My sister’s eyes and mind locked together for a moment, and then we both asked as we turned to the doctors, “What do you mean by personality change?”
“Well, it could be for the bad or good. She may not remember things, or she may be sad or moody”. “Oh God” I thought and whispered to Margaret, “Could she be meaner or nicer?”
My mother had surgery on December 24, 2003 and the time now is April 2008. Spring is in bloom in Charleston as I reflect back on the past five years. Mom isn’t the same person she was before the aneurism and neither am I. It’s like God, through the surgeons’ hands, fixed the bleeding but He also changed her personality for the good. She’s happy and content. Mom smiles all the time and loves all the people around her. Her life is simpler now that she doesn’t have a big house to keep up with and she plans trips and looks forward to the future.
God gave me back my Mom. All those wasted years of bitterness between us vanished. During her recovery, I was able to hold her and sit next to her and pray. I helped her learn to dress and walk. Mom would tell me how sweet a girl I was. The look in her eyes reflected that she loved me. No longer do I get the look of disappointment; no longer does she say things that upset me. She nurtures me. I thank God every day for giving us a second chance.
VISION FROM GOD
Every morning for two weeks I stared at the mirror in my bathroom and repeated “Jesus, please come into my heart”. Over and over repeating and awaiting for some miraculous sign that Jesus had entered me.
I would look closer into the mirror and into my eyes. Nothing, no feeling rushing into my chest, no golden light settled from heaven on my body, and no deep male type voice was audible. Shaking my head back and forth, staring back at myself in the mirror each morning, I would wait for something, a sign, until the coo coo sounded from the clock in the living room.
One evening after the Divorce Recovery class I approached Marilyn and asked her a question.
“How do you know if Jesus is in your heart?”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, I’ve been asking Jesus to come into my heart and waiting for a sign and don’t know what to look for.”
Donna, overhearing our conversation stepped in, “Has anyone said the sinner’s prayer with you?”
“No.”
Donna and Marilyn came closer and Donna led me to repeat the prayer. I closed my eyes and bowed my head.
“Father God, I believe that your son, Jesus Christ died for my sins, was resurrected from the dead, is alive, and hears my prayer. I invite Jesus to become the Lord of my life, to rule and reign in my heart from this day forward. Please send your Holy Spirit to help me obey You, and to do Your will for the rest of my life. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen.”
I opened my eyes and looked into Donna’s and smiled. I felt peace within my heart and warm all over and said, “That’s it? It’s done?”
They both nodded and each in turn gave me a big warm hug of reassurance.
The next morning, again in the bathroom mirror, I stared and lean closer into the mirror. Something was different, not sure what, but something feels different.
“Jesus? Please forgive me for being so naïve and thank you for coming into my heart. Thank you for always being just a few steps near me, behind me and before me. You have always been with me. Right?” The house was silent. Thoughts came in my mind.
“Karen, I have great plans for you. Close your eyes and look”.
I felt God speaking to me, not words, but thoughts as if someone was talking to me. I closed my eyes again and leaned on the counter with both hands. The vision was of me standing on stage and talking to a large audience. The lights were low and I was walking back and forth. Next, I was standing to the side of the stage looking behind the curtain at the audience.
I squeezed my eyes and ran from the bathroom into the living room shouting up, “No way!” I opened my eyes and stared up through the ceiling window and the sun filtered through all around me. Again I shouted, “No way!”, as I spun around with hands on my hips and took the you-got-to-be-kidding stance.
Again, God spoke, “It’s not going to happen tomorrow. I’m going to put the right people around you to guide you. It’s not going to happen next week, or next year, or the next. Relax; we have plenty of time, about ten years. You have a lot to learn. Relax!”
“Whew, Wow, Okay, Okay”, nodding my head and taking in a big breath.; slowly letting out my breath, "I can do this. God is not going to let me fail." The coo coo of the clock brought me back to reality. "Ten years is a long time but right now, it’s about 6am and this girl needs to get in the car and get to work".
I have never put that scene out of my head. I smile and giggle when I remember that morning eight years ago. I’m not ready to step out in front of an audience, but I do have a lot to say. So I write for now. I dream as I write and smile, knowing one day I will get there. I see Jesus in my reflection and my heart is full of joy.
Do you have a vision or a dream of your purpose in life? Does it hold a sense of fear when you meditate on it? Or does it make you smile with excitement? Let go of fear. It’s the devil trying to hold you back from your purpose. I’m holding on to my vision and in God’s timing all will come true.
Habakkuk 2:1-3
I will climb up into my watchtower now and wait to see what the Lord will say to me and how he will answer my complaint. Then the Lord said to me, "Write my anser in large, clear letters on a tablet, so that a runner can read it and tell everyone else. But these things I plan won't happen right away. Slowly, steadily, surely, the time approaches when the vision will be fulfilled. If it seems slow, wait patiently, for it will surely take place. It will not be delayed.
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I would look closer into the mirror and into my eyes. Nothing, no feeling rushing into my chest, no golden light settled from heaven on my body, and no deep male type voice was audible. Shaking my head back and forth, staring back at myself in the mirror each morning, I would wait for something, a sign, until the coo coo sounded from the clock in the living room.
One evening after the Divorce Recovery class I approached Marilyn and asked her a question.
“How do you know if Jesus is in your heart?”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, I’ve been asking Jesus to come into my heart and waiting for a sign and don’t know what to look for.”
Donna, overhearing our conversation stepped in, “Has anyone said the sinner’s prayer with you?”
“No.”
Donna and Marilyn came closer and Donna led me to repeat the prayer. I closed my eyes and bowed my head.
“Father God, I believe that your son, Jesus Christ died for my sins, was resurrected from the dead, is alive, and hears my prayer. I invite Jesus to become the Lord of my life, to rule and reign in my heart from this day forward. Please send your Holy Spirit to help me obey You, and to do Your will for the rest of my life. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen.”
I opened my eyes and looked into Donna’s and smiled. I felt peace within my heart and warm all over and said, “That’s it? It’s done?”
They both nodded and each in turn gave me a big warm hug of reassurance.
The next morning, again in the bathroom mirror, I stared and lean closer into the mirror. Something was different, not sure what, but something feels different.
“Jesus? Please forgive me for being so naïve and thank you for coming into my heart. Thank you for always being just a few steps near me, behind me and before me. You have always been with me. Right?” The house was silent. Thoughts came in my mind.
“Karen, I have great plans for you. Close your eyes and look”.
I felt God speaking to me, not words, but thoughts as if someone was talking to me. I closed my eyes again and leaned on the counter with both hands. The vision was of me standing on stage and talking to a large audience. The lights were low and I was walking back and forth. Next, I was standing to the side of the stage looking behind the curtain at the audience.
I squeezed my eyes and ran from the bathroom into the living room shouting up, “No way!” I opened my eyes and stared up through the ceiling window and the sun filtered through all around me. Again I shouted, “No way!”, as I spun around with hands on my hips and took the you-got-to-be-kidding stance.
Again, God spoke, “It’s not going to happen tomorrow. I’m going to put the right people around you to guide you. It’s not going to happen next week, or next year, or the next. Relax; we have plenty of time, about ten years. You have a lot to learn. Relax!”
“Whew, Wow, Okay, Okay”, nodding my head and taking in a big breath.; slowly letting out my breath, "I can do this. God is not going to let me fail." The coo coo of the clock brought me back to reality. "Ten years is a long time but right now, it’s about 6am and this girl needs to get in the car and get to work".
I have never put that scene out of my head. I smile and giggle when I remember that morning eight years ago. I’m not ready to step out in front of an audience, but I do have a lot to say. So I write for now. I dream as I write and smile, knowing one day I will get there. I see Jesus in my reflection and my heart is full of joy.
Do you have a vision or a dream of your purpose in life? Does it hold a sense of fear when you meditate on it? Or does it make you smile with excitement? Let go of fear. It’s the devil trying to hold you back from your purpose. I’m holding on to my vision and in God’s timing all will come true.
Habakkuk 2:1-3
I will climb up into my watchtower now and wait to see what the Lord will say to me and how he will answer my complaint. Then the Lord said to me, "Write my anser in large, clear letters on a tablet, so that a runner can read it and tell everyone else. But these things I plan won't happen right away. Slowly, steadily, surely, the time approaches when the vision will be fulfilled. If it seems slow, wait patiently, for it will surely take place. It will not be delayed.
Click Here to Read More..
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