Such as the day that JFK died, both of my parents can tell me exactly where they were the day they heard that news, or the day that 911 happened, I am sure all of us can say we know exactly where we were the day we heard that news.
I will say as terrible as those days may have been (because they did not directly effect me personally) there is nothing like loosing someone that was
so very special to you and that you loved with all your heart.
I will never forget exactly where I was and exactly how I felt. I was expecting my last child and my parents were so scared that the news would cause pain to my unborn baby girl so they came to me personally instead of breaking the news over the phone.
It was a Sunday morning and we were at church, my husband and I were working in Jr. Church. My parents told my husband first and as I came through the door I knew something terrible had happened by the looks on their faces. My first thought was my brother....as they told me what happened to my cousin Tom my heart sank to my stomach and I began to cry and hurt like I have never hurt before.
I just could not believe that this terrible news was true. I had often talked to Tom about the Lord and I had tried many times to get him to pray with me and ask the Lord to save him and he would tell me he knew what he needed to do, but would not make a decision while with me.
I pray that before Tom died that he asked the Lord to save him and I have to hold onto the hope that he did otherwise life without him would be so terribly painful. I cannot change any of that now but what I can do is continue to pray for the family that is still here and able to make a clear decision for Christ.
As I was growing up, Tom's sister Tam and I were close but we were both strong willed and sometimes we would butt heads, we would be besties for a while and then we would not talk for a while, then we would be besties again. We loved each other cause that is what family does.
After Tom passed on it drove me to my knees praying for my family. I would pray over a list every day asking God to save those that were lost in my family. As time went by my prayer list had changed and maybe I did not pray for those in my family like I should have, but God and his wonderful mercies still blessed the prayers that I did pray for all those years.
I do not live in the same state as my family any longer and over the years had lost contact with my cousin Tam. My mom and her mom are best friends and I would stay up on their lives through moms contact with her sister. Recently my aunt had become sick and my mom took her home after her surgery and had taken care of her through her illness. God reconnected our families through this illness. Praise the Lord!
I was driving home from work on a Friday and I felt an overwhelming urge to go to Ohio for the weekend so I called ahead and told my husband and by the time I was home the family was packed and ready to go. We all love to spend time at my parents house. In my mind I just wanted to hang out and relax with the family but God had different plans for this wonderful weekend.
Saturday night my cousin Tam came over after work and we sat around the table sharing much laughter, but then the Lord moved in and the whole discussion took on a more serious tone. Tam began to tell me how she had been doing a lot of thinking about the Lord and about how she wanted her life to be different, she had begun to clean up her life and she was trying very hard to be good enough, but always felt she fell short.
God and his mercy began to open Tam's eyes to the truth as I showed her scriptures from his word.
That night I believe God took all those times I had prayed for Tam and began to fulfill what I had asked him to do so many times before. That night at the dining room table of my parents house Tam bowed her head and asked the Lord to save her.
I know there is nothing better than the day that you get saved and the joy that floods your soul but I have to say the second most wonderful thing in this world has to be the day God allows you the blessed opportunity to take his word and open it up and show someone you love so much and you have prayed for so hard that path that leads to HIM!
It was a great priviledge to see Tam become a part of the family of God.
I really want to encourage each of my readers to never give up on praying for your loved ones. We never know what the Lord is doing in their hearts.
I love you so much Tam and I am so glad you allowed me the opportunity to never have to doubt where you are going when you die and no doubt you are blessed to have that assurance too!
Pray without ceasing!
7 comments:
When I read your post tears welled up inside and out. I have been praying for a daughter and family for years. They live about 12 miles from us but have nothing to do with us because of their life style. I ache sometimes to take her in my arms
and lead her to the Lord. This encouraged me to never give up. Keep on praying. Thanks! I invite you to visit my blog. Become my 60th follower.
This is so wonderful and beautiful it is overwhelming. I am so glad to hear that your dear cousin found salvation! A weight has been lifted Rebecca I am sure! And all we can do is find ourselves on our knees praying for those we love... so we can all be together in the end! Thank you for sharing!!!
I love ya Becky, I will never doubt gods love for me. I will also pray and pray and pray for those I love to seek him out to, because I know now god works through those he has saved. I know he will do his work in the end, because gods will is gods will. When I meet him I will not question him I will simply say thank you for your love and your grace. If I could even reach out to one lost soul, one lost lamb, I was the one a stray, and he forsaked all of them to save one. and he used his saved children to do so. I will live better and read my bible much because now I know, I was trying to hard to find what was already there. just ask, simply ask, he loves me the same as he loves all his children, I was just lost. and felt unworthy of him. I will never be good enough for him, but he will not forsake me. And he will be with me everyday to guide me. with his word I will grow and I will be strong enough to pray for the ones I love. GOD IS GOOD, I am his child and he has saved me. I am thankful for you Becky who showed me the way.
I'm always amazed at what God does through prayer! Glad I stopped in from The Girl Next Door contest to read this. Blessings!
I already left a comment but this one has the correct link to my contest entry!
Very beautiful and powerful post. Thank you.
I've been remiss about visiting my Followers folloing my Beloved Husband's surgery. It is such a blessing to resume my visits with this wonderful story. We all have loved ones who have not yet come to the Lord for their salvation. I prayed for more than twenty years for my own son. He was in his 40's, at the bottom in so many ways, when he had to come home to his parents. Failed marriages, child lost to divorce, physical abuse, yet he said "I know religion is important to you, but it just isn't to me." Less than two weeks later, though, after witnessing by his sister, our pastor and our youth pastor, the call came and he said, "I understand. I've accepted Jesus."
Never, ever, ever give up praying.
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