I'm on the mountaintop
Posted by: designsbyfisher <designsbyfisher@...>
Brother Brian, and fellow Christians. God is awesome.
I know that y'all know that, but we can never say it enough.
I'm having a major mountaintop experience, and God is showing me things like
never before. If y'all don't mind me taking several minutes of your time,
I'd love to share some thing with y'all.
God has been performing an awesome transformation in me. I've read the book
A Seeking Heart, about finding true worship in the everyday. In everything
we do,
we can show our praise to our awesome Creator, Father, and Lord.
Please know that I'm reporting these things totally to glorify That which is
in me, and
not myself. God is awesome, and even though I've often failed Him, He has
still managed
to show Himself to others through me.
He's so amazing. This may get to be kind of long, but please bear with me,
because I've got to share this again (I've done so with family and local
friends in
person) or I'm going to burst.
It started about 5 months ago. I really felt like God was calling me to do
something or
serve Him in some radical way. I had no idea what, when, why, where or how,
but I felt that call. But, I had Satan right there saying things like, "Why
should you
have to do that haven't you done enough" and "You've already been through so
much, God
doesn't expect any more of you", and "Well, don't you remember when you
committed
such and such sins."
Well, we visited a different church a couple of months ago, and the message
was about
Satan, what he is, and what he is not. It was amazing, because it opened my
eyes so much
to what God required of me.
So, I knew I had a mission, but had no idea what. I decided to try talking
to the pastor of
this church, and through no fault of his or mine, our schedules have not
been compatible
enough to meet yet, we are supposed to Friday.
Okay, so I knew I had a call, and God was edifying me with the tools I need
to complete this task even though I still didn't know what the task was. I
found myself
famished for the Word, and craving EVERYTHING spiritual. I found myself
being thrown into
close contact with my neighbors through various summer activities, and guess
what???????
This was the call God had for me. I knew once I saw the needs our immediate
neighbors have, that
I was put here just for that. I looked into the Lighthouse home ministry,
but cannot afford the package right now, but I'm starting my own
neighborhood witness project.
(Actually God's own!)
Anyway, I've also had a cousin who was physically, mentally, emotionally and
sexually
abused as a child. She is now 52 and raising her grandson while her 31 year
old son
lives with her, but won't hold down a job, and won't support his son. My
cousin is on
disability, and financial situations for them are far worse than anything
I've ever seen, but
this cousin is also suicidal at times. She professes to be a Christian,
but I had my doubts.
She came to stay with me this weekend, with her grandson, and we talked and
talked
and talked. I discovered the best way to tackle the actual salvation
question by telling her
that we were going to wipe the slate clean, start from scratch and build
from the foundation
up. We went through the steps of salvation, and we realized that my fear
was correct. But,
she did come to know Christ personally. It was awesome. (You'll find I'll
use that word frequently
in this letter, there's no other word I can find that fits).
Well, her grandson desperately needed school supplies. The way that her
self-esteem was
when she got here, if I'd have called one of the local charities to help
with them, it would have
hurt even more. I didn't have a dime to spend on the supplies that wasn't
intended for bills,
but my family and I prayed over it, and truly felt led by the Spirit to do
this. We knew that if we
abandon and surrender all to Him for His purpose, He will provide for us.
I also bought both my cousin and her grandson a Bible each. Good study
Bibles that they can
understand. It was so neat to sit back and watch God's hand in everything,
though. She and
her grandson were supposed to come up here the first weekend this summer.
At that point, if God would have led her here, I'm really afraid that Satan
would have won a
major battle. God used this attach from Satan to keep me humble, and I
wouldn't
have seen it had it been 3 months ago. You see, even though I knew that
they
appreciated what I was doing, they never actually said thank you. I would
have
been offended had it happened then, but God was showing me that I was doing
this for His glory, not mine, and that this was to benefit them, not me.
I'm also going Thursday to have lunch with my cousin's son (the boy's
father) and to "care front"
(Not confront or attach) him. He needs a wake up call, and I feel led to do
this, so please pray
for this. He has been approached by several members of our family, and
hasn't changed, and
I don't think that I'm any better, but I'm going to try a different
approach.
Okay, that was project #1
Project #2
(Please pray for these projects daily, they are ongoing ministries that my
family is doing)
We have a couple in the neighborhood who have 2 kids (+ 2 from a previous
marriage of
his) she is pregnant again, and they are getting married September 30. She
is having some
problems with the pregnancy, and really wants this baby. We have mowed
lawns (her fiancee
is a long distance truck driver and is out of time all the time.), fixed
meals, talked and listened.
She's precious and we are getting to be good friends.
Project #3
We have a 16 year old girl across the street from us that we had never met
or even seen since we moved into this house 1 year ago. When we talked, and
she was asking me what kind of music, magazines, etc. my girls liked, I told
her that I SENSOR everything they bring in the door (they even do it
themselves if I over look something.) I figured we would go another year
with out seeing her again, and she now stays over here alot.
She's sweet, but has been unrestricted in her behavior, and really needs
good Christian fellowship.
Project #4
Our neighbor right next to us have a young (about 1) son that just had
surgery done. The wife works days,
the man works nights, and they also have a daughter that's almost 3. The
wife's brother is handicapped,
and she has major problems psychologically. We've baby-sat for them to give
them a break, and just
dropped by to visit.
Project #5
My parents (my mom is 74 and my dad is 72) are my neighbors on the opposite
side.
I went to them Saturday rejoicing in the way that they decided to raise me
(for Christ)
after I heard from my cousin what it was like growing up in her home. I
also called
all 4 of my sisters and 2 brothers, my mother-in-law, and several other
family members
and friends and told them that I love them and how blessed I am to have them
in my life.
Okay, God is working all this, letting me homeschool, and renewing my spirit
constantly.
He is AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!
Satan is wreaking havoc on my health, though. He's learned that right now
anyway, he
can't get me in the spiritual realm, so is aiming for a very vulnerable site
for me.
Another thing that has happened, is that I'm seeing such awesome things in
my children.
All three of them are Christian, but, well, I don't know how else to put it
but like this, and
this may be confusing, but I'm trying to include everything and it's getting
to be a lot.
During our worship service, I felt a presence that I have never felt before.
I know I was
saved when I was 6 and I know that I've had times when I was living in the
"perfect" will
of God. but never have I had a worship relationship like this. I wasn't
worshipping the
God afar off in heaven, I was worshipping the Lord and Savior that resided
in my heart.
It was amazing!
At the first note of the altar call, I went to the altar. Just to rejoice.
I have a great friend
at this church that I've know for years, who joined me at the altar, because
she knew exactly
why I was there. We've talked about this all week, and I was so excited
about Sunday coming.
She told me this, "Beth, I have to tell you, when I was sitting in the choir
I was staring at your
girls. They are beautiful. They have outer beauty, yes, but they have a
peace and a love for
the Lord, and the true joy that comes from that all over their faces. I
turned around right then
and looked at this sight again, because I had seen the same things myself.
It was so awesome.
Then, I went and got my cousin from her seat, and took her to the altar, my
friend talked to her,
and our pastor's wife talked to her.
My 12 year old looked over at me during the praise and worship songs, and
said, "Mom, I
really, actually FEEL God's presence here." We have been struggling with
our church, because
we have such friends there, but this constant spiritual hunger that I have
right now was not being
met, and we were visiting trying to find a place to be fed.
Well, needless to say, we found it.
Okay, enough for right now. I've had 3 asthma attacks tonight, and I'm
physically drained. But
before I go, this experience let me to write another poem. It, too, only
took about 5 minutes to
write down, but was amazing to me, and I want to share it with you.
Your awesome splendor dawns before me
Like a flash across the sky
It shines Your love in every corner
Making doubtful shadows fly
Your glory has no equal,
Your majesty no competition.
In You my raptured soul
Can only be still and listen
You breathe Your Spirit in me
Renewing my troubled soul
It brings much needed healing;
Makes my life complete, whole.
It brings heavenly music
Where blaring noise prevailed
It shows me that when I seek Your face
My mission cannot fail.
It brings sweet peace and harmony
Where utter chaos reigned
It whispers all the mysteries
Your precious grace explains
It leads my heart to sing to You;
To shout with a mighty voice
To let my love and adoration
Grow as I rejoice.
For only now in bowing to you,
And falling on my knees
Can I soar with unabandoned freedom,
For now I'm truly free.
I'll share more later,
In our Precious Lord's service,
Beth
designsbyfisher@inteliport.com