How God Shows Me He Cares

I just have to share the incredible highs and lows of this weekend. My day job has turned into quite an abusive situation and Friday things really went downhill. Now you can't know me personally but you'll just have to take my word for it when I tell you that while I may often get a little annoyed at something or someone, I am rarely flat-out, full-blown angry. And that's how the work week ended.

I met with my writers group Friday night and came home, my mind churning all the while trying to figure out how to deal with the incredible anger surrounding this very unjust, unprofessional situation that has been boiling over at work. It is about the lowest of low points for me. When I am reduced to the point of wanting to cry, it is very, very severe.

But let me tell you how God has been working this weekend. A clear symbol to me that He cares, and also a very clear injection of His sense of humor.

After writer's group Friday night, I didn't get home until shortly after 10:00 p.m. I was emotionally drained, physically exhausted and dreading the weekend, where I knew I was going to stew and fume over the work thing. The message light on my answering machine was blinking and my first thought was "Oh great. What now?"

It turns out I had an automated voicemail nessage from In Touch, announcing that Dr. Stanley would be in Phoenix doing a book signing on Sunday (today). I can't tell you what that did for my troubled heart--anticipating nothing but a weekend of misery, then to be given a glimmer of hope and assurance that something good would indeed happen this weekend. I needed that. You have no idea how much.

And God's sense of humor came in the next part of the message--Dr. Stanley was here to sign copies of his book "Surviving In An Angry World." That is so consistent with how God has used Dr. Stanley in the roughly 22 years I've been watching him on television. The reason Dr. Stanley means so much to me is because God uses him to get across just the message I need at just the right time, and there has never been anyone better at teaching God's word in a practical way than Dr. Stanley. God has gifted him tremendously in this way.

So I knew I couldn't miss this book signing. I went about an hour and a half early because I knew the line would be long and I was right. Fortunately, the first 15-20 of us who got there had chairs to sit in and wait. The rest had to stand for a very long time. They had this book signing organized to a T. Get 'em in, get 'em out. Bless him, Dr. Stanley is going to be so tired when this book tour is done!

The whole time I sat there waiting for it to start, I had to fight back tears. There's no way I could describe what he has meant in my life or in the lives of other people I know. And the thought of finally getting to meet him in person, to finally, FINALLY have an opportunity to say the very insufficient words "Thank you" just overpowered my heart. I prayed that God would keep me from bawling like a baby because I could already feel it coming.

I only had a few seconds whle he signed my book, but I said something like "Dr. Stanley, I wish there was a better word than thank you to express my gratitude for how God has used you to work in my life." or words to that effect. He thanked me and shook my hand and that was it. And while I was on the verge of tears, thankfully I managed not to cry.

I have never met him before today but Dr. Stanley has the gentlest spirit, the most humble manner of anyone I've ever met. If I yield myself to God even a third of what Dr Stanley has done, then boy what a difference I will be able to make in life.

I don't know how many people total showed up for the book signing. This was at Borders in Phoenix, and the signing was on the upper level. When I had my books signed and left, the line stretched all the way across the upper level of the store. When I came back at 1:30, about a half hour before the signing was to end, the lines still stretched far back into the store though not all the way.

Zowie. I'm so grateful to have been given the chance to say thanks. All my troubles seem pale in comparison to that.

If You'd Like To Pray For Our Nation

At InTouch.org, they're doing a sign up to pray for our nation for 140 days beginning on July 5th.

There's a link (pasted below) where you can sign up. You'll receive a weekly email with the scripture focus and the subject being prayed about that week. You can also download a PDF file which gives an overview of the topics covered for those 20 weeks.

If interested, click this link:
http://www.intouch.org/site/c.cnKBIPNuEoG/b.6096313/k.6D2F/140_Days_of_Prayer.htm

Have a great weekend!

The People God Puts In Your Life

Back on December 16th I blogged about the pastor on Maryland's Eastern Shore who gave me my biblical grounding and laid the foundation for the rest of my life with the Lord.

Here over a month later, that theme is still very much on my mind, because it brings to mind yet another person I'm so very grateful for. In this case, someone I've not actually met.

Dr. Charles Stanley.

My Aunt Granny "introduced me" (via TV) to Dr. Stanley and In Touch some 20 years ago (oh how time flies!) and we'd sit and watch his weekly messages on TV. Using the foundation my Maryland pastor laid, I was always certain to measure any preacher's words against what God says in the Bible.

Dr. Stanley has never once let me down.

I am simply in awe of how God uses people to carry on His work. I have been privileged to have many wonderful pastors as part of my life, but I have never ever heard ANYONE who is so gifted at explaining God's word in practical terms as Dr. Stanley does. That is no disrespect to any pastors I have had. It is simply the particular way in which God has chosen to use Charles Stanley.

I also love that his ministry, at least to me, is equal parts reaching the lost as well as 'growing up' those who are already saved. It is the greatest commission to lead souls to Christ, but once they're saved, they need training. And In Touch Ministries does that beautifully.

I am so thankful to God for the incredible resources available to me through the In Touch website. I have the weekly broadcast messages; I can also listen to the six days a week radio broadcasts; I have access to the Life Principles Notes; In Touch Magazine (hard copy and online); the daily devotionals; in depth studies and a host of other things.

All this because from the dawn of time God has carefully planned out who He would use for His purposes and how He would use them. And then if those people are submissive to God's will, are willing to be servants to carry out His plan, marvelous things happen.

One particular message broadcast on In Touch has so touched me that I have watched it a good 5-6 times. The message is entitled "A Life-Changing Prayer." If you'd like to view this broadcast, go to http://www.InTouch.org then click on broadcast/video archive and scroll down to September 2009 and click the video. In this broadcast, in addition to many other wonderful points, he tells how God began working in the life of a 4 year old girl and showed us how that one little girl impacted millions of lives.

We have the power to impact lives too. If we are willing to serve. In this day and age, we don't like the terms "serve" and "submission." Okay well, if you're a writer there is one type of submission that you like. 8-) But in the kingdom of God, those words mean the greatest of achievements, the greatest of results, the greatest of rewards. In whatever we do---writing, teaching, our day job, whatever, I pray that we will serve and submit ourselves to God and let Him show us the unique plan He has for us.