I wasn’t sure what I was hoping for when I signed up Jim and me for a faith conference coming to our city. Mostly, I wanted to see something I’d only read about and seen so far on TV–a miracle. I had no idea that what I would hear in the first few minutes would prepare and guide me through a tough time in my life that I didn’t know was coming.
On our way to the conference, I was going over activities in my mind I’d considered cutting from my schedule. With all the things I had going, I felt I wasn’t doing anything well. Some on the list were big things that needed Jim’s input. Not sure why I thought the short drive to the conference would be a good time to discuss them with him, but I did. Casually I asked, “Should we be spending so much time and money on our house right now?” After briefly listing a few other things, I progressed to the biggy, “Should I retire my business?” Knowing it was a lot to consider, I let him know I wasn’t expecting an answer. At that point, I was just sharing my thoughts. When we arrived at the convention center and found a parking space, Jim took my hand and suggested we ask God what He would have us cut from my list. So, we prayed and quickly asked God for His priorities. The answer also came quickly.
At the conference, the opening speaker announced that he’d recently become the ministry’s CEO and shared how overwhelmed he was feeling with all there was to do. I was already relating, but then he said, “And our properties are all in need of repair!” That really got my attention. Then he shared the answer he got after praying for priorities, “Don’t cut anything, come up to a higher level of faith. And get your house in order!” is what the Lord told him. Jim and I looked at each other in amazement and agreed that it was our answer too!
Knowing that faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God, I decided to make my Bible study a priority. In fact, I added two more Bible studies I felt the Lord had led me to. When the studies began to be too much to get done during the week, instead of letting some questions slide and only complete what I had time for, I committed to finishing them all. Believing it would bring me to a higher level of faith and everything would get done, I asked my study groups to pray that I’d be able to keep that commitment. And we also continued fixing up our house.
With all the Bible studies, I was learning so much, and my faith was growing. I was praying more and even learning through my prayers. Jim was due for the blood test that checks if cancer has returned, and before he left, I prayed the test would prove by Jesus’ stripes he was healed. While saying goodbye, a correction to my prayer came to my mind. So, I said to him, “It’s not your blood that proves you’re healed–it’s Jesus’ blood.” After Jim left, another correction came to me. Again I prayed, “Lord, Your blood proved Your word that says by Your stripes Jim is healed. And your resurrection is proof that all of that is true!”
One of the new Bible groups I had joined decided their next study would be about heaven. They looked forward to knowing more about where they were headed, but I wasn’t all that excited about it. I was more interested in learning how to bring heaven to earth as Jesus prayed in the Lord’s prayer. Since I’d completed the one study, I thought it was a good time to step out of that group. That decision was turned around the next morning while watching a preacher on TV talking about thinking small. “You gotta think bigger,” he said. I’d heard that kind of thing before, but what he said next was a game-changer for me. He said, “Stop trying to bring God’s plan down to your level. Let God take you up to His level.” Wow, I felt like God was saying to me, “How do you think you can bring heaven to earth without first knowing what heaven is like?” He had me on that one!
Two days after deciding to stay and study heaven, my best friend’s daughter called and told me her mom had died. It was so hard to believe. My friend couldn’t have died so suddenly at age 64. I didn’t want it to be true and hoped it was a terrible dream I’d wake up from. About an hour later, the thought came to me–why didn’t I have Sarah put the phone up to Barb’s ear so I could tell her to get up in the name of Jesus? I hadn’t even thought of it. When I told Jim it was because I didn’t have the faith, he said, “You have the faith now, do it now.” But Sarah might not still be there, or they may have taken Barb already, I answered. Find out, he said, call her. I didn’t know if it would work out, and Sarah might think I’m crazy, but with Jim’s encouragement, I called Sarah back. She answered and was still at the hospital outside the room where her mother lay. I asked her if she would put the phone to her mother’s ear. She didn’t comment or ask any questions as I feared. She only said she had to get someone to let her in. To my surprise, it only took a couple of minutes, and she had the phone on my friend’s ear. I had the chance, so boldly, I said, Barbara Lynn–get up in the name of Jesus! I said it a couple of times and then asked Sarah if her mom woke up. No, Sarah said. My friend didn’t get up, but I was glad I gave her that chance. I was also glad to have had the faith to think of it, though delayed.
Thinking it might cheer me up, I greeted at church that Sunday as if nothing happened. I was doing pretty well until one lady asked how my week went, and I said, “Oh, not so good, actually.” I said it in a way most would have nodded in sympathy but not this lady. She looked me in the eye and asked what was going on. So, I told her my best friend of fifty years had died suddenly on Friday. Then she pulled me aside and said something my friend would have said as she hugged me, “Oh honey, I’m so sorry.” I cried, she cried too and held me until she thought I was ok to go back to greeting. I guess it was what I needed. Thank you, Lord.
Jim and I drove to Texas for the funeral. While there, I was glad to have a quiet moment to explain to Sarah about putting the phone to her mother’s ear. “Everyone has a different way of coping,” she said. When I told her what I’d actually said, she seemed to like it, even believed it could have happened and was glad too I’d given her mom that chance. I was happy to hear her say her mom would have wanted to come back to life. Some don’t, I’m told.
I thought I’d have a friend who could tell me first hand what heaven is like, but that didn’t happen. Still, learning more about where my friend is and what she’s doing made the study of heaven that much more interesting.
To be continued . . . see Courage Ridge
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