In Our Losses, we find our gain!

                      

                     Letters From the Heart

I have heard it said, “In our losses, we find our gain”, As I prayed about my “testimony”, I asked the Lord just what he wanted me to say, and I believe he wanted me to share a loss and prayer time with you. One of my biggest losses became “my perfecting”. And perfecting is: being reduced to realize God is all you need and it always has been that way.

In the beginning of 1985, a real problem of mine raised its ugly head. My tormentor was giving me a problem, and knowing my weaknesses, was pounding away at my insecurities. One night, when I could not sleep, my dilemma was first and foremost on my mind and heart. I walked the floor in my living room like I was a caged animal. In desperation, I cried out to the Lord and said: “Lord, please, you have got to give me something to hold on to before I lose my mind!” With such a dark cloud hanging and impending disaster coming, I had reached the point of brokenness before the Lord, full surrender. I believe with all my heart that I heard him say to me, “Anne, 1) hold on to what you know as truth and 2) don't be influenced by the ways of the world, 3) I am coming soon”. I picked up my bible and opened it to a random page and there on that page a verse was illuminated to me and I read, 

1^st Samuel 17: 37  David said, The same Lord that delivered me out of the mouth of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine. 

Reading that verse resonated with my whole being and I felt an overwhelming peace, God had heard my desperate cry. Besides, wowwww!! the Lord had just called my dilemma a Philistine!

For this little Baptist girl, I had never been taught much of anything about spiritual warfare, so I went to a friend of mine at work that I knew to be a “prayer warrior” and told her of my experience. She said, “Anne, God has gifted you with this verse and it will always be yours to use in any battle, the way you fight this spiritual battle is with this Word to you from the Lord. Every time the problem comes to your thoughts, every time you hear a bad report about this situation, instead of worrying or even thinking about it, replace the worry with this verse, even if you have to say it is over and over, back to back, hold on to this promise and don't let it go.” I must have quoted this verse hundreds of times during those next days and weeks.

The victory was mine in that situation that God mastered for me with the weapon of His Word and there was no need for anything else. It was the beginning of my perfecting, And perfecting is: being reduced to realize God is all you need and it always has been that way.

2 Corinthians 1:20 For no matter how many promises God has made, they are “Yes” in Christ. And so through him, the “Amen” is spoken by us to the glory of God.

Oh, how I love to tell the story !

Anne with an  "e".

My Inheritance

Letters From the Heart

My joy comes from inside – not from things

I have repeatedly asked the Lord to speak to my heart and help me to know the Word he has for me. Recently, when I read, Mark 11:25 “And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven will also forgive you your wrongdoing”. Hummm, these words penetrated my heart as I tried to push away the guilt I felt for holding on to an incident which I allowed to caused me anger and un-forgiveness. Knowing this nudge was from the Lord, I had to take time and examine my intentions for holding on to this anger.

I have a close family member, by marriage, at least I used to considered this person a close family member, that has reminded me more than once since I have moved back to Georgia, that my inheritance from my earthly family does not exist, as everything was left to them and their side of the family and not to me and my side of the family.  In fact, this person made it very clear that I had insulted them on more than one occasion, concerning my insinuation that my family inheritance had been incorrectly disbursed to them. Please believe me when I tell you this accusation was the first time I had heard it and am convenience this was a huge misunderstanding.

I quickly asked this person's forgiveness, but instead of getting forgiveness,  I received, even more, accusations. Being completely unaware I had been so rude to my family, I again asked this person's forgiveness, but, this person has never said so much as I forgive you, kiss my foot, or go jump in the lake! At first, I was insulted, angry and just plain mad, but as I complained to Dick, my husband, he reminded me to take this to the Lord to get it all straightened out there.

You know, sometimes it just plain feels good to harbor the anger, especially if you feel you have been wronged and you have done everything to make it right! It was not long though until the Lord confronted me in my prayer time about forgiveness toward this person. “Oh, Lord, now do I really need to forgive this person, after all, they started it and I asked for forgiveness from them twice – even in the same day!” I finally gave in and said, “OK Father, will you forgive them through me because I don't want anything to do with them”. I was reminded to pray for this person daily until their words no longer stung my heart.

Forgiveness is not always easy to accomplish. I had to ask the Lord every day to take the anger from me and for Him to forgive them through me. I have indeed forgiven this person and that is one less piece of baggage I have to carry around with me, and the Lord reminds me daily that I have an inheritance that mildew, rust, thieves, and selfish family members can not and will not take away from me.

I have always been a pack rat like my mother. As I reflect on just how intently ugly greed actually is, I am encouraged to start now, to go through my “things” and pass them on to someone else to enjoy and those less fortunate, so my family will not have anything to fight over. Besides, this way I can see someone else enjoying my treasures and receive much pleasure.

Oh, Lord, please deliver me from selfish greed and people that act so ugly and rude over “things”. I thank you, Lord, that you have an inheritance for me that will be so much better than anything here on this earth. I do love you Lord and praise your precious and holy name.

I have read that “Forgiveness is a gift you give yourself”! I believe true forgiveness is a blessing. I feel fully and wonderfully blessed beyond measure and no one can take that from me unless I allow it.

Like the song says:

I have a hope, I have a future,
I have a destiny that is yet awaiting me
My life's not over, a new beginning's just begun
I have a hope. I have this hope.

God has a plan. It's not to harm me
But it's to prosper me and to hear me when I call
He intercedes for me, working all things for my good
Though trials may come, we have this hope

I will yet praise Him, my great Re-deem-er
I will yet stand up and give Him glory with my life
He takes my darkness and He turns it into light
I will yet praise Him, my Lord my God

Goodness and mercy, they're gonna follow me,
And I'll forever dwell in the house of my great King,
No eye has ever seen all He's preparing there for me
Though trials may come, I have this hope

There's still hope for me to-day
For the God of Heaven loves me
I will yet praise Him my Lord my God

I have a hope, I have this hope!

Oh, how I love to tell the story!

Anne with an "e"

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Prayer Time

Letters From The Heart

How many times have you just said the words to your prayer? How many times have you prayed and made a grocery list at the same time or list of what you need to do for the day? How many times have you prayed and your mind wandered over problems unrelated to your present prayer time?

I don't think God likes those prayers, it would be like someone trying to talk to you while distracted by something they thought more important. I believe he would rather us pray like we were talking to him, he “is” right here by us listening intently to every word and concern spoken.

My grandmother only had a third-grade education but was the wisest woman I have ever known. She lived with us at different times during my growing up years and She taught me by example. My memories of her are of sweet victories of peace over and over in her life, and I remember her taking her King James Bible and mumbling over those words, reading it every day and she read and prayed (out loud) during the day most of the nights.

Every night she would pray for the family and I would hear her “call the roll” as she prayed for each one. I listened for my name to be called before I could go to sleep and I truly believe my life today and my walk with God is the result of Annie Mae's prayer times.

Her prayers were not “off the wall” or vague “help me” prayers, but pointed, direct conversations with the heavenly Father, the Father of lights, where she asked for and received a “Word” and her wisdom from the Lord, words of comfort and direction. I remember visiting her one evening and at 89 years old, she said many times during the night when she could not sleep, she would go into the bathroom because she always prayed out loud and so she would not wake anyone, climbed up on top of the clothes hamper, would swing her legs and pray, pray, pray and she said, “it is never enough”! I just never get through praying for people. My Grandmother is my hero of the faith.

Thank you, Father, for a Godly Grandmother who leads by example.  Jesus lead by example when his followers saw him go into the garden at various time to spend time with the Father.  Father, I pray my life will be a living example to those who are close to me and their memories of me will be of faith building memories.

Oh, how I love to tell the story.

Anne with an  'e'