God gives us a glimpse of the Kingdom of heaven sometimes and it takes my breathe away. To be in the midst of his redeeming power, His Grace , His mercy and His awesome restoration. To watch someone live out the promises of God from scripture is a privilege i cannot believe He gives to us. It is breathless. It is beautiful. It is God.
My friend Sandi is the promise of scripture being lived out right in front of all of us. She would never count herself as a Christian woman to gain wisdom from or to be mentored by but I have learned so much from her in the last 10 months than I think I have in all the 10 years of christian community and bible study put together........or maybe its just that her raw relationship with God is so in-your-face beautiful I cant help but watch and be forever changed by it. There is no room for "filler" or "pretending" anything or any part of it -her relationship is long over due or perfectly timed either way a force for the enemy to be reckoned with.
The enemy has had his hand around her neck pushing her under the water and releasing her for just enough time for a quick glimpse and breath of the world he said she wasn't worthy of. Enough of a glimpse to want it enough time for her to need it in order for him to snatch it from her...to drown her again in a world his lies said was hers. The joy he must have felt when the little girl she was became engulfed and entangled in a web of evil, a story board of nightmares, the very opposite of the promises she was told when she was little in church about a loving God and His light in a dark world. The light was not something to be believed. When your world is so dark and you are drowning there isnt even a flicker to reach for. There is nothing. there is dark there is evil there is ever present pain. Physically, mentally, emotional and spiritually. There are no promises. Just survival. She couldn't even look forward to the odd breathe she could catch at the surface.You would need hope for that. She hadn't seen hope for a long time. He thinks he won. He sees victory. SO many years. SO much damage. He must have won........but no....our God says otherwise..
Isaiah 61 " he has sent me to bind up the broken hearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from the darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the Lords favor and the day of vengeance for our God, to comfort all who mourn and provide for those who grieve in Zion- to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness a planting of the Lord for the display of his splendor"
My friend Sandi has been free for over 10 months now and living for Jesus. Free from addiction, free from the streets, free from the enemies plan for her life. She is no longer captive but released from the darkness and is now proclaiming the Lords favor in her life. Her life is a sign of Gods vengeance against the enemy. God has now comforted her as she mourns her old "self" and as she grieved her past life. She wears the biggest most beautiful crown and the ashes are blown into the wind. She is an outpouring of gladness and goodness and praise. She is a strong oak of righteousness and her life a display for the Lords splendor.
On Sundays my friend Sandi was taking the Alpha course with us at R.A.W for 15 weeks. One of the things she reminds me of from the course is that when we break one commandment we break them all-I am grateful for the reminder of that lesson she gives me. When Alpha was over God led her to a wonderful church around the corner from her to connect with as she travels on this wonderful journey with Him. THIS past Sunday she took her grandson to church with her so he could go to Sunday school...yes her grandson is being led to the Lord by his grandmother a wonderful woman of God......................I think we know who won.
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