I hope by the time you finish reading this that your heart is so in AWE and WONDER for our Lord that it causes you to PRAISE Him with your lips for all of His faithfulness.  When we get a glimpse of His glory we can’t help but share it with the world.

Last week after I shared, “The Storms of Life,” I received a text from one of my new friends I met while working at Wood Elementary in Arlington.  I was only there for a brief 8 months.  The friendships that I made while I was there were intimate and sweet.

I know God had a purpose in my time there and this story proves it to be true.   I asked Jori permission in sharing this beautiful story with each of you.  She is on fire for The Lord after experiencing this and is eager for it to be told so without further ado…enjoy!

“Gennie, what amazing timing of receiving your text and not a coincidence.  I was in prayer on the floor finding the Holy Spirit speaking Ephesians 6 to me.  God has pressed upon my heart an urgency to witness to my friend who has moved to inpatient hospice care yesterday.  Her body is consumed with cancer which she bravely and remarkably fought for 10 years.  She is a devout Mormon.  I have failed to speak to her about her salvation beliefs with her because the enemy placed fear on me.  No more, I am visiting her again tomorrow and God will go before me to prepare the way for HIS work to be done.  He has equipped me with His Armor so I may say the words she needs to accept Christ as her one and ONLY Savior who will take hold and deliver her into HIS Kingdom.  God loves us so much and he will not let her be anywhere but with Him.  Please be praying for her, for me to be trusting and strong, and my friend who is going with me.  Pray Psalm 19:14, “May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart, be pleasing in your sight, O Lord, My Rock and my Redeemer. “

Wow!  The Lord stirred my heart to change my writing for that week due to a storm my family and others were facing.  A STORM!  A difficult and hard time is hard to face.  Sometimes we would rather stay under the covers and sleep through the storm.  When we embrace Him and trust Him He can do what seems to be impossible and make it possible.  “For nothing is impossible with God.” Luke 1:37.  Notice the word WITH.  Notice my beautiful friend’s words of her claiming that God WILL GO before her and WILL deliver His daughter into HIS Kingdom.  As I read the words in the text my eyes grew wet and tears began to fall.  God was using my very storm to spur another believer on in her faith to help a lost one of His to be found.  It made the words of James 1:2-4 come alive for me, “Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance.  Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” I can PRAISE Him in the storm!  You can PRAISE Him in your storm!  He doesn’t waste anything.  Every tear that falls from our eyes he catches in His hands.  He sees our hurts and sufferings and He uses them to mature us and complete us so we are lacking nothing.   Wow! 

Check out the text I received just 1 short day after the first one.  Grab a tissue!  It will leave you with tears of JOY!

“Hi Sweet Sister, my friend and I went to see our friend a bit ago and the Lord went with us and before us.  He made it seamless and easy.  All in His perfect timing.  I used the BSF Steps to Assurance.  She squeezed my friend’s hand to respond positively to knowing Our Lord Jesus as her Savior and Redeemer.  She had her eyes closed the entire time and was not talking…As we began John 3:16 she began reciting it with every breath she had.  Praising God for her secure salvation!  Most humbling experience I have ever been blessed to witness and experience.  HIS amazing love for each and every one of us is beyond sufficient!!!”

Doesn’t that take your breath away!  There is another sister that will be joining all of us followers of Christ in the eternal gates of GLORY!  PRAISE The LORD!  Jori put on her armor and went, she took action and she was NOT afraid.  She had a friend that went with her.  Jesus tells us in Matthew 18:20, “For where two or three gather in my name there am I with them.”  They were gathered in His name telling the good news to their friend who herself is suffering.  Remember the verse in James above where he tells us to consider it pure JOY when we suffer trials of many kinds…this lady has suffered for 10 years battling cancer.  That is a testing of the faith that develops perseverance!  She has persevered!  And look what has resulted…perseverance is completing its work in her.  She is maturing and definitely not lacking in anything!  She is ready to meet her King and Savior!  Hallelujah!

Father, in this very real and broken world where often times we see only the bad reported in the news we thank you for allowing us to see THIS AMAZING GOOD NEWS!  You are MIGHTY to SAVE!  You use our storms to encourage others.  You give strength and courage to those who are afraid, you go before us and you stay with us everywhere we go.  Thank you for giving us a glimpse today of how intimately you are working on our behalf and for others.  Thank you for our trials Lord, that you can use them to complete us so we are lacking nothing.  Each day we want to get closer and closer to looking like you.  Help us to persevere in your Holy name!  Amen