Result of Prayer!

[CarlA]

I'm a drunk. Sober since 1989. Saved in 1985.

I have two children. My wife and I were not married when we had them. I was not raised in a Christian home, but my parents were old school, and believed that marriage was permanent. After I sobered up thanks to AA we split up. That lasted from 1991 thru 2002. I can't find the documentation now cause we have stuff all put away for move. BUT somewhere in the later 90s my son and I agreed to pray a prayer from the Bible for mom every day for a month. We did this for the agreed month and then quit praying after that. Meanwhile mom would go out with the pastor's wife once in a while. One day they came back and parked in the driveway. The Pastor's wife started talking to mom and praying for her. Shortly after our prayers and her talking with the pastor's wife, my wife gave her heart to Jesus!! We were married shortly after that. And were husband and wife until she went to be with the Lord in April 2022 while I was reading to her from the Bible.

Thank You Jesus.

 

[mattfivefour]

What a beautiful testimony, Carl! God truly answers the prayers of His children. I am so sorry to hear that your wife passed on in 2022. The last time we spoke (in fact the last time we saw each other) she was still alive. What a comfort in the midst of grief, though, to know where she is and the joy she is experiencing, and that in God's timing you will be joining her. In the meantime, He clearly has a purpose for you. Being open to being used by Him will bless you beyond measure, my brother.

 

[CarlA]

And I am firmly getting to the point that our personal TESTIMONY is one of our really valuable witnessing tools.

 

[Everlasting Life]

CarlA, did your wife pass from bladder cancer?

I'm wondering if you're the same Carl from another forum.

 

[mattfivefour]

And I am firmly getting to the point that our personal TESTIMONY is one of our really valuable witnessing tools.

In fact it is our most valuable tool, Carl. It is our testimony that gives evidence to the truth of the Gospel.

 

[CarlA]

Yes I am Carl from Rapture Forum. It was my wife that died from bladder cancer in April 2022.

 

[CarlA]

What a beautiful testimony, Carl! God truly answers the prayers of His children. I am so sorry to hear that your wife passed on in 2022. The last time we spoke (in fact the last time we saw each other) she was still alive. What a comfort in the midst of grief, though, to know where she is and the joy she is experiencing, and that in God's timing you will be joining her. In the meantime, He clearly has a purpose for you. Being open to being used by Him will bless you beyond measure, my brother.

I was never broken up with her leaving. We had discussed what happens when a Christian dies many times. So in my heart I just KNEW that she was in Heaven with Jesus. We had talked about her recurring cancers breast and bladder cancer. When she found out that her cancer had returned she made the decision to "no extensive efforts to cure it". Then she was put in a home because I could no longer take care of her by myself. I would visit almost every day. Some times she was awake and sometimes she just slept.

So we held hands and we prayed and talked until the end. Last day she was half awake. I read to her from the Bible and when I was done reading I noticed that she had gone to sleep for the last time. So I will see her again when I get to Heaven!

 

[mattfivefour]

Praise God for His great comfort!

 

[Margery]

Carl thank you for that reassurance about giving our testimonies. I often avoid it, because mine has a lot of negative stuff in it, that I know God used to bring me out of into great blessing. I shouldn't do that. It's only in the last few years here and a little bit at RF that I'd open up about my past.

When I've given it in person at various church ladies groups people sometimes don't like that God took me thru one valley after another (it's also long) and don't understand that it's in the valleys that I gained such blessing.

-I used to be part of a church infected with the prosperity health and wealth gospel so that was part of the response- but even in the Baptist church I went to after that my experience was so far removed from theirs that it was a shock to the ladies there.

It was weird because they loved it when I taught the Bible- but I was teaching them the stuff I learned the hard way. I would try to get it across that the valleys weren't something to fear- they don't "feel good" at the time but a lot of the time even in that Baptist church they were infected by the idea that if God loves us, we don't have to face trials.

In my experience it's the trials, the storms, the waves of grief, the sure knowledge that I CAN'T do this and that GOD has to do it thru me because I have no strength or ability to face this---

---that's when God moves and I get to know Him more, His word comes alive.

 

[Kem]

In my experience it's the trials, the storms, the waves of grief, the sure knowledge that I CAN'T do this and that GOD has to do it thru me because I have no strength or ability to face this---

---that's when God moves and I get to know Him more, His word comes alive.

Amen and Amen!!!

 

[CarlA]

If more Christians would tell about there experience (there story/testimony) giving wouldn't be such a shock to other Christians.

I had mentioned earlier in a post that I quit going to my church because one of the members hurt me. We had both been interested in wood working. He had some shop tools and would show me some of his finished projects. Then he walked out on me on the wheel chair ramp that I was building because he didn't like the woman's criticism. So because I didn't want to teach him any longer I quit the church.

Not many days go by that I don't think about that.

 

[CarlA]

{{In my experience it's the trials, the storms, the waves of grief, the sure knowledge that I CAN'T do this and that GOD has to do it thru me because I have no strength or ability to face this--- from Margery 12/24/24 2:25 PM }}

It just isn't going to be a vacation down here! If more people would talk about their HARD times down here people would spend more time talking to God and even thanking Him for some of the bad times we live through!

 

[Ronnie]

O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments (deliverances, help), and his ways past finding out! Romans 11:33

 

[CarlA]

Margery your Salvation means so much to you because of how much you paid for it. Most people just seem to have an easy time of it with no hardship. I know that when I was first saved I got in with the Catholic Charismatics. Most of them just believed that they would have an easy time with the rest of their lives. No more trouble or hardship! That message got out to lots of Christians and that is why Christianity became so weak.

Margery you are the true Christian that is fit to give to the world, if the world will listen. Back prior to easy long distance communication it used to be lots different. I know that Mattfivefour has talked about the old churches with their Wailing Benches at the end of the service. I think there was something to those old services!

 

[CarlA]

Here is one from my drinking/drunk days. I wrote this out because I was having trouble with 4th step work and stumbled on writing stories about my adventures.

The Leap
He was trail riding with friends. He stopped for something, then had to catch up with his friends who had kept going. They were riding along a power line inspection road. It was naturally hilly with gentle rises and down slopes. A firm tire trail with grass in the center.

He rolled the throttle out to about 60 and let her rip. Gaining on his friends he watched them for clues to the trail ahead. He saw them go over a hill, but it didn't look like anything to worry about, so he kept a steady pace.

The 185cc Suzuki purred along, tuned by the riders capable hands. The wind in his face almost a gale force. The air hot and dry. Dust flinging into the air from his tires. Grass slapping at his feet. First the left then the right.

The rider leaned slightly forward bending his elbows to lower himself under the wind. Concentrating on his friends as he gained on them by a good 20 mph. He rushed forward peering at the trail ahead. As he crested the knoll he sucked in his breath as an icy chill swept up and down his spine. No gentle slope on the other side of this knoll. He gazed down the cut out bottom wide enough for a truck to drive through and deep enough so the driver couldn't see out. The bottom showed what the hill was made of -- sand. Not the well packed sand of the trail behind him. It was loose and looked like the mogols on a ski slope.

The entire leap lasted maybe 1 1/2 seconds. You could almost hear his silent "it is all over" "I won't make this one". "I'm going to wipe out bad." None of this fright showed as he stood on the foot pegs, lightly pulling back on the wide scrambler type handle bars. Automatically balancing and bracing for the slam into one of the sandy bumps at over 60 mph. Throttling back so the real wheel would be going the same speed as the ground flying under him. The front wheel straight and true and somewhat higher then the back wheel. The rider poised for the impact to come. Hoping for the best, but certain that the tretcherous loose sand was going to have its way. The mogols or whoop te doos in trail rider language, looking about 6 feet deep but actually closer to 1 1/2 or 2 feet.

Then the impact. The riders weight testing the strength of the foot pegs as his knees flexed to take up the shock. Both wheels touching at the same instant. The tires digging into the sand. The fork and rear suspension slamming up to their stops. The rider's inner strength to give more than he knew he had paying off. Arcing to the top of the next mogol straight and true. Sand launching into the air, the bike growling as the throttle is given to power out of the sand and maintain a straight track.

 

[CarlA]

What a tale he hat to tell his friends who were waiting for him. How his bike was so good. The 130 foot leap and the 35 foot drop. How the bike didn't waver or buck.

But you know what? I saw the whole thing. Let me tell you it wasn't just the bike. That wasn't just the bike. That was one scary ride, and a special person only could survive it. The bike was good, but the rider was one of the best. Later in the day one of his friends met that hill on a good bike, and he lost. He was so tore up that he didn't ride the next day.

I've watched this guy through his life. Such a shame. He never gave himself a break. He thought he was so useless. Never looked at his accomplishments as his skill. It was the bike, it was luck. No! it wasn't like that! This buy was head and shoulders above most people and never realized it. Never acknowleged that. I saw this guy work his way through engineering school. Even to graduate an engineer was more than many could claim.

Now I can say that it was God that brought me out of my drinking and gave me the insights for this little story. It was God that gave me my abilities.