SHEILA'S STORY

Have you thanked Him?

Have you praised Him?

Have you made it your priority to agree and cooperate with Him today?

Have you taken that deep breath and listened for what He has for you today?

1 Timothy 2:1 (The Message)

^1-3The first thing I want you to do is pray. Pray every way you know how, for everyone you know.

I will admit it.  My “church” isn’t your ordinary church.  Nope.  Just last Monday I am confident my “felon among the faithful” ratio was a little skewed from your normal Sunday morning crowd.

But OH!

How I love my church.

Across that little group is miracle after miracle.  Over there is a woman who was once completely written off as worthless now experiencing motherhood and freedom!  Across the way is a man who was so wrapped up by the powerful lure of lust that it almost strangled his testimony and future and now HE is the “go to guy” for helping to deliver others!  Over there is the convicted murderer sitting next to the abused drug addict and his daughter praising, worshipping, and more importantly WITNESSING at every turn as to the amazing power of CHRIST!

Story after story.  Miracle after miracle. 

For all of the energy draining drama a day in FREEDOM CHURCH may look to extract from me (yesterday especially), the stories are what keep me going, keep me seeking, keep me praising and keep me thanking!

1 Chronicles 29:11

Living Bible (TLB)

11 Yours is the mighty power and glory and victory and majesty. Everything in the heavens and earth is yours, O Lord, and this is your kingdom. We adore you as being in control of everything.

That brings me today to Sheila…

In short…Sheila was a drug addict and a clever one at that.  She was industrious when it came to her addiction.  She catered too and pursued it for years.  Then came the abuse. So much so that she did her best to “kill it”.  Fortunately she didn’t, but she paid for trying.  13 years for trying.  Yet GOD did in her what GOD loves to do. Create beauty from ashes.

Isaiah 61:3

…he will give: beauty for ashes; joy instead of mourning; praise instead of heaviness.

Flash forward to a rainy Monday night in April and a little gym on the campus of a little congregation in a little town.  With microphone in hand, this clever drug addict, this felon, spoke of a very BIG GOD!  She shared the wonderful and amazing transformation of CHRIST in her life.  Her message was a simple one.  

Just ask.

Time after time in her life she cried out to the Lord for help and guess what, HE HELPED!

Psalm 107:19

Then they cried to the Lord in their troubles, and he helped them and delivered them.

Financial blessings.  Ministry opportunities.  Healing and peace giving words. 

Deliverance and hope flowed off her tongue! Who would have thought?

And while the world sometimes still sees Sheila for what she did, GOD and those HE has placed in her path see her for what she IS!

His daughter!

His ambassador!

His TRUSTING friend!

And she wants us to know it!

We can all learn a lot from Sheila.  We can learn that in spite of “where we have been”, GOD can turn things around and take us on a journey and to places we couldn’t have imagined!  All we need to do is ASK!

Matthew 7:8

For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.

And then watch what GOD will do!

Ephesians 3:20 (V)

…God who can do so many awe-inspiring things, immeasurable things, things greater than we ever could ask or imagine through the power at work in us…

 

Thank you Sheila!

Thank you JESUS!

Love you all!

HAVE A BLESSED DAY!

Freedom Church