"God's Guest List" is a previous blog that I wrote about 8 weeks ago that talks about how He put on my heart to invite women into my home for a Bible study/support group. It goes on to talk about how He brought these precious women, strangers to each other, and to me, at the time.
After eight weeks of study, fellowship, life-sharing, mess-exposing, unconditional love between strangers, now sisters in Christ for life, lives are being changed. Broken hearts are being healed and faith is growing.
God is literally breaking the rock-like hardness covering our hearts and growing us, like a beautiful garden.
Breaking free...like the impossible growth of a seedling through concrete.
Here is one story, one miracle, that came to me in a phone call not an hour ago. I want to share it with you so that God may receive ALL the Glory, and all who read this will catch a glimpse of His amazing Grace, how He turns ashes to beauty, when we open our hearts to receive Him, and are obedient to his call.
Her name is Mary. We did not know her. She knew only one of us. Mary suffers from a chronic disease that would not enable her to attend our Bible studies due to the long distance drive. We decided we would figure out a way to Skype her in. Her Kindle couldn't handle it.
Her son changed her internet service so she would have a stronger feed on her computer. Still nothing. One night, she was able to hear us, but not see us.
Her son changed her internet service so she would have a stronger feed on her computer. Still nothing. One night, she was able to hear us, but not see us.
We kept her up to date by hand delivering the videos we were watching, and she diligently did her studies and followed along with our email threads to one another during the weeks in between.
Unknown to us, as Mary shared with me tonight, she had been talking about our study with two of her other friends. Telling them about how the Lord was really working in her heart, softening her with His gentle Spirit, and lifting her up through this study and spending time in His Word. She was craving it, and praying to Him, and talking out loud to Him in her garden. A place she had not been in very long time, and never like this she told me! And she realized that the flowers in her beautiful garden were not the only things growing.
Mary's faith is growing! Praise God! She is being healed. Healed deeply, by the Holy Spirit! Her faith is alive! She is noticing people at the Farmer's Market where she sells her flowers and wants to share with them what God is doing in her life, instead of just exchanging money for flowers she giving Hope!
And one day, she explained to me, when she was in her garden with one of the friends she had been talking to about the change in her heart, Mary told me, "we were talking and I was telling her how Jesus was changing me and what a miracle it was that He brought this Breaking Free study into my life by someone I didn't even know, and Laurie, we knelt down, right there in those beautiful flowers and praised God in prayer."
I thank You, Jesus. Thank You for your goodness to us. I thank you for Mary and for your unfailing love and unbelievable grace you've shown her. Thank You, for reaching out to us when we can barely look up to see You reaching down. For grabbing hold of us and never letting go. You are our Great Redeemer, and forever we praise Your Holy Name. Amen
And one day, she explained to me, when she was in her garden with one of the friends she had been talking to about the change in her heart, Mary told me, "we were talking and I was telling her how Jesus was changing me and what a miracle it was that He brought this Breaking Free study into my life by someone I didn't even know, and Laurie, we knelt down, right there in those beautiful flowers and praised God in prayer."
I thank You, Jesus. Thank You for your goodness to us. I thank you for Mary and for your unfailing love and unbelievable grace you've shown her. Thank You, for reaching out to us when we can barely look up to see You reaching down. For grabbing hold of us and never letting go. You are our Great Redeemer, and forever we praise Your Holy Name. Amen
