Category Archives: Faithfulness of Christ

Stranded.

This adventure of a lifetime began August 4, 2020 in Paducah, Kentucky. The place is insignificant, it is just where we rented the 32 foot Sunseeker motorhome that would be our home for the next two weeks.

Our plan to see the west was something we had always wanted to do. The RV seemed sensible since I have so many issues with my back. This would afford me a way to move around or even lie down if pain or muscle spasms were causing major discomfort. All in all, it was a good plan!

We headed to Sioux Falls, Iowa for our first night and we were already adjusting to life in the RV. We had a 26 ft. camper when My Three Sons were growing up so we were somewhat familiar with campgrounds, etc. The RV was operating smoothly as we entered The Badlands.

Our next stop in Rapid City, South Dakota, we were able to view the Crazy Horse monument, and then on to what would be the fulfillment of a lifelong dream: to see George, Thomas, Theodore and Abe sitting high on Mount Rushmore.

We were putting miles on this little home-on-wheels like crazy but the views were absolutely breathtaking! Yellowstone, the Grand Tetons, Old Faithful, everything was so gorgeous it made you want to stand and sing, America, America, God shed His grace on thee!

And finally, we were heading to Colorado where we would spend the rest of our second week. Desolate doesn’t begin to describe this area of Wyoming that we were driving through to get to Colorado Springs. Beautiful though it was, there were just miles and miles of nothing and nobody!

It was along Interstate 80, outside of Rock Springs, Wyoming, that suddenly we heard and felt what seemed like large boulders raining down on our little recreational vehicle! The wind was absolutely insane anyway and we pulled to the side immediately to discover the awning was beginning to come loose and was flapping like nobody’s business. (Side note: most RV rentals do not allow you to use the awning while renting because it is so expensive to replace if a wind gust catches it while it is extended in a campground. We had NOT used the awning at all and have no idea what caused it to come loose and begin its crazy whirlwind dance.)

Now, it sounds like an easy repair, but as handy as The Sweetheart is, and I know he can fix about anything, this cannot be done alone and without a ladder. And we couldn’t leave it to flap away because we were afraid the wind would grab the entire awning and rip it from the vehicle.

So, fortunately, we were a quarter mile from an exit, and driving a gentle, even-I-could-walk-faster-than-that speed, pulled off, but there was NOTHING at this desolate exit except for a state highway salt drop. The Sweetheart slowly pulls in there even though it said, “NO TRESPASSING, NO ENTRY, STATE PROPERTY.” He figured that he needed the salt mound to be a wind break for the motor home injury and said he would talk his way out of it later if need be. It will be.

Pause for effect: The next morning someone pulled up in a truck and we assumed it was our technician. Unfortunately, it was a guy from the State Highway Department who was NOT happy with us being there. He was quite rude, and a little condescending, but we understood he had a job to do as well. Once we told him a state trooper had been out he calmed down a bit but still was adamant that we leave as soon as possible. No one wanted out of there more than we did!

Every renter must pay $35/day for insurance and roadside service, a good thing, correct? Their motto? “Million-dollar peace of mind with insurance and 24/7 roadside. Real people ready to help with 100+ advisors here 24/7.” If million dollar peace of mind meant shielding you from the ridiculous number of phone calls, promises, details, more promises, no-shows, state trooper visit, a thunderstorm coming up and nightfall on its heels, I would have been okay with that. But allow me to just sum it up by saying we had to spend the night beside the salt mound, totally dark, totally alone.

We were promised a technician would arrive first thing in the morning.

To say that The Sweetheart’s nerves were frazzled would have been the understatement of the year. That million-dollar peace of mind was nowhere to be found and the real people ready to help were suddenly totally helpless.

I began to pray while the love-of-my-life was stuck with endless phone calls. I am a believer in the miraculous, you too? I have seen the miraculous but I admit I wasn’t expecting it at that moment. Can I get a witness? I just knew we needed help and that God cares about the big, the small, the insignificant and even the stranded. Yes, He surely does.

My prayer was for God to send someone quickly so we could get on down the road. God’s plan was something entirely different. I don’t know if you would call it a vision, I’ve never had one, but what I saw immediately while I was praying shook me and gave me the utmost strength and peace. It was as clear as the ski-slope nose on my face: I vividly saw angels surrounding our motorhome, at least 50 of them, and every single one had a sword in his hand, guarding, protecting and prepared to do whatever necessary to make sure we were alright.

I was expecting the phone to ring at any time with a technician telling us help was on the way. That didn’t happen. God wanted to let us know that no matter what we were facing, He was there! It meant that even if we had to stay in our dilemma, even if we were in the midst of our own fiery furnace, God wasn’t about to leave us by that giant salt reminder of Lot’s wife! He wasn’t going to leave us afraid and unable to sleep.

In fact, we slept pretty well, considering! We got up early, made breakfast, thanks to our generator, and cleaned up the motorhome.

Pastor Ken Gurley said in a devotion this week, “An answer delayed is not an answer denied!” Help will come in His unhurried time and while we are waiting, He will give perfect peace and strength to endure the trial.

Were we ever in any real danger? I may never know but we may have been. Reflecting this morning I wondered why the angels all had a sword? Were they expecting a battle? Did they know something we did not? Are they always prepared with their sword in hand? I see so many places to go with these thoughts but this is already way over a comfortable word count.

Even though help did not arrive until almost 2:00 in the afternoon, 22 ½ hours from the time we pulled off, we were safe, we were in the hands of the Creator of the universe who loves us enough to let us know HE is in control and as the song goes, “I know You’re able, and I know You can, save through the fire with Your mighty hand, but even if You don’t, my hope is You alone. I know the sorrow, and I know the hurt, would all go away if You just say the word, but even if You don’t, my hope is YOU alone!”

Even if You don’t answer when I think You should, Lord, You know what’s best, You have a better plan for me, a way to show me Your power and might and if I never find myself in difficult situations, I would never know Your power or see Your glory!

Anxiety comes knocking loudly at your door when you are faced with something out of your control. Then, the enemy will magnify any test or trial, or just circumstances of LIFE, and make you think things are ten times worse than they are. He wants you to worry, wants you wringing your hands and unable to think or sleep.

But my God wants you to know that if you are stranded, spiritually or physically, or going through a test or trial you don’t understand or may not see an end to, don’t give up! God knows where you are and He has not abandoned you. There is nothing our God cannot do. He knows the end from the beginning, He sees down the road and whatever obstacle is in your way He can either remove it or use it as a stepping stone in your walk and relationship with Him. He always has you as His number one priority!

Now, I wrote this several days ago when it happened and have not had WIFI to finish it until tonight. Do you know why? Because I am STRANDED again!!! I am not kidding you, friend, we now have engine trouble, three hours from turning this back over to its rightful owner. We are in a much better area, a shopping center parking lot, surrounded by restaurants, yay. But, once again, “Thank you for calling, ____________, we promise to give you million-dollar peace of mind….tomorrow.” True story, tomorrow.

I wonder what my God has up His sleeve for tonight? He may send 50 angels, He may send a mechanic, but He will always send peace that passes all understanding. The same is true for you, friend. He may send angels, He may send a next door neighbor but He will always BE THERE FOR YOU.

All in His good time; and He is always, always good.

Here is another great true story of how God kept us during a real and harrowing storm while we were overseas. Where was Jesus in MY storm?

Frozen to the Sword

3 Replies

Frozen to the Sword! Today begins a series on David’s Mighty Men. I will highlight one each day and tell you their story of bravery and heroism; against all odds! I hope you will join me and see what we can glean from these Mighty Men and apply to our own lives.

David Livingstone was a missionary in Africa when some friends wrote him and asked: “We would like to send other men to help you. Have you found a good road into your area yet?”

Livingstone wrote back: “If you have men who will only come if they know there is a good road, I don’t want them. I want men who will come if there is no road at all.”

Brave.

Fearless.

Courageous.

Heroes.

We have all heard of heroic acts and examples of extreme bravery. We have read about them, seen them on television and social media and maybe even have a real-live hero in our family.

They were in the Bible too. David, a man after God’s own heart, didn’t defeat every enemy that came his way all alone. Yes, he killed a lion, a bear and even Goliath with his own hands but he found out quickly that he needed to surround himself with those that were fearless if he was going to win the entire battle, not just a fight.

Enter David’s Mighty Men. There were The Thirty and also The Three. In the group of thirty, there were actually 37 that we can count which could mean that they weren’t all on the team at the same time. (For instance, Uriah was killed in battle and he was one of The Thirty.) These were David’s toughest warriors, his trusted companions and faithful few. There were three men listed separately as The Three, even more set apart possibly because of their bravery or accomplishments. Josheb-basshebeth, Shammah and Eleazar made up The Three.

We are going to learn about some of them over the next several days and find out why a Mighty Man such as King David chose these fearless leaders to stand by his side in battle.

The son of Dodai the Ahohite, Eleazar was one of David’s Three Mighty Men. Eleazar means the Lord is my helper in Hebrew. The Lord did not disappoint Eleazar! David was engaged in battle with the Philistines at Pas Dammim but the men of Israel pulled back; they actually retreated and abandoned David to fight alone!

Here I come to save the day! Mighty Man is on his way! (or Mighty Mouse as the ancient cartoon was noted for…most of you are way too young to remember Mighty Mouse.)

Back to scripture:

“Next to him was Eleazar son of Dodai the Ahohite. As one of the three mighty men, he was with David when they taunted the Philistines gathered at Pas Dammim for battle. Then the men of Israel retreated, but he stood his ground and struck down the Philistines till his hand grew tired and froze to the sword. The Lord brought about a great victory that day. The troops returned to Eleazar, but only to strip the dead.” 2 Samuel 23:9–10 NIV

So they were surrounded, defeat seemed imminent, yet there was no way Eleazar was going to leave David. He stood his ground, struck down every single one that came at him and refused to retreat.

Have you ever stayed with something so long that your hand was in a locked position and you had to pry it off? Probably not, but Eleazar did. The Bible says his hand was frozen to the sword. I don’t think it meant it was below zero outside, I believe it was describing the death grip he had on his weapon. No way was he going to quit, no way was he backing down and no way was he letting go of the sword.

The Bible tells us that the sword of the Spirit is the Word of God, according to Ephesians 6:17. It is our ultimate weapon! This powerful sword is all we need to defeat whatever the enemy wants to bring against us.

Just as the Philistines were taunting David and Eleazar, Satan came and taunted Jesus in the wilderness. What did Jesus do? He used the sword, his weapon of choice, to counter-attack! “It is written…”

If we are going to be able to stand against the wiles of the devil, against the evil forces that are coming upon this world (and are already here), we must speak the Word, claim the Word and USE the Word to fight our battles.

Do you know that the more time you spend immersed in the Word of God the more you will be able to defend your faith? You will become “strong in the Lord and in the power of His might…” when you actually take the time to learn the Word and hide it in your heart. Then, when you need it, the Word will come alive to you and God will bring to your memory passages of scripture that you might not even remember reading, or memorizing. It will BE THERE because God is faithful to His Word.

As the quote at the beginning expresses:

Are we of the few that will GO, will STAND, will ACT even if there is no ROAD ahead of us?

Click To Tweet

Even if no one else will stand, no one else steps forward?

Are you spending time in prayer and reading of the Word every day? It is vital to your Christian health. Persecution of The Church of the Living God comes in many forms and our weapon of choice should be the same one that Jesus our Lord chose as His own: the Word of God! Immerse yourself in it, love it, consume it, let it take over your thoughts and actions as you become more like Christ. Stay tuned as we discover another one of The Mighty Men tomorrow.

Life, Love and Endometriosis

6 Replies

Beyond thrilled to share a post from my daughter-in-law, Rachel Elkins! This is a huge out-of-her-comfort-zone task, in total obedience to the voice of God. Be blessed as you read her story and feel free to share your own; this is how we fight our battles!

I’m 37 years old and this is my first time writing. I’ve read many encouraging words written by my mother-in-law over the years; my sister-in-law, Alicia, just joined our family last year and she also writes so beautifully.

As a young girl, I proudly watched my mom, who was a pastor’s wife, stand in front of rooms full of women and speak eloquent words. I’m privileged to witness my husband get up every week and lead thousands of people in worship at our church.

And I’ve quietly observed from the corner. I am the person that is terrified when someone approaches me because I don’t think I will have the right words to say.

So, why speak now? What do I have to say now that is so important? Maybe it is nothing. But it is 3:00 a.m. and I can’t sleep because these words are on my heart.

Yesterday, I had my third surgery in 12 years for Endometriosis. This will be my last surgery like this because I’ve been told that I will need a hysterectomy by the age of 40. Endometriosis is a very painful disease and thousands of women suffer with it. Like so many others, there have been countless days when I can barely get out of bed, times I’m in so much pain that I have to cancel plans, or even days I’m in tears as I dig out my baggiest clothes to cover my bloated stomach that seems to be twice its normal size.

For some reason, many women with this disease, or other diseases, deal with it in silence. Why? For me, I have spent so many years feeling guilty to complain or maybe even felt that it was all in my head. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve realized that I can go through sufferings in my life by myself or I can share with others in hope that somehow my words can encourage.

Isn’t that what God has called us to do?

I’ve actually had other sufferings in my life that I haven’t spoken very much about. I have experienced a lot of loss in my “short” life. I lost my dad when I was six years old from an accident at his workplace. I also lost my only brother, very unexpectedly, a few years ago. I realized that I could go through that without saying anything or I could use that hurt to minister to someone in the same situation. You would never understand that kind of loss unless you’ve experienced it yourself.

If you know me at all, you know that I have also struggled for 13 years with infertility. Unless you were family or a close friend, you didn’t hear me talk about it until about a year before I got pregnant (Yes, I said pregnant! We have a beautiful, smart, spunky little two year old girl.) I didn’t know at the time why, but I felt very strongly to share my testimony of God’s faithfulness even though He hadn’t given me a baby yet. My husband and I made a video and it was posted on our church’s Facebook page. (Go watch it! Or wait until you are finished with this article, but be sure and see it.) We spoke of the hurt, but also the love, that God had given us for each other through all of it. We were honest in saying that we trusted His plan for us, baby or not. Hard words to say out loud! Little did I know that it would reach thousands of people and encourage so many women in the same situation.

After I had my daughter, I remember the moment God spoke to me and said that I needed to use my experience to help others. It took me about another year to be obedient, but my friend, who also dealt with infertility, and I have recently started an infertility support group at our church. Being very introverted, I could never imagine being able to do it, but God called and He helps me every time I have to speak! I’m not saying it’s easy! I’ve had to look at these women and say the words I hated to hear when I was in their situation; things such as, “God has a perfect plan for your life” and “It’s all in God’s timing”. But I can honestly say that because there are no truer words.

After losing my brother in January 2015, things were bad! I was grieving hard and I had to watch my mom grieve once again and I was mad. My husband and I were having a hard time. We went and packed up my mom who lived in another state and moved her in with us so she could have some time to heal. A couple months later I took the first pregnancy test I had taken in about 10 years. Complete shock is an understatement when we saw the word positive!

God knew! He knew the exact moment we would need our little miracle. She has healed our family in so many ways that I’ll never be able to explain.

Another topic that we seem to avoid is struggles in our marriages. I have an amazing husband of 16 years and we have a pretty wonderful marriage. I love him more now than ever before, but there have been lows for sure! Did I ever admit them to anyone else? Nope! Why? Pride, that’s why. Who wants to admit they are having a rough patch with their spouse? No one does. But if I don’t admit vulnerability and imperfections, then how can I expect a newly wed couple to look at us and think they are ever going to make it if they think we are always perfect?

Romans 5:3-5 says it so well. “Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.”

Such beautiful words and such a timely message for today.

I know that there are far worse diseases than endometriosis and there are worse situations than not being able to get pregnant for 13 years. I also understand that most people experience loss at some point, but these are my experiences and I believe now more than ever before that God allows our trials so that we can use that pain to minister and lift up others that are hurting.

Maybe it is difficult for you, as it was for me, to put yourself “out there” and allow the world to see your insecurities and even your flaws. Can I challenge you to let God use those obstacles in your life to make you stronger and then use that strength and wisdom to bless someone else? Nothing is impossible with our God!

Rachel Elkins has been attached to Kyle for over 16 years and they were blessed 2 1/2 years ago with the miracle that is Norah Jayne. Rachel leads an infertility support group at her church, The Experience Community, where Kyle is the full-time Worship Pastor. She is the co-owner and event planner at Southern Graze, where she helps create fabulous spreads for any occasion. You can find her most days in the ‘Boro chasing butterflies, playing house or building castles in the sand with Princess Nor-Nor.

Sharing with Fresh Market Friday Friendship Friday

Category Archives: Faithfulness of Christ

Stranded.

Like this: