| Author | Message | ||
| Psalm107v2 Registered user Username: Psalm107v2 Post Number: 420 Registered: 10-2008  |
Yesterday morning I started out grumbling. It was my day off but because there is so much work to do and my clients really needed my help but I needed to do laundry before going into work. Now our communist mayor has created a new law that skyrockets the cost of electricity during daylight hours(grumble grumble LoDear Lord when are you coing to let me move back to Arizona) so my landlord says we can only do laundry during cetain hours which meant I had to lug a bunch of laundry to the local laundromat. (Grumble Grumble). My 3 year old son just started junior kindergarten and has to wear uniforms to school but my 3 year old does not like his uniform and he played every trick in the book to not wear the uniform including stripping off the clothes in the car (grumble grumble--I need to do the laundry so I can get to work, so I can deal with my client's issues--on my day off). I finally get my son to school and somehow the conversation with his teacher turns to Christianity and I get the chance to share my testimony about leaving the SDA church. She and I discussed a project I am working on to reach out to SDAs and she gave me some contact information to some local Christians who have some influence in the local community. By the time I got back to the car I was way behind schedule. I get to the laundromat, my laundry soap spilled and I'm not sure if I brought enough quarters and most of the machines are in use (grumble grumble). I finally get all the laundry in wash my hands and pick up my Bible. I'm only a few verses in when a lady asks me "Are you a pastor" to which I replied "no I"m just a believer". As we wait for the machines to do their work somehow the conversation turns to the sanctifying blood of Jesus. I asked her what church she attends and she says "Philedelphia" and gives the location. My mind rolls over the general location and the only churches I can think about are a Nazarene church and....an SDA one. I ask her some more directed questions and she responded. "The church I go to is an Adventist one but I see myself as a Christian those Adventist people are so stuck on their Sabbath". I talked to her about how the law is like a mirror showing how desperately wicked we are and how impossible it is to keep the law which can't even save us. I can't remember all the details of the conversation but somehow it turned to Ellen White and she said something along the lines of "these people are always saying 'Sister White says this, Sister White says that' well I say what does the Bible say? What did God do without Ellen White all those years before she was born? She further stated that she had vocalized these sentiments at a prayer meeting and the leader got mad at her. I said to her "It sounds like you need to find a new church" She said when she moved into the area she had looked for a Methodist church but did not find one. Guess what yours truly goes to a Methodist Church and we have a sister church just blocks away from the laundromat). I let her know that there is a magazine for transistioning and former Adventist and she said she would be interested. Normally I keep a bunch of materials in my car but I was fresh out. (minor grumble-I got to remember to keep the car stocked). Then I remembered that Dale Ratzlaff had just sent out a newsletter and the newsletter is still on my blackberry so I have the address and 1 800 # to be able to provide to her. So I run out to my car get my church bulletin and write the information down so she will have the address for my church as well as LAM information writtend down. But I wanted to be sure that she starts receiving the magazine so I ask her for her address so I can be sure that she gets Proclamation! She asked me if I knew any Christian book stores and I let her know that it is almost directly across the street from her church. She let me know that she has been praying for a good bookstore so that she can be spiritually fed. I talked with her about some other issues within the SDA church (EGW plagarism, the covenants) and before I knew it the laundry was washed and dried. I lug everything back to the car but by this time I'm not grumbling-I'm smiling with tears in my eyes (Yup if I haven't said it before here on the forum I'm a crybaby) Over the last several months I have been praying for the Lord to have me meet more SDAs and to be equipped and ready to share the gospel. I have met them at work, at birthday parties, family gatherings (and even have them asking for a ride to the Bingo Hall-I still shake my head at that one) but the last thing I expected was that I would meet one in transition at a laundromat. God is so good. Had my communist mayor not made this new law I would not have had to run to the laundromat. Had my son behaved and I had gotten to the laundromat at the time I wanted to I may not have met this woman. It amazes me how God can even bless His children even in a laundromat while they are grumbling. Praise the Lord! Enoch | ||
| Bb Registered user Username: Bb Post Number: 542 Registered: 7-2004 |
Wow, Enoch what an encouragement to all of us! I love when you see how God is working, especially when you prayed to be able to meet sda's to share the gospel! That certainly fits the text about everything working for good to those who love the Lord! | ||
| Helovesme2 Registered user Username: Helovesme2 Post Number: 2175 Registered: 8-2004  |
 Wow! I'm reminded of the saying I read somewhere - God is no gentleman. Now the saying was in the context of the fact that God gets right down in the mud beside us and raises us up instead of waiting like an injured gentleman for us to approach him the 'right' way, but I think it applies here in another way: He uses some of the strangest ways to put His children in the places He wants to use them, He's not above working out His plans for us even while we grumble and mumble and complain. Sometimes His greatest blessings are delivered in such disguises that we moan and complain about them for years before recognizing them . . .and then sometimes we get to see it right away. Either way, what a God! Thank you God for using Enoch - and for doing for him what he would not have thought have doing for himself. Blessings, Mary | ||
| Skeeter Registered user Username: Skeeter Post Number: 313 Registered: 12-2007 |
Enoch, Your story was such a blessing to me this morning :-) All things really DO work together for good for those who love the Lord ! 8-) What a blessing you turned out to be for that lady, and through her also who knows how many people SHE will be able to reach because of her contact with you :-) Praising the Lord with you . Francie | ||
| Flyinglady Registered user Username: Flyinglady Post Number: 7457 Registered: 3-2004  |
Enoch, thank you so much for your unexpected adventures God takes you on. I just love it, rejoice and praise God when things like that happen to me. Diana L | ||
| Handmaiden Registered user Username: Handmaiden Post Number: 123 Registered: 7-2008 |
Enoch your story was a sweet blessing and i am so grateful you shared it with us. i laughed and cried and rejoiced through the whole thing. i am a crybaby tooo love handmaide | ||
| Hec Registered user Username: Hec Post Number: 543 Registered: 3-2009 |
Enoch, Thanks for sharing this story. It is encouraging to remember that God is in control and he uses all and any circumstance to accomplish his purpose. Hec | ||
| Colleentinker Registered user Username: Colleentinker Post Number: 10385 Registered: 12-2003  |
Enoch, what a touching story--it actually reminds me so much of the way my life often feels! Thank you for telling us how God answered your prayer even when you were grumpy...isn't it amazing that He doesn't depend on us to be "ready"—but He knows He is enough, and He brings us what He wants us to do when He wants it to happen...because He knows He's going to bless us and reveal Himself for His glory?! What a faithful God we serve! And thank you for sharing your morning with us! Colleen | ||
| Pegg Registered user Username: Pegg Post Number: 356 Registered: 2-2006 |
Praise God, Enoch! Our God knows His sheep. He calls them and they follow! Nothing and No One (including wrong teaching!) Will Ever Snatch Them Out Of His Hand. Pegg | ||
| 8thday Registered user Username: 8thday Post Number: 1185 Registered: 11-2007  |
Enoch.. I thought you DID live in Arizona? =) Printed out that story to keep. Thanks SO much. I have so many days like that... where I grumble and everything goes wrong it seems. I noticed lately though is that when certain days seem more intensely frustrating, there usually is some out of the ordinary opportunity of some kind... and then all the battle I had to go through makes sense.. the spiritual opposition trying to throw me off and make me ineffective. But yes.. praise God he is there to lift us up and empower us at a moment's notice. Thank you so much!!! Sondra | ||
| River Registered user Username: River Post Number: 5505 Registered: 9-2006  |
Enoch, at first I thought you said you started out the day gambling! Turns out you were only grumbling! We had a saying in the military. When the troops stop grumbling, find out why in a hurry, Because a troop is sick and needs attention when it ain't grumbling and groaning. The danger signs are when they are not griping, if they are not griping, something is wrong. It is a military mans God given obligation to gripe. I don't know if a little lesson in military protocol helps or not, but I thought I would give it a shot. Me, I had rather gripe and do what I am told, then to not do it at all and pretend I didn't hear. River | ||
| Philharris Registered user Username: Philharris Post Number: 1820 Registered: 5-2007  |
Enoch, Your story blessed me. Fearless Phil | ||
| Seekr777 Registered user Username: Seekr777 Post Number: 796 Registered: 1-2003  |
River, when I was in the service we sure used our "God given obligation to gripe." When in Nam, I was stationed with a MASH unit about 8 miles south of the DMZ. It was quite a year and one I've still not forgotten. That's about all I'll say about it. Richard rtruitt@mac.com . | ||
| River Registered user Username: River Post Number: 5511 Registered: 9-2006 |
Richard, | ||
| Psalm107v2 Registered user Username: Psalm107v2 Post Number: 430 Registered: 10-2008 |
River I was gambling...I was playing my favorite game 21....21 reasons why I am not an SDA |
