I feel like Keith and I and our children have been handed several gifts this past week and a half. We have three more days of meetings here at Rileyville Baptist Church. Last night we got to hear testimonies from those who feel led to share what God has done in their hearts these past days. After the Sunday morning service, the altar was filled with men who made a commitment to rededicate their life to becoming men of God. It was powerful to see and even more powerful is the potential for God to use these lives to touch generations. I am believing that there was a fresh wind blown upon that place yesterday. One that will not only create a desire to get one?s life right, but will also enable them to do so.
One gift that we have received is being in this beautiful part of the country and living in someone?s home that allows the children to romp and frolic. Play roughly or energetically. Play cheerfully and excitedly. They have loved it!
Another gift is the privilege of being under such great teaching and preaching. Keith and I have been convicted and challenged. We have been brought to a place of repentance in our own lives. The anger that our children see coming from our faces and voices and resulting sometimes in our actions. The awakening to maybe some bitterness resulting from an immature attitude about forgiveness toward another person. Remembering again that we are to work hard at keeping our conscience clean before God and men. Being reminded that un-confessed sin may bring on extra pressure and temptation in our children?s lives. And on, and on, and on.
Yet another gift is the opportunity to serve with some fantastic people. I believe one of the most special things about Life Action Ministries is the fact that God not only uses the revivalists and their families, but also the young people that serve on the team as well. They help with the sound, they help with power point, they do the music (leading us in such heartfelt, worshipful music), they teach and love on the children of the church every night, they serve food during the laddie?s luncheons and during Home Life Cafe, and they minister to the people in whose homes they stay in. Planting seeds everywhere they go is how I look at it. They have loved on and helped us with our children this week. We have been greatly ministered to. All of us.
I almost forgot. This morning the girls were going over their sheets that Life Action team members gave them, like they do every night, that have questions on it that also dealt with what the adults were learning in the adult service. So cool. Anyway, we went through all of them together. When we finished, Mallory told me that she would like to complete some sheets from a few days earlier that she did not finish. At the end of one sheet a question was supposed to be asked from the child to the parent about how they could pray for them in the area of God?s grace. Mallory asked me where I thought I most needed God?s grace in my life. I answered her and then after about 2 minutes (I began to work in the kitchen), she asked me if she could pray for me. She put her arms around me. I put my arms around her, and I received a most precious gift?..the very first time (that I can remember) that a child of mine prayed for me. It was very sweet. ?God, help mama to be a godly woman, and give her your grace to help us and daddy. Help her to come to us when she is wrong and make things right.? She said other things, but those are the words I remember.
So, parents, hang in there. Days, months, years may go by of you faithfully raising your children according to God?s Word in joy and love. Even in the midst of our mistakes! One day, the fruit will be seen, and you will be able to testify of your own gifts!
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Finally, the people that we get to meet and love. We will likely never see most of these folks again. But, one of the sweetest things about being a Christian, is the fact that this place is not our home, and one day we will all be together for all Eternity.
Our prayer is that the work God has done, has been like the trees that we have seen here. When we first got here the trees were just budding and now we see some of them in full bloom. That is our prayer for the people here. That what God has done is new and fresh and very real. Something that will last until God calls them home. To God be the glory?.great things he has done.
Thankful for such gifts,
Nichole
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