OUR THOUGHTS:
Have you ever made a promise to God when you were terribly ill — you thought you were going to die? Or when you were on the verge of bankruptcy? Or like my husband, when the roof of a huge chicken barn was collapsing because of the snow? Did you keep the promise? My husband did and so did Stacy’s mother. Heart touching story.
“Twenty seven years ago my Mom made a promise that changed our lives forever”, says Stacy W.
Now as a mother herself she sees the benefit of that promise unfold in her own life.
On May 30, 1975 Stacy’s sister Carey was born. This completed a trio of girls. A week after Carey’s birth her Mom knew something was terribly wrong. Her left leg suddenly stopped working. As soon as she arrived at the hospital it was diagnosed as blood clots – two hundred of them!
In her hospital bed her Mom had a conversation with God – something that had comforted her battered heart as a child. Life had been harsh during her earlier years. Now she turned to it again.
“Oh God, I want to live to see my babies grow up and get married,” she prayed. “Please help me. I will do anything… I’ll… I’ll read the Bible…from cover to cover.” was her promise.
As she recovered she acted on her promise. Starting in Genesis, she plodded through, thinking it could be understood only by men who wore stiff collars. In the book of Acts the question came up, “What must I do to be saved?” The answer was clear, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household.” She understood that Jesus had taken the punishment for everything she had ever done wrong. She responded to his call. She later told Stacy the truth about Santa Claus and replaced it with the story of Mary and Jesus. “This story is real,” she said.
When Stacy was eight her Mom decided they needed to go to church. They did, but it felt like a foreign culture to them. Her mother had another prayer, “God, if you really want us to go to church, you’re going to have to send one to our back yard. Three weeks later a short Norwegian pastor invited them to a new church starting up in a barber/beauty shop near their house. They went, but tried to stay invisible, but were soon surrounded and embraced by caring people. Mom grew in her faith and Dad and the rest of the family decided to follow Jesus too. Her parent’s lives were drastically changed.
The time came when Stacy decided she wanted some freedom to “live it up a little”. She thought she’d come back after she’d had some time to do things her way. At 17 she indeed did decide to come back. God had protected her in spite of her bad decisions.
When Stacy and her sisters married, their Mom relished in the weddings. God answered her prayer that she would see them wed, and choose mates who loved God. Her joy ballooned with the arrival of grandchildren, and when Mike and Stacy were expecting a baby they flew home to share the news in person.
After some tests, a blood test came back indicating a genetic blood disorder that could cause clotting during pregnancy. Suddenly she was having a “high risk pregnancy”. Her Mom felt guilty: “How could I have passed this on to you?” she thought. But God intervened and prevented Stacy from suffering what her mother had. “Why was I singled out for so great a grace?” was Stacy’s response.
On March 30, 2001 Stacy’s Mom witnessed the birth of Mike and Stacy’s son, Liam. She would also see how Stacy and Mike would tell him about God’s plan for his life.
Stacy’s Mom saw the benefits of her earlier promise unfold before her eyes as her children and grandchildren chose to walk in the ways of the Lord.
by Stacy W
If you are a believer in Jesus Christ, God has given you His Holy Spirit to help you live life according to His perfect plan. Why not pray this simple prayer and by faith invite Him to fill you with His Spirit:
Dear Father, I need You. I acknowledge that I have sinned against You by directing my own life. I thank You that You have forgiven my sins through Christ’s death on the cross for me. I now invite Christ to again take His place on the throne of my life. Fill me with the Holy Spirit as You commanded me to be filled, and as You promised in Your Word that You would do if I asked in faith. I pray this in the name of Jesus. As an expression of my faith, I thank You for directing my life and for filling me with the Holy Spirit. Amen
Further Reading:
Top Ten Ways to Teach Values to Your Kids
The Responsibility of Raising Children
Ways to Spend Quality Time with your Kids
Top Ten Ways to Teach Values to Your Kids – by Mark Brandenburg
Ten Things to Teach your Son about True Manhood – by John Grant
Teach Children – teaching them to love, trust and obey God