A family changed forever…
Are you being affected by the East Texas Fires?
I wrote about the fires yesterday, but I wanted to give a little update. This morning we woke to tons of smoke in the air (The Boy called it “spooky outside”) and the smell is overwhelming. It smells like the after effects of a fire. You know, when you burn out a candle, or pour water on a campfire…?
Here’s a map I found on KLTV.com of the “Active” fires around Texas:
Here is Week 4 of My family’s story…this will probably be the final week of this story, but Hubby has talked about writing a guest post for next week about either
(a) his “defense”…haha!! or (b) his testimony…
I personally can’t wait to see what he writes!!
If you missed them, here are Week One, Week Two, and Week Three.
Last week, we left off with Hubby pulling off the impossible and getting a job on a Sunday at Brookshires and then being invited to church!! For a Jewish boy, going to a church must have been pretty intimidating. I was raised in a home that had a “Christian undertone”, meaning basically we were taught to be good people and it was just understood that God and Jesus exists. My parents didn’t attend church, but I would go sometimes with my sister to a friend’s church and we usually attended Vacation Bible School during the summer.
My dad gave me a Bible when I graduated from High School (but that’s really a different story…maybe a new series for this meme!!) so I knew he believed, but I don’t think I was ever taught Bible stories or the Truth that comes with being a Christian.
Back to the story, that first visit to Grace Bible Church was interesting, to say the least. The Pastor of the church was not there this particular week, but the congregation welcomed us with such open arms that it was instantly like we belonged.
Marilyn Neel, the lady who invited Hubby from the store saw us right away and told us about the Sunday School classes. The Boy was whisked away to AWANA and we joined the Glimpse of Grace class that talked about the church’s values and foundation.
Hubby was told (by every person who heard he was Jewish) that the Pastor was raised Jewish as well!!! That’s the moment when things changed…probably.
We started attending regularly, getting involved in Life Group and the weekly Pot Luck lunches. Hubby met Dan Gold, our Pastor, and they instantly hit it off!! Dan is from the Detroit area, as is Hubby, and lived a life that can be told in an amazing testimony (you know what I mean by this, right? ;))
A few months after we began attending the church moved to our new building (built by the congregation…with no debt!!) and we continued Glimpse of Grace, now being taught by Dan. Hubby and I were many times the only two in the class and this is when you could really see Hubby open up. He and Dan would get into these conversations about the Messiah and Hubby’s questions and feelings of disloyalty to his upbringing.
I was struggling because I knew that I had always believed in Jesus as our Messiah and I had accepted him over and over in my heart. I remember being at a Women of Faith conference with my older sister and checking a box on a form because I had (once again) accepted Him in my life. Unbeknownst to me, my sister saw me check the box and she told everyone in our group that I was newly saved!! I don’t think that I really knew what I was doing all these different times, yet during this time, at this church, with this congregation, with Dan’s teachings, with our Life Group, with the Love that was felt each day…I finally knew what it was like to Love God and Accept Jesus in my heart.
One Sunday, Hubby and Dan were having one of their discussions and for some reason I began to cry. Once the crying started, I could not stop it and I cried for almost an hour during that class. The two men looked at me and in a way knew that I didn’t need to talk about it, but they just kept talking. After the class, Dan let Hubby go and asked if I needed to talk. I told him that I knew Jesus was in my heart and I knew that I had accepted Him and I could feel His arms around me but that I didn’t want to take too many steps ahead of Hubby because I worried that we would be too far apart.
Dan prayed for me as a “new” believer and told me to live my life with Jesus in my heart and Hubby would follow along in his own time.
It was only a few weeks before Hubby said that prayer for himself one day when he was alone at home on a day off.
Hubby is now a believer in Christ and he began to live the life of a strong Christian man.
Hubby and I talked about our desire to raise The Boy in a Christian household and in the church. He was Dedicated on 3/7/10. Hubby and I were Baptized on 5/30/10.
I began today’s post thinking this would be the last week of this story, but I have more to say about our story. I will have to finish next week.
The Boy’s Dedication – March 7, 2010
Have you ever come across a time in your life when you just didn’t think that things were going to get any better, you’ve reached the point where you think you are going to put your foot down and that’s the final word, only to have your life changed in a way that you never dreamed? Is there one thing, person, place, or event that you can give some credit to for that change?
I am joining Shell at Things I Can’t Say for
Such a great story!! Can’t wait to hear what your husband has to say!
WM
Working Mommy recently posted..{Wordless Wednesday – Diet Food}
I know!!! Me too!!!! I keep begging him to hurry up and write it because I want to know what he’s going to say!! He is threatening to just post it without me looking at it first…I guess that’s what I get for posting all this without him reading it first…haha!!
What a sweet story!
Shell recently posted..Pour Your Heart Out: I’m Just Me
Thank you so much!! I really appreciate you hosting this Meme and visiting each week to comment on my post!!