How I Learned About God!

Dec 7th, 2012

The evil one has had much influence in my life. Many as they have read the opening story in the Holy Bible have convicted Eve of all that is wrong in the world. Heck the truth is many men in the world lay all the blame of everything at her feet. Perhaps that is why many of them, those that have yet to find themselves in Christ, think their role in life is to be “The Punisher”. I think a woman’s biggest obstacle in life is that sometimes we think TOO much and ironically at the same time we willingly trust TOO quickly. The evil one is shrewd. If he has tricked you then you must forgive Eve for being tricked. I can’t even fathom what life was like in the beginning. I believe that Satan was a trusted friend to Eve. Logically they were only warned to stay away from the Tree of Knowledge. I have never read about a warning to Eve or Adam about the serpent. . . Have you?

What I am saying is simply this. “Forgive yourself of all Your mistakes, even if in your heart you KNEW better before committing them.”  We walk in the flesh my friends. It is why we are warned in Ephesians to wear our spiritual armor daily for we are in the midst of a Spiritual Battle every day!  The Bible is our go to advice for all the troubles this fallen world has to throw at us.  It is God’s Word. Read It daily for protection against your own “fleshly nature”.

The evil one has already amped up the Fear Machine and pointed it in my direction. I will pray for protection and strength daily as I reveal who I was. I know in my heart that God has protected me from absolute destruction my entire life. I know with his strength I will be able to walk through the fire. He loves me as he also Loves You. Jesus, his only begotten son carried the cross for all of us. Oh if you don’t know Jesus yet you must! You will never meet a more clever, humorous, kind, wise, gentle, LOVING Teacher in all your life.

Here we go . . . with a deep breath of Faith I am leaping off the ledge:

My first memory of others praying over Me dates back to the 3rd or 4th year of my life.It is how I developed my deep distaste for 7up. Soda was something I never got! I needed to take medicine that I hated and my reward was a whole can of 7up all to myself. To this day 7up tastes like that awful medicine. Crushed pills. I could barely swallow . . . my tonsils were so huge they were closing the passage of air to my lungs. The gist was my life was in danger. People were praying for me. I am sure it was my Aunt Janet’s prayers that were the most impressive. She never failed to awe me with her strength my entire life. Obviously my life was saved for here I am 40 years later sharing my incredible journey with you!

My first memory of Praying to God on my own behalf would be somewhere around the 7th or 8th year of my life. I was spending the summer with my father and step mother. Have you ever heard that saying, “Do as I say . . . not as I do”? Yea, I kind of thought you might have. As many parents did back then, our parents smoked. My brother who is only 10 months and 10 days younger than me had grabbed some smokes and a lighter and invited me to join him for some fun. At the time my father lived in a stilt cabin located in a park with all the amenities. We went down to the swings and he lit the first one and gave it to me. We hung out laughing and being kids and of course smoking those cigarettes . . . we didn’t inhale . . . YET! But we knew we were cool! Of course our stepmother was observing us out of the window. We came home not knowing we had been caught. The punishment was about to begin. She informed us if we wanted to smoke we were going to smoke like adults. We learned how to inhale . . . she wasn’t having any of this silliness with puffing! One after another she lit them. I think it was on the 3^rd one I began throwing up.  We were both promising we’d never smoke again just let us stop. She pushed it a little further but finally left us in our room waiting for our father to come home so she could inform him of our improper behavior. You see we weren’t only caught smoking. We were also in trouble for theft!

To this day I don’t know if my father actually “beat my brother’s butt” I just know I was terrified by the sound. I swear to you, that stilt cabin was shaking! I was trembling with fear! I was crying. My step mother had me in the kitchen with her. Tommy, being the one who confessed to taking the cigarettes, was the first to go before our father. To this day I am amazed at the advice she gave me.  You must know my step mother does not believe in God or his only begotten son. I think I am the only one allowed to praise God without repercussion around her simply because she cannot deny this story!  With that being said she looked at me and said, “Your only chance of not being spanked is to pray to God to save you.” I don’t know if I’ve said a more passionate heartfelt prayer than my first one but I promise you it is the passionate ones that have been answered in the most obvious ways… my biggest signs from God have followed my most heartfelt prayers. That is not to say I have gotten what I have prayed for! What I have received are answers and signs meant to provide me with relief or guidance. 

When I went before my father, he looked at me for a moment. I was so terrified I began begging to be forgiven and I was a mess! My father simply said, “Wendy, I don’t know why I’m not going to spank you but I’m not. Something is telling me it is not needed.” God had SAVED me! How cool is that?! From that day forth God was my Best Friend. I talked to him like a best friend. For hours sometimes!  I promised to help any and all he sent my way. I was going to help him save the world!

You would think with a beginning like that I would NEVER decide I could outwit God . . . I ask you, which of us has not thought we could outwit our parents? Trust me you are not alone in that one! I just took that a step further. I thought I could outsmart the creator of all! Today I laugh about that . . . God and I are chummy again. I know he smiles upon me. I am back to talking to him daily. Life is sooooo Abundant my friends when you grasp the truth. It takes some of us longer than others to get it! Forgive yourself!

I am sitting here with a smile on my face . . . the words have stopped flowing and I do have work to do for my earthly boss as well. I leave you here for now until the words flow again. Have a BLESSED day my friends. Our Father loves all of us . . . even those who have yet to see the truth or hear it!

Wendy, Mom of Many