Mike came home last night with the news that he had sold one
of my books to a co-worker. The way he told me was a little comical. I was on a
Google hangout with some friends that I network with in a Christian Business
Group on Face Book. They all heard him come in and Bill, the one who created
the group, asked if he had heard Mike come in.
I smiled and said, “Yes. He just got home.”
Bill called out from my computer for Mike to step in front
of the camera so he could see him. Mike and Bill had a couple of good laughs
and then Mike headed for the shower. He fabricates during the day and comes
home with black grime all over himself. As he headed into the bathroom, he
called out over his shoulder that he had sold a book.
I was caught off guard and said out loud, “My book?” which
made everyone laugh.
He replied with a smile, “Yes, your book.” And I beamed back
at him curious as all get out as to exactly how that had gone down.
Bill quickly filled in his business partner about my blog
and my books and then we all realized the time was quickly approaching the end
of our meeting. We set our next hangout and said goodbye.
I find it a little comical that I was on the computer with Bill
when Mike announced he had sold one of my books. Back when I was about 6 months
into blogging, Bill had asked me how Mike felt about me blogging out my life.
He was asking because I blog about my life which often includes Mike and me
stories. At the time I had told Bill that Mike was good with my blog. At the
time Bill inquired, Mike was. In a gist, Mike has felt just about every way a
person could feel about something; from amused to irritated to impressed to angry
to accepting but not happy about it, to accidentally enjoying them, and now to
selling my books.
When I first began blogging, Mike and I were on a
mini-separation. On December 1st,
2011 , I had walked out and on December 6th, I created my
blog title and URL and wrote my first two blog posts. I say I created it, but
it was really God that led me.
By the time we got back together, I had already attended the
Great Banquet and had written over 50 blogs and had over 16,000 page views! Now,
I have written over 130 blogs and have had over 54,000 page views. It is crazy
to think about it. I have been read in countries I did not even know existed
until they showed up in my blogger report.
I have always been intrigued by numbers and there patterns.
The bible has numbers in it. When I arrived at my Great Banquet, I discovered I
was attending Banquet # 44. Ironically it was also the year I would turn 44 and
I just so happened to have written my 44th blog post the day before I
attended. The repeating number did not go unnoticed by me!
The Great Banquet changed my life. By the time I went I had
gone through a year study on the book of Luke with Rusty tying Jesus to
countless messianic miracles. So, when I went to the Great Banquet, I believed
that Jesus was the son of God. I believed in the cross. My stumbling block was
tied to my own guilt and lack of belief regarding my worthiness when it came to
forgiveness. It is in my own understanding of how blind I still was before the
Great Banquet that I am so committed to helping others realize the truth
themselves.
If you have followed my blog, you know that I wanted Mike to
attend his own Banquet. As it turns out the man he has sold my book to has
offered to sponsor Mike. To attend the Great Banquet, you have to be sponsored.
Mike has been approached by two people at our church in regards to being
sponsored to attend the Great Banquet. Now he is working with a man who listens
to Christian music all day long and is asking to sponsor him. This morning I
said a prayer for Mike.
He is terrified to go. I believe it is because he knows I
went in one person and came out another. Not to say I was a bad person or
anything, it is just that I was still a prisoner of sorts. When you are a
prisoner, joy alludes you. Fear can keep you frozen. When you are set free,
nothing can stop you for you know the truth. You have nothing to fear but fear
itself.
Father I come before you today and thank you for bringing fellow
brothers and sisters into Mike to continually testify to him. Thank you for continuing
to reach out to him and find other ways and people to offer to sponsor him for the
Great Banquet. I pray he goes. I pray with your encouragement he conquers his fear
and allows himself to draw closer to you than he thinks is possible. May he too
long to share the good news. Thank you for marketing the book you called me to write
through Mike. That was so cool for me. I also come asking for prayers for strength
and perseverance. My week is not over and I am so tired today, I feel as if I have
run a marathon and am at the last stretch. I pray for a second wind Father. Thank
you. In Jesus name I pray. Amen.
PS ~ on my way in to work this morning I had the pleasure of hearing this song.
Wendy, walks with God,
Mom of Many
© Wendy Glidden 2014