Series: Call Me
Ezekiel 36:26 ESV
Years ago during a time when change was in the air, calling on God was all I could do. Everything I had known was gone and my emotional reserves were depleted.
When it happened I thought it was a very bad time in my life.
I was wrong.
It was a bless-ed time.
Since everything I had known was gone every day I turned to God to ask for help and strength. I learned to rely on God’s Word for everything. The Spirit was ever so close.
I could not breathe on my own.
I asked God to fill every part of my space (my old small apartment) with the fullness of the Spirit.
While I grieved everything I lost, I asked God to give me a new life. I called God’s name, “Come Spirit, come! Fill me, fill my space, flood my life with you.”
I was given the opportunity to change my life.
In Ezekiel 36:26 the prophet wrote a beautiful promise, “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.”
I will give you a new heart.
I will put a new Spirit in you.
I will remove your heart of stone.
I will give you a heart of flesh.
Gradually I was able to accept my new normal and I could breathe again.
The change was not easy, but God was there for me.
A friend of mine at work invited me to go to church with her. At first I told her no because it was too large (too many people) and I knew I would sit and cry.
She told me that was okay because almost everybody cries because the Pastor is genuine and has a way of reaching people with the message of God’s love. She said they won’t even notice that I’m crying.
She was right.
After I started going there I found out they had a Healing Prayer Service during the week. I started going every week and even though I didn’t go up front to ask for prayer because I was crying so hard I found out later that people were praying for me anyway.
Gradually I was able to go and not cry. I went every week and someone who had heard my story asked me if I wanted to join the team of pray-ers. I was eventually Director of that service.
A little while down the road God called me to go to Seminary.
I thought of all the papers I had typed when my former spouse was in Seminary. I told God I thought it was a really bad idea.
God persisted.
God did not let up.
God was calling my name…whispering for me to come on a new journey with Him.
In late August 2007 God continued to press in and I gathered the paperwork I needed to apply. I reasoned it would take several months to hear back so I would have time to prepare.
I filled out the Application and retrieved my College transcript from the University of Missouri, Columbia. It was late in the day and I thought I would maybe hear back after Fall Classes resumed.
I received a telephone call from the church office that next morning…the Seminary in Minneapolis faxed me a letter of acceptance for the Fall term.
Whoa. With lightening speed, I was accepted.
Seminary is a very long program (144 Graduate Hours) and I scheduled it so I could continue working (I’d worked for the same company for five years). Since I had great vacation time I was able to use a month off a year to be on campus (that was a requirement).
Somehow it all worked out.
I know now that when God called me every detail was planned.
When the time came for me to choose a language I decided i’s take Koine Greek since I was familiar with it from when my former spouse was in seminary.
While I was praying God called my name. The answer was NO…take Biblical Hebrew. I argued (once again) that it was way too hard. God pressed in…Hebrew Hebrew Hebrew. God chanted the word in my head just like a cheerleader would chant. Hebrew Hebrew Hebrew.
Alright already! So I enrolled in Hebrew.
It turned out even though it was really really hard it was a wonderful humongous blessing! I love the Ancient Hebrew language!
In 2013 I graduated with a Master of Divinity degree (M.Div.) with Hebrew as my language.
It was absolutely one of the best blessings of my life (so are my four kids, four wonderful spouses of my children, and my eight grandchildren).
God called. I argued and lost and I’m really really glad that God persisted!
Spiritual Practice: God Calling
What is God calling You to do? Lean into it. Receive it. Let,God engineer the plan.
In God, Deborah
acrazyjourney.com (it WAS!)
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