2002-03-22 - 10:12 a.m.

LARGE FEELING OF RELIEF

I am glad I had enough courage to face my fear of going Wednesday night. We postponed deciding about communion and 1d went forward and asked to join the church. One would have to know this family and 1d in particular to know what a blessing this is to me.

Being a church member has never been very high on our priority list. When we are born again, we know we belong to the body of Christ, His Church, along with all those who have accepted Him as their Saviour. There are alot of 'church' things I don't recognize as being in the Scriptures so organizations are not very important.

However we have longed for a fundamental church for so long, that I determined I would be as supportive as I can. Put my money and name where my mouth is, so to speak. Anyway for 1d to make the same decision is a blessing to me. She was so sick last year at this time and after the heart episodes, she knew she had to make some changes if she wanted to be around for d and e. She has come to church nearly every Sunday and every Wednesday since then, and even when getting offended at a couple of things, still came. She had to give her testimony to join and I wondered if she ever would do something like that. It is one thing to have everybody know the big mistakes one has made, and another to stand up and state them.

I was so proud of her. She written out a 2 page letter, starting when she was 4. She didn't go into detail about the past, but acknowledged it and also acknowledged it was her refusal to walk close to You that caused the sin. For once, she has made herself accountable to her peers. That is very important to do. It is easy to make a decision in secret and then fall away. When one makes a public decision, it always seems to hold tighter in the tough times. I was also touched when she said it was her dad and mom standing beside her that helped her quit drinking and turn her life around. She is such a stoic most of the time, that I usually do not know what she is thinking. I wonder where she gets that from?

As she makes steady progress in losing weight and keeping her house and finances in order, I am more and more encouraged for her future and the future of her children. And I am more and more excited about our bargain (Yours and mine) When I determined that I would bite my tongue and pray instead of criticize, I think I got out of Your way so You could begin the work in her heart. Thank You.

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