In the society we live in, it seems that we are never happy with ourselves. If we have curly hair, we want is straight. If we are short, we want to be tall. If we have brown hair, we color it blond, or red, or maybe purple.
I have heard people say that the grass is always greener on the other side. Well, I can attest to that! A few days ago, Nick stopped for a meal break, and few minutes after he left the RV, a police officer stopped him about quarter of a mile across from where I was parked on the side of the road. I grabbed my binoculars and I was trying to see what was going on. All of the sudden I saw the officer with his head bowed. Nick was praying with and for him.
I immediately started to talked to God about it. I said to God, "It is wonderful the work that Nick is doing; he is being obedient to you and he gets to talk and pray with people...it is amazing how you move through him when we are on the road." Of course right after that, I started to tell Him all the things that I was not doing. I said, "Lord, I am not walking, nor praying for people that much. I have not prayed for an officer since we moved from Kansas to Oklahoma....and I am just here, doing house work on the road. Yes, I know that I am praying while Nick is walking...but Nick, is the face of the ministry, he does the dramas and is a very good speaker and writer and he has a great gift of communication." And before I could say anything else, God spoke to my heart.
"Lucy, before you go any further, let me tell you, that Nick, could not do this journey without you. He needs you to support him, to take care of him, to pray for him and the people he is going to meet and not every one has your patience. Besides, the RV is your prayer closet. You talk to Me, you sing to Me and you worship Me. This is the place where we both meet every day. You bring your petitions to Me and I listen and answer your prayers."
I totally felt like the Israelites, I forgot! For some reason, we usually do not see God and His hand working in us and through us, until after the fact. We...I guess I mean I... need to take time every day to count my blessings, no matter how small I think they are. If it is a blessing, it is not small at all because God is in it. Wow! I do not know where I have been. Sorry, Lord and thank you for waking me up!
It seems that for the last 10 months I have been on an emotional roller coaster. Last January, Nick broke his two front teeth....that was a hit of $3000 in debts....in February, Nick had a five day hospital visit due to dehydration and that was about $22+K for five days; since we do not have insurance, the hospitalization treatments and services just kept adding up.
In February we were blessed by good friends from California who donated to Breath of Christ Ministries a 1977 RV for our 3rd Walk Across America for Christ....well, our friends are good Christian people with wonderful hearts...what they did not know is that the RV was not as road worthy as they thought. We had an adventure of replacing the engine, the radiator, airbags, shocks, and more stuff than I care to remember.
Our wonderful friend Bob Leavitt, made a point to help us with this RV and he got a new stove, he rebuilt a new bed for us and created office space for me to be able to do my work while on the road. He also replace a sealing fan, the shower and put 3 mirrows in the RV so I would feel more at home. He gave all of himself for us to be able to go on the road. He gave his talent, his time, and cash out of his own pocket for us to keep walking for God. This project took several months and still the RV was having problems. I can hardly describe all of it. It would take another year to tell you all the details.
By the end of March, Nick and I found ourselves in a quicksand of debt, we were stuck $40,000! It was not a pretty picture. We tried to figure out how to get out of it, because of all the repairs on the RV, plus the hospitalization and the dental was a combination of expenses we had not planned on. We did not know what to do, we were confused, stressed and overwhelmed. So, Nick said to God in a prayer....We do not know what to do, Lord but our eyes are on YOU! (2 Chronicles 20:12)
I mentioned to Nick that at the end of March, I had celebrated my 50th birthday and in Scripture it talks about the Year of Jubilee....on the 50th year. So I explained to Nick that I was going to claim my birthday as my year of jubilee and I was going to believe for our debt to be forgiven. He just looked at me with tender eyes like saying....Okay dear, whatever you say. I knew that God could do it. I knew that He loves us. I did not know when or how He was going to do it. However, I did not want to open the door to doubt, but some times it creeps in.
One day in May, Nick and I drove to our mail box, as we did several times a week. As I went to pick up the mail, I was opening the envelopes of donations and I handed Nick all the bills. He opened one from the hospital and it said: "Dear Nick..." well, we thought when you are in a first name basis with the hospital..we saw it as trouble. However, as Nick continued to read we discovered, that the hospital had forgiven $20000 out of the $22,200 we owed. The Monday prior to receiving this letter from the hospital, we had received a donation of $2000, so we only paid $200 for that bill.....Is GOD faithful or what??? I was so overwhelmed I was crying and thanking God all over the place, the people at the mail box just looked at me and did not know what was going on......I marvel at our Lord. He loves us sooo much it is....Amazing!!!! The best part of it all is that He loves you too!!!
People like you also sent gifts to help us out so we could do our walk for Christ and we thank you, because we know that God had provided for you and He placed us in your hearts for you to give. Thank you soooooo very much. We ask the True God that He prospers you for your obedience and faithfulness.
Through the guidance and love of God we paid off the other part of the debt. Since late October we have been debt free!
On August 31st, we started our 3rd Walk Across America for Christ, however as you have learned through our news letter, emails, facebook and blogs. We had continued to have problems with the 1977 RV. It got so bad that the toilet was not working, then we had a water leak that created mold on the carpet, the black water came in the RV some how and it was bad. Then the generator needed a new starter.
By the end of September we had a propane leak and we almost met our Creator. I got very sick....a few days later Pastor Harold from South West Community Church and the church family, purchased a 1994 Winnebago for us to continue on this journey because they felt the other RV was not safe to drive any more.
November first. our son-in-law had and accident, he fell from a 2 story building and broke his back. As I write this he is not able to have any feeling from mid-chest down, he is in the hospital and has a tracheotomy.
We do believe that the same God who has been with us all along and has gotten us out of debt....He is the healer and will bring restoration to Alex. We stand on God's promises and we know that He is Faithful and He is the healer. (Psalm 103)
The storms of life come and go, but we know the One who calms the storms and we stand on the Rock.We are in God's side and we know that He is able and willing. He is faithful and true, therefore, we shall not be moved! (Psalm 16:8, Psalms 62.6, Acts 2:25)
In the book of Colossians Chapter 1, verses 9-12 we read: For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding. 10And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, 11being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully 12giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light.
God adores you and and wants to spend ETERNITY with you.
This is my prayer for you today. That you receive all that God has for you. He loves you and wants what is best. May the healing touch, of the Master, fill you a new, with physical and emotional healing, with physical strength; that your relationships be restored as well as your finances. May you feel a peace that passes all understanding and be enriched with an everlasting joy. Give thanks today, count your blessings and say YES to the One who loves you above all, Jesus Christ!
Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Matthew 6:26
When I read this passage, the word of God humbles my heart, because it helps me to realize that I am experiencing first hand the goodness of God, through His people.
Nick and I do not own a house, do not have a car, we had an RV that allowed us to go from here to Oklahoma and meet really good people and learned the good things they are doing for the kingdom of God. At the same time we met other people who needed some one to talk to and they needed to be heard.
As we read again what Matthew wrote in scripture: "Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?-- His words put a new perspective in my heart. God values each one of us. God really, really, really values us... yes, you and me! We just need to recognize it and accept the fact that we mean something good to Him, we are His creation and that is the reason why He sent His Son Jesus.
Often times, we have listened to the wrong voice. Just the way Adam and Eve did in the garden. We need to learn more about what the Word of God says about His love for us. He wants the best for His children.
There are many things in this world that I do not understand. However, what I know is... that since 2001 when we publicly acknowledged God, we have been blessed. We have had our ups and downs, but God has not turned away from us. Usually we are the ones that move away from Him.
In the last 8 years that we have been serving God full time we have done 2 walks across America for Christ. This is our third. We have had 4 RVs donated to our ministry to be able to accomplish these walks. God has touched people because we have been working on being obedient.
He sent us to Japan to touch the life of a young person... a little person, so he could get the medical attention he needed for his back.
We were able to go to the Holy Land and Nick baptized about 25 people or so in the Jordan River, we also did the 3 Biblical presentations and people were touched because of the power of the Holy Spirit.
I am not sharing this to show you how lucky we are or to say we are world travelers. Most of the time, we do not know what we are doing or where we are going...we just rely on His direction and love. At times it feels scary because sometimes we want to take control. Sometimes we try to get ahead of God.
You may say....but you have nothing! Yes, you are right, we have nothing physical, but God is giving us what we need. He has provided all our needs and many of our wants too! He is a loving Father.
We also read in Scripture: If you, then, though you are evil,knowhowtogivegoodgifts to your children,howmuch more will your Father in heavengivegoodgifts to those who ask him! Matthew 7:11 What He has done for us, He will do for you. God does not have favorites. He loves you as He loves us. Don't be afraid to ask Him for what you want. Present your dreams to Him. Believe and do not doubt in your heart and He will do it for you! Give your heart to Him today, do not delay and begin to acknowledge Him in all your ways and He will direct your path.
No matter how bad we want to get back on the road it seems that we need to wait for the Lord to give us the ok. As we wait for God's marvelous timing we need to develop some patience. We need to learn that at times it is not in our best interest to move ahead, because He may be keeping us out of trouble.
Other times as we wait upon Him and His marvelous works, we also learn that we can wait upon the Lord with praises, thanksgiving and we can offer Him our worship for His wonderful acts of protection, deliverance, guidance, love, grace, peace, and the life that He has given us. Therefore let us not forget to "wait" upon the Lord with our song and our heart filled with gratitude.
He has our best interest at hand, He will never leave us nor forsake us. He is the one that desires to have our Love given back to Him. He desires for us to look into His loving eyes and see that all that He has done is out of love. So today, we bow down to worship His Holy name, the name of Yahweh!
Last night we attended our prayer meeting at Southwest Community Church. As I was praying I remembered a casual comment someone made last week regarding our situation (Nick and I being homeless) I said to myself, "That thought had never entered my mind before." I always have been feeling totally blessed. In fact, I feel like Nick and I have many mansions because of the hospitality and the love you have been pouring on us all across America. Just like the song says, "...and crowned thy good with brotherhood from sea to shining sea."
Since we stated these journeys in 2001, we have had challenging times, but I have had the tendency of always looking at every situation as a way to bless God and as a blessing from Him. No matter what I have or what I have lacked, my focus has always been the goodness of God and Jesus Christ over my life.
In Scripture we read: I have learned the secret of being contentin any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. Phil 4:12 -- I have never been hungry. God has always put people like You in my path to give me love and to embrace me. Yes, I have been frustrated, afraid, concerned ...you name it. However, God always sees me through every problem...and why? It is not luck, because luck runs out but the blessings of God never stop flowing! CHRIST is the Solution to every problem, challenge and situation; Jesus is the Answer to every question!
Every day is a new blessing! We open our eyes to new opportunities to bless others. We can bless people with a hug, with a smile, with an encourageing word.
We need to get out of focusing on ourselves. If we look at the news it seems that this world is getting a bit crazy. But the American people we see are good people; loving, kind and looking for each other. Those are the people that do not get any air time on CNN or any other national network. Look around you and see the blessings of God, feel His love and move closer to Him. Go back to your first love, (painting, singing, cooking, reading to someone else, preaching, teaching, playing an instrument, hugging someone, listening). There is so much good we can do. We need each other. We need God and God desires for us to be who He created us to be.
Jesus gave His all for love! He wants us to give Him all we are. My friend Don Knepp is getting ready to run in the Kansas City Marathon Saturday. On his shirt, it says "Need Prayer? Ask me!" He's doing what he loves and at the same time making himself available before, during and after the race to bless people for God. That's all God wants from us; do what we love and be available to be a blessing.
In the society we live in, it seems that we are never happy with ourselves. If we have curly hair, we want is straight. If we are short, we want to be tall. If we have brown hair, we color it blond, or red, or maybe purple.
