Hi All,
I was away speaking until Tuesday and it’s taken me this long to regroup and get back to our talk on marriage.
By the way, I spoke to a group of birth-moms who had placed their children in adoptive homes. All I can say is they are my hero’s! I’ve never seen such self-less love. It was a hard event to do emotionally. These young women are still grieving their loss even though there is peace in their hearts about placing their child. My thoughts and prayers are still with them.
How do we encourage one another in marriage? By giving the other what they want.
Women want to feel secure and protected, but mostly they want to be encouraged to grow spiritually by their husbands. Nothing turns me on most than when my husband leads me spiritually!
I had never needed my husband’s encouragement more spiritually then when God clearly called me into full time ministry. At first, I could tell he thought I was crazy. I thought I was, too! But God’s call was clear and there was no escaping it.
Each day, my bedroom became my sanctuary where I studied my bible. I was reading Paul’s words in 1 Corinthians 2:4-5, “And my message and my preaching were not in persuasive words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, that your faith should not rest on the wisdom of men, but on the power of God.” it was then that God plainly spoke, “Micca, I want you to speak for Me.” I can’t say that I heard the audible voice of God, but it was the clearest thought I have EVER had!
As God spoke, I could see in my minds eye a sea of faces that I was standing over. There were thousands and thousands of faces. I knew my bible well enough to know that when God speaks, it’s clear. You know exactly what he wants you to do. I was terrified to say the least.
Never once growing up did I say, “I want to be a speaker and writer when I grow up.” In fact, I was only studying the bible out of selfish reasons. I didn’t search the Word of God to know God or anything spiritual like that. No, I wanted answers. I was searching for why a loving God would give me a baby and then take away his father. Then, again, the bible says, “we make our plans, but God directs our path.”
I had been set up! God was preparing me for His plans. I don’t even think God answered my questions. Instead, He showed me who He was…and He was enough. I had fallen passionately in love with Him enough to surrender to His call…eventually.
I ran from God for about a year. First, I argued with God about being Baptist. “Baptist women don’t speak, Lord,” I’d say. “It’s not legal.” Then, I tried convincing my husband that God was calling him into ministry, he just told me first. That didn’t work either. Eventually, I could no longer eat, sleep, or sit comfortably in church. I went to my pastor and he graciously counseled me for a year until we were convinced that God, indeed, had placed a call on my life. That’s when it got scary and where I needed the encouragement and support of Pat, my husband.
God was so good to speak Pat’s language in order to comfort his fears and concerns…
Pat is an accountant. His first action of support was to accompany me to our local college where I was going back to school as I waited on God to direct my path. As I filled out the forms, it called for my maiden name. Then, it happened. God spoke to Pat in his language…money.
The young guy who was processing my forms, returned to tell us that my first semester was already paid for. I could pick up my books on my way out. What? Pat and I were both amazed. How could this be?
Before I married my first husband, I had signed up and paid for the first semester of school at this same college but never attended. Instead, I got married. In over 18 years, the school had not returned my money nor had they written it off. Now, to an accountant,which my husband is, this was impossible. Any accounting department would have written this off by now or would have returned my money when I didn’t show. You don’t keep money for 18 years with out doing one or the other. The only explanation was God. And it was just the miracle Pat needed; it was the answer to his prayer.
From that day, Pat became my biggest supporter and spiritual guide. That means at times he has to let me work when he’d rather I be with him; it means taking care of the kids when I travel, it means making lunches, running the dishwasher, and sleeping alone on the weekends. BUT…as he and the kids pray for me and those I minister too, we’ve come to realize that God didn’t just call me…He called the entire family.
Oh, there’s lots in between that I wish I had time to share like wanting to purchase a bus and paint, JESUS SAVES, across the side of it as I set out to save the world. Thankfully, God had a different plan, and now, I am ministering to thousands throughout the U.S., but without the bus. But the main thing is, I couldn’t do it without my husband’s constant encouragement and support.
Stay tuned for part 2…
LAUREN at Faith Fuel says
Wow, I see how clearly God confirmed your call into speaking and writing with that paid tuition bill. He spoke so clearly to you and to your husband through a very practical thing.
How encouraging that we don’t have to worry we’ll miss God’s call or the confirmation of it. He’ll make it clear!
Digging for Pearls says
What a beautiful picture of obedience to God.