Me and God Had a Party

So we're driving down Highway 101 and seeing the Redwoods all around us. We're heading to the ocean near Ferndale, "The Victorian Village" and I say to the kids..how is it that we have no money but are spending a week in the Redwoods at Camp Meeting? God gave us a vacation that began as a weekend and developed into a week. I only had enough to stay for the weekend, but my mom surprised us by showing up. I woke up Sunday morning in the cool mountains and whispered,"Oh God I don't wanna go home today." I proceeded to hurry to the last couple of meetings I would be privileged to attend, not wanting to waste any of the time left, only to return to a surprise announcement that we would be able to stay for four more days!! I juggled my schedule around a little back home and thanked God for the way He worked things out.. I had no intention of going to Camp Meeting this year. I had so many reasons why we couldn't go..but at the last minute decided to step out and go.
Camp meeting is a gathering where thousands of SDAs come and camp and go to lots of meetings. There are meetings throughout the day for all age groups. They go all out for the kids and as I walked by the different classes for the children, I remembered how I had taken my youngest to all of  them. We haven't been in 5 years. Things just have not been good for the past 5 years. In 2008, our last time at the Redwood Camp Meeting, God spoke deliverance to me. I was seeking Him for help with my problems and pain. He called me there and provided the means to go. I knew He had a message for me. This was the first time that God became really big to me. Funny too the theme was "God is a big God". I spent much time in prayer in my tent crying out to Him..in my journal. One night, toward the end of our time there, I went to the main meeting with my cousin. It was outside.  My song that year had been Chris Tomlin's "Amazing Grace-My Chains Are Gone" I listened to it almost constantly--dreaming of the day when I could sing it. The woman who led in the prayer time decided that everyone would have a time of silent prayer. She shared her testimony of what was happening in her life--hard things she was going through. She asked us all to open our bibles to Psalm 31:15 and pray over it. She read...
My times are in Your hand;    then stopped.


And I prayed that....and then alone and silently, I kept reading and praying-touching the words...

Deliver me from the hand of my enemies,
And from those who persecute me.


Suddenly, in the silence, I heard the song "Amazing Grace--My Chains Are Gone" wafting over the camp ground from the early teen meeting, crystal-clear, from quite a ways away. I burst out in silent emotion..crying and laughing at the same time. I was overcome with emotion. The whole song played before the woman ended the prayer time. God had heard me! This was His promise to me. This meant he would take me out of the situation I felt so trapped and confused in.
The next 4 years were hard ones. Years of strife and separation and confusion and pain that was growing more difficult to deal with. And I was desperately holding onto God's hand and trying to trust Him. In one year, I moved 5 times. Each time a part of God's plan as He lined everything up for His coming intervention and deliverance. He worked out every detail. He never left me but kept communication with me, encouraging me through the darkest times and guiding me by showing road signs. That's another amazing story. A new reality opened up to me about God. I saw a God who was so beautiful, so thoughtful, and so real it was scary at times! You see I had tried to free myself and wasn't able for whatever reason. A few times. But He is more than able and so it finally happened last summer.

This summer, this July, this camp meeting was the first year that I was free--that my chains were gone. God had truly delivered me. I wanted to meet Him there on that mountain in celebration and thanksgiving. But had so many reasons why I couldn't..until they were all removed. And so me and God had a party!! :)



Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Difference God Makes

Down By the River

To Just Be Real