Monday, May 24, 2010

Memorial Box Monday


Today is Monday! Know what that means? Memorial Box Monday! OK so if you do not know what Memorial Box Monday is click on the picture on the side bar over there that looks like the picture above. Here goes my story....


This is huge for me to share this with you so please be kind in your responses (if you respond) Our God is an awesome God and I know for sure the words of Jeremiah 29:11 ring true when it comes to my oldest son.

You see 20 years ago I was a 17 year old high school student crazy in love with my boyfriend. We planned to marry after I graduated. God was not always the center of our home while I was growing up. He was mentioned and we prayed and my brother and I were saved when we were little during that short time we did attend church, but we never really attended on a regular basis so therefore we did not "grow" in our faith. That came later for me. However God never left me. You see I sinned, one of those sins that you know you shouldn't do but as a teen your hormones get the best of you. We had sex before marriage and you guessed it, we got pregnant.

So here I was begging and pleading with God not to be pregnant. Ever heard that song "Unanswered Prayers" by Garth Brooks? That song was fitting back then. We prayed together and prayed but I knew in my heart when I took that test I was pregnant. Now here is the good part. We were married not to long after in a godly church and began to attend there. The seed was replanted again. :) I had our son not to long after and he was simply beautiful! I never really knew what unconditional love was until that moment. So we went along and raised him the best we could. We were young and made lots of mistakes. Two more sweet ones came along after that and we just did the best we could to love them unconditionally.

We eventually got them all in church and they were all saved and love The Lord to this day. But you see our God is not an ordinary bland God. He is the creator of the universe. And He had a plan!!! A few years ago our son had went through some tough things and just clung to the Lord during it. We were so proud of him. He could have turned away and became bitter because what happened to him was not fair. However God used it. About a year later he had a friend who went through some things that were almost what our son had went through. Harder, more difficult and the young man found God in the midst of it all. In the mean time our son befriended him because he could relate to what he went through. The more he spoke the gospel into this young mans life, the more our son grew in his faith. One day he came up to me and said, "Mom, I think after all this I am suppose to be a Youth Pastor." My heart lept and then I was frightened. I knew what he would endure and all his life I tried to protect him. I was overjoyed for the most part. So we all began to pray for this "leading". 

He began to look at how he could accomplish this. Then he found a college that was perfect for him. It felt like he was at church while he was there. We have a wonderful church that feels like family. Everyone is loving and just wants to spread the gospel. So we visited the college and we LOVED it. More importantly HE loved it. But coming from the background he did it was nearly next to impossible to pay for this private college. But our God is a mountain moving God and that is just what He did!! He took care of ALL his expenses for college including books and even gave our son a refund on some of it. Financial aid and scholarships and one student loan covered the whole amount for the whole year for a Christian private college!! He just finished his Freshman year! God is good all the time and can move any mountain this world throws in front of you!!! His Major is in Pastoral studies with a minor in music. How awesome is our God?!

What if He would have answered that prayer all those years ago? I would not be the Mom I am nor would I have a son going off to serve our wonderful Loving God and spreading the gospel! All for Your Glory Lord! All for Your Glory!!! So every time I hear that song (which is rare now days) I think of our son and how God saved him to serve Him! Maybe the proper thing to put in our Memorial box would be the words to the verse to that song. Which are these


Sometimes I thank God, for unanswered prayers,
Remember when your talking to the Man upstairs,
Just because He doesn't answer doesn't mean He don't care,
Some of God's greatest gifts, are Unanswered Prayers!

Indeed one of my greatest gifts is that sweet boy..er uh young man of mine that God is using to further His kingdom! Thank you Lord for unanswered prayers!

"I know the plans I have for you" declares The Lord, "plans to prosper and not to harm you, to give you hope and a future!" Jeremiah 29:11

4 comments:

  1. Oh...this is SO beautiful!!!! Praise God for His ways and the way He can turn everything for good!!!! As a Mama of little ones, this just brings tears to my eyes!!!!

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  2. Oh Sweet Friend! First off, no clue why anyone would be unkind after reading your story??! It is a beautiful story of God's redemtive love...and oh{!} how He loves us....and restores and heals and brings full circle....I love, love, love that your son is going to be in ministry - Yippee Jesus!! Thank you for making yourself vulnerable and sharing with all of us!!
    xo

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  3. Came over from Linny's blog. So glad to hear how GOD showed up BIG in your son's schooling--HE provides. Also, thanks for sharing the whole story, making yourself vulnerable, admitting mistakes. Thank you for staying in your marriage no matter how young you were and how hard it was. Thank you for raising your children the best you could to love each other and LOVE GOD. Have a great day!

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  4. Hi Tammy- Thank you so much for your sweet words on my blog. I prayed daily for just over a year before we were able to qualify. Keep believing in His plan and purpose- He will provide!
    And what an amazing life story your son has- from God's first designing him in your young womb, to his future ministry plans. No doubt he will make an impact for Christ!
    In Him,
    Kelly

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