Monday, May 2, 2016

Salvation

I posted on Facebook a week ago that Daniela surrendered her life to Christ ::me jumping up and down throwing fists up::

About a month ago, I started to notice that D seemed different.  Her behavior was opposite of what I have ever seen.  She stops mid-sentence to tell me she's lying.  I overhear her apologizing to Jessi for being frustrated or angry with her.  She apologizes without being told that she did wrong.  The house is calmer. Call me crazy, but a darkness feeling has left my house. 

One morning last week I let the girls come out on the porch as I read. I almost never allow them to interrupt early morning Bible time. They know this time is more important than anything they want to talk to me about. God had just revealed some insight to me about something and I wanted to share the wisdom with them.  Daniela went on to say that her Salvation story was different than classmates, her teacher said... as it related to my story.

Wait.

What?


What do you mean your story? When did you get Saved?


Well, you remember that day you high-fived me for stopping mid-sentence during a lie and I admitted it was not the truth? The night before.

Now, I remember this CLEAR AS DAY. I about freaked when she stopped and was honest. I remember looking her right in the eyes--shock at what just happened.  Like it is one of those moments your brain took a photo of and you have it stored easily to be recalled.  After that, I kept joking to her, "Who are you? What is going on!" And, I was telling people all the times that she's taken a turn in lying and her behavior with her sister. "She's so different, she's so different."

So what happen, I asked. (Living with a compulsive liar for 2 years, you take nothing as truth...down to "did you pee before we left?")

"It was just a bad day.  I got into bed crying and crying telling God that I try so hard and I just fail. I want to stop lying and I can't. I try to be better and I mess up. I can't do it! I give it to you! I know you can! Please give me your Spirit, God, so I can.  I am so sorry for all the things I have done, please forgive me."

Done.

As I type, my eyes fill up with tears. Yours should, too.  We should lose our minds in excitement when someone says they just got Saved. 

Once going to hell. Now, eternity with Jesus. Redeemed. Out of all her craziness, redeemed. Of all the identities pinned to her in the last 3 years. Washed clean as snow.  New

2 Corinthians 5:17

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come:  The old has gone, the new is here!


All that remains is Jesus.

So let me rewind a litte...Afterwards, I wanted to "be there," so I could say, "yup, true."  I kept asking God, is this real?  Before she would sometimes claim Christian, claim Catholic, claim nothing, etc.

I was convicted in even asking. 

Why did I need to be there to say "yes, this happened?"  I can look at her fruit.  Before I ever knew that she claimed Christ, I already saw her new creation emerged!  HOW CRAZY IS THAT?  Why am I shocked?  I have no idea.  I know NEW MEANS NEW.  But for some reason I was in such awe and still am. 

I think about it all the time.  I thank Him constantly for His unfailing love.  For scooping down and grabbing this child. 

Last part.

Several months ago, I found out about a Jehovah Witness that was targeting kids before they went to school in the morning.  Most of the kids walk to Daniela's school.  It is maybe 6 minutes from our house.  This should have been a blog post all by itself and I never wrote it, but let me sum it up for you...  This one lady became "Daniela's friend."  Using techniques that resembled a child molester, she would trick her into reading the pamphlets, going to the website, being her friend.  She would ask her if her mom allows her to choose her own books at the library, "Great, here is something you could read because you can choose your own books."  And so on with the internet site.  I walked Daniela to school the morning, she said this lady meets kids outside the school.  I have a car now but I wanted to walk and pray there.  As we approached Jessica's school, sure enough she was there on a bench.  I walked so slowly, asking the Spirit to speak for me.  My heart began to race out of my chest.  I really DID NOT want to do this.  I felt like I was going to embarrass myself to the other missionaries that might pass by.  I was not going to "let this lady have it"...I was being obedient.  I knew God asked me to lay hands on her and pray. A week before I had a thought that wasn't mine (Spirit talking) to pray over her in the Name of Jesus...sure enough Luke tells me that he had a vision I was to pray in Jesus' Name.  ::oh gosh why did you have to tell me that and affirm::

As I prayed over her and touched her shoulder demanding that this JW stay away from my kids, as she seeks to devour them, in the Name of Jesus. This went on for a few minutes of things just flying out of my mouth in prayer.   (Hear me out, this sounds just as nutso as it was!  It was such an out of body experience I had never felt before. I couldn't even go into my house for 30-45 mins, I just sat on my steps outside my house texting.  High, so stinking high.  Power.  Authority.  In Christ.)

The reason I tell you this? 

At the very end as I prayed, and I fully believe my prayer was led by the Holy Spirit that lives in me, God said, And, this kid right here (Daniela) WILL BE IN THE KINGDOM WITH ME!  ::grabbed Jessica's arm::  And this KID WILL BE IN THE KINGDOM WITH ME! 

The lady kept trying to interrupt the whole prayer.   I would not stop praying and I left as soon as I was done feeling led. 


When I walked away, my first thought was, "Oh my gosh, these girls are going to be Saved!  That prayer was not of me but of God-- claiming their lives in His Kingdom." 

WOW

Look what He did. 

One down.