Reaching Deep

Ever been asked a question that pushes you into the deep?

It was an innocent enough question. It just poked me in a tender place.

In a class I am taking, the professor asked, Who are your mentors in the faith?

Both professors recounted certain family members in their formative years as having a great impact on their faith journey.

There were no family members who encouraged me in faith.

Without faith, it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to Him must believe He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him (Hebrews 11:6).

I had zip, zero faith until age 40 when I believed God to be real and true, I finally relented that He existed after years of refusing to believe any such thing.

But that moment I first believed is beautiful. And every time I hear Amazing Grace, my heart quivers in remembrance of the “hour I first believed”.

This question about mentors nipped at my heals on my neighborhood walks.

The devil whispered things.

In his twisted, evil way, You had no one, no one wanted to mentor you.

Spirit, in bold, clear truth, said I Am. I mentor you. I mentor all my chosen.

Wrestling all week, my prayers asked for His help to sift through the heinous lies discounting my identity in Him.

Remind me, Lord, tell me again how You let me know my purpose in You. Who are you making me to be?

Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and mighty things you do not know (Jeremiah 33:3)

At age 44, God spoke to me, audibly, and told me NO MORE ALCOHOL. Not only did He save me from destruction, but He also consecrated me, set me apart for plans He had for me.

A few days after He spoke, I had a dream of me speaking to a large group of people, walking down the middle to show how small I was.

Then the Lord came down in a pillar of cloud; He stood at the entrance to the tent and summoned Aaron and Miriam. When the two of them stepped forward, He said,

“Listen to My words:

When there is a prophet among you, I, the Lord, reveal Myself to them in visions; I speak to them in dreams. But this is not true of My servant Moses; He is faithful in all my house. With him, I speak face, clearly and not in riddles; he sees the form of the Lord. Why then were you not afraid to speak against my servant Moses” (Numbers 12:5-8).

Before I was to give my testimony the very first time in April 2015, God impressed it upon me to wake up His people. Having little idea about what that meant then, I went forth to speak with the passion I had for Him.

As I began to grow in the Word, even after I began to blog here, God began to stir the burden for lost souls. It has made less and less spiritual sense to me to write blogs that only other Christians read.

Write and speak so others know Me.

Has the Lord redeemed you? Then speak out! Tell others He has redeemed you from your enemies (Psalm 107:2, NLT).

Over the last four years as God opened doors for me to speak to Christian women and men, He taught me to obey Him, to be a vessel where He could minister to people who have been in the faith longer than I.

Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, and in purity (1 Timothy 4:12).

I love to speak about all three in the Trinity, God Our Father, Jesus the Son and the Holy Spirit. I cherish the time in preparation with the Lord, the intimacy I have with Him as I deliver His message, and the tremendous blessing of seeing hearts move and eyes open to His truth.

In the last two years, speaking has evolved into preaching. Not sure exactly when, but I know by whom.

But He (Jesus) said, “I must proclaim the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns also, because that is why I was sent” (Luke 4:43).

I must preach. The fire in my veins must expel or I will explode. I preach to the bunnies, squirrels and birds. I preach to His sunrise. I preach when He puts me in front of His people and when He doesn’t.

If I had an earthly mentor, would I have stepped straight into that soul-fire to learn why it’s burning? Would I be in a different faith place?

Now today, this given day, next steps on my radar are as follows:

~to finish that first book God has planted in me as seeds to sow in both unbelievers and believers hearts

~to begin the Master of Divinity Program at Liberty University August 24th

~fall to my knees each day

On my knees, I shall praise the Only Name Who Saves!

On my knees, I shall thank God for breaking me out of evil strongholds in my life, where I am free to be who He says I am.

On my knees, I shall ask for forgiveness for doubting one second His miracle-work in me.

On my knees, I shall continue to seek His life-giving wisdom and His Way for my little life, recognizing every day He does not need me to accomplish His Kingdom, thanking Him for the privilege to be included, giving Him my life on His altar.

On my knees, I shall listen more closely for His purpose in making me a pastor, giving me a burden for unsaved souls, and branding me with a passion to preach His Word, and seeking training from a revivalist pastor.

On my knees, I shall seek Him, praying for Him to raise up mentors in the faith, giving the more mature the passion and desire to come alongside others, helping them to see God’s given purpose, pointing them in ways to grow in His hands and not the crowd’s.

Even when I am old and gray, do not forsake me, my God, till I declare your power to the next generation, your mighty acts to all how are to come (Psalm 71:18).

We can be a mentor or mentee at any age, or at any step in our faith journey. Some are only for a season. Some are for life.

Truly, God did not leave me alone on my pilgrimage to this point. I thank God for all the women and men who have spoken life into these dry bones along the way.  A special thank you to the following (not inclusive of my entire 6 years):

Dear sister Bettie who blogs at https://www.bettiegsraseasons.com, who has prayed for me in so many situations and encouraged me in my writing and faith

Dear sisters Lori Cunningham and Pansylee who helped confirm His truth I was never alone in a tough healing season of my journey

Bettie, Lori and Pansylee are pillars of faith who continue to use their given gifts to glorify His name in spite of the valleys of death they have visited.

Dear sisters Karen and Monya, and Karen’s parents who have prayed for me and my family and encouraged me along the way as I both fumbled and continue to grow in this ministry path He chose, a Mississippi family who took me under their wing, just as God takes us under His.

Two dear pastors: Pastor Charlie Zahora who asked me more than once if I ever thought about being a pastor and who has created many opportunities to serve and preach. Pastor Dan Massardt who connected with me on Facebook, has given me guidance as I am beginning the educational track for pastor and encouraged me letting me know what he has seen as God’s gifts exhibiting in me.

And the men God has given me! Jason blessed me with sweet encouragement as he surrenders to God my given gifts. Jason knows one in ministry, all are in ministry. My husband joins me in nature where he knows I commune with Him. Today Jason spotted an egret flying today on our nature walk:

Jackson has been asking me for prayer almost every day now that I am enrolled in the Mdiv program, his 13 year old way of affirming my future as a pastor of the Lord. Braedon continues to awe me, how he is stepping out in faith, how he is committed to finishing a book dream God planted in his heart in second grade. He inspires me the way he lives his faith out.

Let us never underestimate the power of life-giving words to those who love Jesus and to those who still don’t see the need for a Savior:

He sent out His word and healed them; He rescued them from the grave (Psalm 107:20).

~~

I would love to hear if you had any experience with a mentor in the faith, one whom came alongside you and was God’s agent to help you grow in Him.

Regarding a mentor for me, I have come to understand God My Father, Jesus My Lord and Savior and His Holy Spirit love me more than I can ever imagine. He provides for the sparrows, and He will provide for me. Surrendering all to Him relieves me of worry, of stress, and of the false need to control things.

Thank you for coming alongside me here at this blog, this post.

Have a beauty-full rest of your given day

Love in Christ,

Julie

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