This is sort of an attachment to my last blog entry on prayer. I promised I would tell a story on an amazing experience I had and the answer I received from God as a result of my prayer.
I pray alot for my children. I pray not only for their salvation, but that they would be strong men, leaders in God's army. My heart's desire is that they would love God as much as their father and I do.
Two years ago come November we were having problems with one boy. He was not on the same page as we were, and it was worrisome for us. We thought he was really not behaving in a good way, not how he was brought up to be. We saw him sliding away not only from us, but from the God that we loved and honored. He was showing us he did not feel the same way mostly with his actions and lifestyle. According to anyone else, they would say he was a great kid, a great success. We were more concerned with his heart than his worldly success. We wanted to be proud of him and what he was doing, but at that time he was breaking our heart.
God gave us a message...I swear. It was amazing what happened.
We went down to see our son at college and an all out confrontation broke out between us, my son, and his girlfriend's parents. It was awful without going into details. It was a vacation from Hell that week. It was a collision of world views, and it was some collision, let me tell ya. Nothing really got settled, and we were headed back home. Our last morning at the hotel is where God spoke to me. I was in a state of angst and more than a bit upset over the events of the week.
While my husband used the bathroom, and I was getting coffee near the front desk, the lady behind the desk started to talk to me. She and I had gotten quite friendly over the week. She now said to me....."I have a story for you." Out of the blue she said this. Not having any idea and curious, I asked her to go ahead and tell me. I still remember it as clear as if she said it this morning. This is what she told me.
Her daughter had to do a speech in class. I knew about this since my kids did this as well. Each kid gets up, gives a speech in the spring, a vote is taken and they go onto the next round. Well she said the first student, a girl, stood up and gave her speech on how it was to be a Christian. She spoke about how she loved God and that she knew He had a plan for her life. The next, a boy, got up and spoke about going to seminary. He felt God tugging at him to go and he would answer the call. The next girl got up and spoke about not needing God. She was an atheist and did not need the crutch that the other two had spoken of. She had done quite well for herself and no god was involved in her life. She was considered quite the success story already.
A week later there was a car accident. It was bad. The first girl, the Christian was involved in it. Her car had gone under a semi and was crushed. The top was sheared off and the car was crumpled. Those that rushed to the scene said it was doubtful anyone could live in such an accident. It was horrific. They found her in a crumpled ball on the floor in the passenger side of the car. They had no idea how this could be. She was found alive. At this point I don't remember if she said how the girl fared, only that she was found alive.
Another week passed. Another car accident happened. This time it was the successful girl that had no need of God. She was involved in this accident. At this point the lady behind the desk was beginning to cry and my husband comes out of the bathroom ready to go. I hushed him and said, "let her finish her story first." So he listened. He could see the woman crying at this point so he knew something was up. The phone rang, she had to answer it but told me to wait. I needed to hear this story. She came back and finished.
This girl was hit from the side. It was a side impact to the driver's door and she was driving. She died instantly. There was no damage to the car, nothing to speak of anyway. But the impact was such that it took her life. Wow. Two girls, two car accidents, two different outcomes.
The funeral was huge as can be expected. This lady said her daughter was reading the obituary a few days later and it was huge. It chronicled the success this girl had received over the years. She was going to graduate with honors and all the colleges were after her to attend. She had many accolades and awards but as her daughter looked up from the paper that day, she said "Mom what good is it? What will these awards do for her now? She didn't know Jesus."
I said to this lady behind the desk who by this time was quite emotional. "This must have made a huge impact on your daughter." She nodded and said yes, it had made a huge impact on the whole community.
Wow. I was thinking what a story. This happened in Rustburg, VA or thereabouts because she told me she was from there. We walked to the car in silence. In that car sat our sullen son. I got in the car and turned around and said to him. "We just heard a story. and I think God has just told us He's in control." I don't know why we were told this. I don't know why that girl lost her life. We don't know the whys. But I was sure that God was telling us to stop worrying. He has everything in His control. Worrying is not going to add anything to our situation and it was showing lack of faith on our part.
So while we went back home saddened by the week's events, we turned it over to God. And the anxiety and all just flew out the window. It was amazing. Six months or so later we got another message. This same girlfriend's parents both came to Christ under a bizarre situation which in itself is another story. We knew then that God had just done a great thing in these people's lives and we were understanding even more clearly the message that was given us six months prior. God is truly amazing and does hear his people cry out.