“No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him” John 6:44
Several days ago, I was remembering a conversation I had with a friend of mine. She was asking me how I could believe and trust in God with all of the hardships that I had experienced over the years.
She went on to explain to me how she had a similar background to mine and couldn’t seem to let go of the pain and grief she was feeling.
Ohhh, how I could relate and my heart went out to her. I know the suffering that loss can bring and the bondage it can carry.
Immediately I knew God was at work in her heart. In the bible, it says, “But keep the Lord Christ holy in your hearts. Always be ready to answer everyone who asks you to explain about the hope you have” 1 Peter 3:15.
Jesus, upon surrendering my life and heart to Him, turned the bondage of anger, depression, and sadness I was carrying into the love, hope, and joy that ONLY He can do!! I’ve got to share His Good News with everyone!
Upon this realization, that God was at work in her heart, I immediately prayed to the Lord for His wisdom and guidance and listened in two ways: first, to what my friend was sharing. I didn’t listen with the intent to only reply, I truly heard what she was saying. Second, I listened for the Holy Spirit’s guidance and trusted that He would give me the words to share at just the right moment.
There is NO coincidence to these moments–they are God-ordained. I believe God can use each one of us to answer a prayer that has been lifted up by someone in that person’s life.
It could be an aunt, uncle, grandparent, mom–or even that very person that you are talking to–who is seeking Jesus and the relationship that leads to God and eternal life.
This is where God uses all of our sufferings, pain, and heartache for His Glory. He is the only one that can do that. “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose” Romans 8:28 NIV.
In that moment, God used a deep pain that I had experienced when I was younger to connect with a young woman who was seeking healing and love from the Lord Who could heal her in the same way He healed me. I cherish these moments when hearts bond and healing begins in the Name of Our Lord Jesus. It was all God and all for His Glory!
But you know what else happens each time God uses me in this way? His Power helps heal the pain I experienced even further, and it is replaced with a purpose that can only come from Him! A purpose to the painand suffering we experience in this world through our Lord Jesus! Amen!!
Henry & Richard Blackaby and Claude King, in Experiencing God explain it this way:
“People don’t ask questions about spiritual matters unless God is at work in their lives. When you see someone seeking God or asking questions about Christianity you are witnessing God at work. That is something only God does in people’s lives” (Blackaby, King pg. 69, emphasis mine).
God has a purpose for where you are right now and what you’ve been through. You are unique, fearfully and wonderfully made (Psalm 139:14), and He has a plan for your life! Surrender your life to Him and allow Him to work in every aspect of your life.
I can’t wait to hear all about it!! Share the joy of Jesus in your life, with me and with others! Amen!!
All the glory to God,
Shanon
Works Cited:
Blackably, Henry, and Richard. Claude King. “Experiencing God: Knowing and doing the Will of God.” B&H Publishing Group. 2008. Print.
Born Again. Those two words give insight into the complete identity of my mother, Sue. She proudly wore a gold necklace with a charm bearing those words, together with a gold cross, for as long as I can remember. They were a testament to her, and the world, of Who she belonged to–Jesus Christ.
***
Years and years ago, I can remember an off-handed comment a clerk made while we were paying for items in the checkout line at a store. The gentlemen helping us must have been about sixteen years old. Upon noticing my mom’s necklace, their conversation began like this:
Clerk: “Born again, huh? What’cha do, die?”
Mom: “Yes, as a matter of fact I did. I died to my old self and now I am made new in my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ…”
What I remember most about that conversation is not just what was said, but the matter to which my mother explained her relationship with Jesus through the fruit of the Spirit: love, patience, kindness, joy, self-control, faithfulness, etc. She in no way gave into the negative connotations that were underlying the manner in which the conversation began. Only God knows the eternal details of the conversation that day, but I believe seeds were planted that day–in me as well as him.
That is just one example of many in the daily way my mom lived her life in a relationship with Jesus. Her born-again life.
***
On November 7, 1990, my mom met her Savior face-to-face, and that born-again gold necklace that she had worn faithfully for years was removed for the last time from her neck and given to me.
I treasured her necklace and wore it several times throughout the years. But it wasn’t her, and I discovered that if I really wanted to feel close to my mom it was through the Word of God, and my relationship with Him that I felt her the strongest.
The reasoning is very simple: her faith in God was the most important thing that she shared with me every day of her life.
Her death from this world didn’t change who she was, the removal of her necklace didn’t change who she was, and her physical presence in my life didn’t change who she was because: she is a child of God, her death marks the beginning, not the end. In the words of Billy Graham:
“One day you’ll hear that Billy Graham has died. Don’t you believe it. On that day I’ll be more alive than ever before! I’ve just changed addresses.”
And that is what I choose to believe about my mother today, the day she went home to heaven. She is more alive in heaven than she ever was here on earth! I imagine her reunited with all of her loved ones and meeting all the sisters and brothers that had gone on before. Rejoicing and praising the Lord, just one heartbeat away from me. Amen!!
If you spend any length of time with me you know two things: I love Jesus and I speak about my mom often, and all the others that have gone to heaven: my Grandma and Grandpa Corbin, Aunt Irene, Grandma Marji, Julius Marcus, Aunt June, my father in law Donnie, our good friend David Gideons, among several others.
I continue to share the memories and love of each one because they had (and continue to have) such an impact on my life. They are not here on this earth, but I will see them again.
I would like to close this with a poem, “When Mom was called home,” that my older sister Melanie wrote at 2:30 in the morning on August 22, 1991–written about nine months after our mother died. If my memory serves me correctly, she just woke up in the middle of the night and wrote it out.
The tears I cry,
Are not in vain,
The tears I cry,
Are tears of pain.
The day I died,
my soul cried out,
I asked my God,
what’s this all about.
I heard God say,
In a quiet voice,
Don’t cry my child,
Let your heart rejoice.
The pain you had,
Is no longer there,
Come into my arms,
Because I care.
For it is my will,
and you shall see,
That your family will have,
Both you and me.
Your life on earth,
Filled the world with love,
Because I once sent you,
from heaven above.
You touched the world,
and showed you cared,
You leaned on me,
and I was there.
I gave you support,
you gave me your mind,
I made you a person,
so special and kind.
You asked me into your heart,
And I came in,
I forgave you for,
Your life of sin.
I promised I would never,
Leave your side,
And you promised me,
my love you would always abide.
I am now calling,
you home my dear,
I hope I have made,
The answer clear.
Thank you, Mom, for sharing Jesus with me. With God and His faithfulness every day, I continue to share the Good News of Jesus every day. See you again someday. Love you.
Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, unless you are born again, you cannot see the Kingdom of God.” John 3: 3
Posted at 11:34 AM by Shanon Crenshaw, on September 23, 2019
Today as I was preparing to write and praying, God kept bringing this to my mind: Be Still and rest in My presence.
My heart is a bit heavy today. I can’t think of the first day of fall without remembering my daughter’s first best friend: Jared Wells.
They met in kindergarten and quickly became inseparable. Two peas in a pod. (By the way, the pictures up above came from my daughter’s scrapbook ). His mother, Paula, and I also became good friends bonding over our love of the Lord, our daily walks after we took the kids to school, and life in general. Many afternoons of sun, fun, and laughter were spent together. We even had the pleasure of taking him to Disneyland for the first time! 🙂
Their friendship lasted until around third grade when they moved away to Arizona. This was before Facebook and all other social media platforms so keeping in touch wasn’t as simple. Life got busy: we moved, they moved, I had another daughter, etc.
I’d like to say I kept in touch on Facebook once it became available, but it’s a chore for me to post because I don’t like posting about myself in general. And, my daughter Suzanne, was not allowed to have her own Facebook profile until she was 18–I know, mean mom!! So, Facebook became more of a visual way of keeping in touch rather than a communication tool.
Years went by, middle school, and finally, we got to senior year–2014/2015. Ironically, I started reading the book of Job on the first day of Fall 2014. The reason I can say this is because several times the Lord has placed it very strongly on my heart to read the Bible cover to cover and date it as I go along, almost as though I am journaling through it. Here is an image of my bible dated on that particular day.
About two days later, I got a very strong prompting to check my friend Paula’s Facebook page. It was so incredibly strong I couldn’t ignore it.
I remember letting out a small scream and crying as I read the beginning of her post:
Jared Wells 1997-2014
Apparently, on September 23rd–the first day of Fall–he was out running before school, training for a marathon, when he was hit by a van and instantly killed. He was a senior in high school and planned for a career in the military. My heart broke that day for so many reasons and I pray often for his parents and sisters.
I sought God’s wisdom and discernment on how and when to tell my daughter. She is extremely sensitive and this was her first real experience with loss. It was several weeks before we had the conversation, but in my heart of hearts I knew she had some inclination to it and I’ll explain why.
About a week after Jared passed away he would have celebrated his birthday. He loved pumpkin pie and would have wanted it for his birthday. Through social media, his mother asked everyone to have pumpkin pie on his birthday, in his honor, and post pictures. Tons of pictures poured onto her page.
Before I told my daughter what had happenedto Jared we celebrated her 18th birthday on December 10th. What kind of cake did she want?! Pumpkin pie!!! She never asked for that before and she hasn’t since. I can’t help but think that somehow this was connected to Jared and their strong friendship. I believe, through Christ, our hearts and souls are connected, even after death. Even though in her mind she didn’t know the loss, her heart did.
It warmed my heart so much that night and I thought of Jared. What an amazing best friend he was to my daughter the first few years of school and what an amazing young man he was becoming.
I shared all of that with her and she knows, like me, what a gift people are to us and we should never take any relationship or day for granted. Everything we receive are gifts from God and today, even more than usual, I cherish everything.
So, yes, today God I am resting in your Presence. I am going to Be still. Be thankful. Love every person you have allowed me to share my life with and share the hope that your Son, Jesus, can bring to every person!!
My mom, Sue, is the first person that introduced me to Jesus. She did this in two ways, by living her life with a personal relationship with Jesus and by having several conversations with me, about Jesus, sitting Indian style on her king-size bed. During one of those conversations, just my mommy and me, I made a decision that changed my life and heart forever.
I can still picture the bedroom – all browns, beiges, and avocado green circa the late 1970s! My mom and dad’s bed was near their bedroom door with nightstands on each side. Brownish-bronze lamps with beige lampshades graced each side table. A long, wooden mirrored dresser stood opposite the large window in their bedroom. I can picture it so clearly–like a Polaroid snapshot in time–because that is one moment that changed my life forever. I made a personal dedication to Jesus that day, and I wanted Him to live in my heart forever. I was eight years old.
God used my mother’s relationship with Jesus to change my life those many years ago–and ten years later He would do the same thing again–although this defining moment brought me to my knees in a desperate way.
November 7, 1990, twenty -eight years ago today exactly, my mother went Home to Jesus. She died three months after she was diagnosed with cancer at the age of 39. I was only 18 years old and my heart felt literally broken. Like it could never be the same again.
If you know me and have read my blog, you know that I have touched on this several times. It is because this is the biggest life-changing moment in my life. God has used all of what I experienced through my mother’s death for His glory. He has taken every tear, heartache, and hurt, and transformed them through His grace-to joy, understanding, and love.
This journey, since the loss of my mom, has not been easy, but Jesus has never left my side and He has shown me that He was with me then and He is with me now! I have testimony after testimony of God’s guidance, provision, and presence during those difficult days and our journey together thus far. It has been my experience that:
“After the dust of a trial settles, we are able to see more clearly the footprints and fingerprints of God’s guidance, provision, and presence” (Crenshaw, Shanon 2015).
I cannot begin to tell you the number of times God has placed people in my life to share my testimony on this, and I love it, because my light shines bright because of Him! All the glory to God! Don’t you just love it when He transforms a hardship in your life in such a powerful way and then He gives you the privilege of sharing His light and love in your life with others? It’s incredible!! 🙂
I would like to close with this. Time and time again, the scripture the Lord used the most in healing me was Psalm 139. He spoke life and peace to my heart by using the whole chapter, at different times, over the years. My favorite verse is the following: “…All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.” Psalm 139:16. This particular verse has brought me so much peace. I just love it. He is the God of all of my days.
**I’ve included two of my mom’s favorite things in this post. At the time of her death, her favorite song was “Friends” by Michael W. Smith. It continues to be one of mine as well and I think of her every time I hear it. Also, my parents had a print of this picture, of Jesus hugging someone coming Home, hanging in our house when I was growing up. It now hangs in my bedroom, by the door, and I see it every time I go in my room.
Until we meet again Mommy, with Jesus, your love and memory are in my heart daily!!
All the glory to God,
Shanon
Image of Coming Home to Jesus! Giant Hug! by Pinterest.
Image of Heaven in my Heart: A hug from Jesus by Heaven in my Heart blogstop.com
Image of Friends by Michael W. Smith by likesuccess.com
God is first and foremost in my life.
I LOVE:
my husband Steve, daughters Suzanne and Savannah,
my AMAZING family and friends,
the majestic beauty of the Pacific Northwest,
traveling and camping,
a GREAT cup of coffee with my morning devotionals,
and my Sumner Family Church family. :)
Heaven Sent Sentiments 