The words I type can in no way show the excitement in my voice or can allow you to see the tears streaming down it.
TEARS OF JOY!
TEARS THAT AFFIRM WHAT I ALREADY KNEW!
MY GOD ROCKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I just don't understand how people can live without God in their life!
WOW!
DOUBLE WOW! I sit here in complete awe!
Ok, I'll stop rambling. Here's what happened.
Remember "The Ordeal" I keep speaking about that has changed our lives? The ordeal is so complicated and twisted that it could truly be a best selling novel.
A few months ago, through our church, we purchased tickets to go see Casting Crowns. When "the ordeal" broke out, it greatly affected whether or not we could go to this concert for many, many reasons. Since again, my family is first and foremost, I didn't want to be put into a predicament that I would later greatly regret. For almost 3 weeks now, I've prayed and asked God, "Should we go?"
And for 3 weeks now, there's been no answer.
The concert is this Sunday. If I wasn't going to go, I needed to pass the tickets on back to the church to allow someone else to go.
My heart kept telling me that God is going to deliver a message to me at the concert.
But my head (actually satan) kept telling me that we are in huge financial difficulties, that we couldn't afford to go, that it would be disastrous and just add gas to the flames already surrounding "the ordeal".
I am embarrassed to say that as of 9:15 this morning, I was not listening to my heart, but instead was listening to my head. My sister called and we discussed what I was doing with the tickets, even after some encouragement from her, I had almost made up my mind that we wouldn't go.
I figured I'd try one last time and check in with God. I prayed. I told him I wanted to do His will, not mine because I knew that whatever He chose would be the right move.
Again, no answer. I got up from being on my knees frustrated.
I told Amanda we'd be starting her classes in a few minutes, served myself a cup of coffee and went to check my email.
A couple of minutes later, my phone rang. It was a strange number. The caller was from NY.
Hmmm....
I picked up the phone, still feeling frustrated about not hearing an answer about the concert and of course, depressed about "the ordeal".
ME: Hello
CALLER: Ohilda? Hi, this is T. from NY.
ME: Who?
CALLER: T. from NY I read your blog and am on your FB.
ME: Oh, hi! (surprised that I would be getting a phone call from someone who has never called me).
CALLER: I know this is strange, but I was just driving in my car WHILE LISTENING TO CASTING CROWNS, and had a huge urging from the Holy Spirit to call you. I'm not sure why.
ME: OMG! OMG! OMG! (Big tears now streaming as I am fumbling to speak).
Finally, after about 10 seconds and probably T. thinking I was absolutely crazy:
ME: T! You have no idea what you've just done. I feel like it's God calling me Himself. You didn't say, "Ohilda, I had a huge urging from the Holy Spirit to call you". Because if you would have, I would have just thought that the Lord wanted me to ask you to pray for us. Instead, He used you totally and completely. You said, "....WHILE LISTENING TO CASTING CROWNS, and had a huge urging from the Holy Spirit to call you."
CALLER: Thank you, Jesus for using me as your vessel.
(T. feel free to correct me if I'm wrong. This is as accurate as I can recall the conversation through my tears and screaming in your ear!)
After that we chatted a bit, I explained my crazy response and thanked her profusely for allowing herself to listen to Him and following through on the "urge". Many people I know, probably myself included, would not have looked for a phone number and picked up the phone to call someone you don't really know, without a reason and simply say, The Holy Spirit asked me to. What an amazing servant you are, T. He uses ANYONE who is willing to serve Him. Even strangers who live thousands of miles away. In this case, He chose someone who He knew would be obedient to His "urge". He needed His message delivered, "GO TO THE CONCERT!"
He answers prayers. Everytime.
Sometimes they may not be the answer we want or expect. But our prayers never, ever fall on deaf ears.
His word is filled with affirmations of this.
Jer 29:12........ "Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you."
Job 22:27...... "You will make your prayer to Him, He will hear you..."
Jn 15:7.......... "If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you."
and there are so many more!
What a way for me to show my daughter that God DOES answer prayers. And what a way to show her that when you surrender to the King, and allow yourself to be used, He will use you in great ways. T. did just that and I pray that He bless her tenfold for it!
Yes, I am excited because we will be seeing Casting Crowns on Sunday, but I am BEYOND ECSTATIC that I serve, worship and adore the one, true living God who's got my back! I know that I will be going to the concert and indeed receiving that message and He will be there, right by our side!
I LOVE YOU, JESUS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
