The pictures above were taken on Sunday, July 17th. Jessica is a lady that we have met in Twin Circles Mobile Home Park in Butner. We have been by her house quite a few times and have talked with her and delivered some food. She called Dean on Saturday and asked if we could bring some bread by her house. Dean agreed and said we would be happy to bring it by the next day after church (Sunday).
On Sunday as we were getting ready for church, I told Dean in the bathroom that I just didn't think I'd be able to go deliver the bread with him. He asked why - and I honestly explained. I have had a past family history with drug addiction and abuse and lies.....some of you understand the whole deal. I explained to Dean that I just didn't think I could go and witness to her with all of the negative thoughts running through my head.
Well that's when the Spirit started talking to me :) Through my precious husband of course. He basically gave me a sermon right in the bathroom about how I needed to see her through God's eyes, not my own eyes. How maybe the OLD ME couldn't go out and serve her - but the NEW ME could. And I needed to put the old me aside, and let the new me, the Spirit living in me, do the work necessary.
I humbly agreed and we went about our morning to church. We were visiting at, and Dean was speaking at, Working Faith Ministries in Butner. Imagine my surprise when the Holy Spirit showed up again, preaching to me a second time....as if He already knew I really didn't listen the first time :) This time it was through the words of the pastor, Trey Davis....Dean's friend from high school.
Pastor Trey began to preach his message and when he started talking about seeing people through God's eyes when we're out in the world, and seeing past the words that come out of their mouths and really seeing their pain and their need, I just about fell out of my chair. My husband looked over at me and sweetly smiled and said "Sound familiar?" and I just said yes. There was no denying it now. I knew what I was going to be doing that afternoon. I stopped right then and prayed about it. Thanking the Lord for His speaking and for allowing me to hear.
I was going to yield to His Spirit even if it meant going out of my comfort zone and doing something that I didn't think would be possible. He showed me right then that I needed to ask Dean's mom to join us. He showed me a picture in my brain of the 4 of us praying together on Jessica's porch - and He showed me that it was going to be powerful.
Ohhhhh - that it was! We weren't at Jessica's house more than 2 minutes before she started asking us questions about the Lord. This turned into a half hour discussion of Jesus and the salvation He offers. The Truth that He is and the Grace and Love that He gives. We were able to pray with Jessica, talk with Jessica, love on Jessica, befriend her, talk to her about some current issues and past problems, and even able to read straight from God's Word. She was overjoyed when we were done and told us that she wanted to claim that day that Jesus was Lord. And she did, outloud a couple of times!!
Marcia, Dean's mom, was an absolutely necessity for that time with Jessica. Jessica felt so attached to her because of Marcia's testimony and by the end of the time was calling her "mom".
Jessica was all smiles - and honestly, so were we.
We are going to follow up with Jessica today to see if she has any further questions about her decision and to make sure she understands and has the resources necessary to follow through.
Jessica has a history of non-Hodgkins lymphoma and also currently has an ovarian cyst that she was going for testing for yesterday.
Please pray for her and for us....that we may yield to the Spirit once again and be whatever He needs us to be in this situation.
Especially me.....ya'll know I can be stubborn!
Loving Radically Through Christ,
Melissa
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