The time was 1979 about 6 months after I was baptized in the Holy Spirit but still in the Presbyterian Church. I was rather frowned upon and decided to stay home. My husband was the Chairman of the Board so he was not too pleased. By November I had found a church near his that was more alive. A Pentecostal Church. The first miracles were that the desire to smoke cigarettes and drink alcohol departed from me.
This happened in a tent meeting which we attended the following Saturday as well where we were invited to become Reapers. I had committed to that the previous week so failed to grasp why I was being pulled in spirit to go forward. The pastor said there were still 100 persons to come up. The intensity was strong but I resisted. Eventually the congregation was counting 10-9-8-7.... and when they said 1 I was up! They cheered me on.
I was now kneeling halfway down the grassy aisle when.a stranger, a woman came out from that row near me and said she had a prophecy for the last person who responded.
She said God is calling me to be an Intercessor. A WHAT? My friends said...You will find out. My family were already looking at me with big eyes.
Then I met Loraine. I was collecting someone from a nearby hospital but I was early. The Lord Jesus said go up the stairs and turn left. As I entered her ward she was losing her lunch so I backed away. However she called me to come in. The nurse quickly cleaned up and left. I sat at her bedside and she said she had been desperately ill in hospital for 6 weeks and was beyond help, dying. I said Jesus sent me to pray for you, which I did. I left saying I will visit again. I felt led to go the next day. I was shocked to see the ward was empty. No doubt she passed away. The Sister came in and asked are you the lady who prayed for her? I said yes has she died? She said no, after you left she was 100℅ healed. She was released to go home. Praise the name of Jesus. King of kings.
By now my husband had joined me in the Pentecostal Church. We had decided to go overseas to Oberammergau to see the Passion Play in July 1980. We would also visit family in England. We booked early and paid a deposit. Time went by and our business was not doing well financially. I had cancelled all insurance and medical aid by then because the healing power of Jesus is so real. One day a friend was visiting who was having a faith crisis. My words were not giving her encouragement.
I had brought in the post and unusually decided to open some letters while she was there. The first was the balance owing on our flights to England. R1740.00. We did not have it. I told her I might have to cancel. Not encouraging. The next was from the insurance company with a cheque inside it for R1740.00 owed to me from the cancellation. I never knew I would get an amount back. The fact that it was the exact amount needed to settle the airline blew me away. My friend found her faith and we were all set for Europe. What a miracle! Or two!
Acts 22 v 10: "And I said, What shall I do, Lord? And the Lord said unto me, Arise, and go into Damascus; and there it shall be told thee of all things which are appointed for thee to do."
One Saturday evening we had a prayer meeting at our church and the Pastor's wife had a word from God that we must meet at the church for further prayer at 4.00 a.m. next morning. On our way home my husband said I am not going. I thought the same. Close to midnight the Lord was impressing on me to go to the meeting. I said to Him "What shall I do, Lord?"
He said read Acts 22 v 10. It started with what I just said! The action was arise and go. The reason is I would get some direction. The problem was I didn't have an alarm clock and would not naturally awaken before 4.00 a.m. So I asked Jesus to wake me but be sure I am standing on the floor. The next I knew I was standing on the floor being violently shaken by my husband. Time on clock was 3:40 a.m. Apparently a very nasty bug called a Parktown Prawn had awakened him by crawling up his arm. Alarmed he shook it off and it landed in my hair. Hence the whole lot of shaking going on. I was truly wide awake and left for the meeting alone. The Pastor told me that I had an anointing to minister to people and would be very close to Jesus. What a bunch of miracles.
We had a great time in Europe but came home to awful news. Our franchise business had been closed because the owner sold it all to a man who had different ideas. We were moving to a home nearer our church in two weeks with no income but debts to pay. We made an appointment to see our bank manager - a stranger to us. We were asked to wait as a new manager was taking over and he needed another ten minutes. When we walked in the new man was my husband's cousin and good friend. He took over completely and underwrote the debt in his personal capacity. What a miracle! It took over two years to clear but on the final day we went together only to see the bank manager cousin being replaced by a new guy. From the minute to the very last minute Jesus had us covered. What a miracle.
We are not promised plain sailing but His promise to us is that He will be with us through the bad patches. We were in one immediately because the cost of the trip, the move, food and the lack of income arrived. Two hungry children and two adults needed food. It was the time of sliced bread. My bread tin was in a cupboard and it contained one sliced loaf. For two weeks I pulled fresh slices for breakfast lunch and supper out of that bread tin. Then after church one Sunday a number of people gave us packets of groceries some with an envelope containing money. We had not told anyone we had nothing in the house. We still.had a TV and one advert drove me nuts. Great big beautiful steaks cooking on an open fire. I drooled. The next morning there was a bag on the doorstep containing meat for a whole month! Including steak.
I had one treasure. It was a special spoon my sons had as infants. It was called the bunny spoon. I always knew where it was ...the drawer, the sink or in use. Then one day it went missing. I searched for days until I had to admit it was gone forever. Two nights later I woke up knowing there was someone standing in the room. It was very dark but I felt no fear. Whoever it was said clearly "It is in the chutney" and was gone. I got up and went to the refrigerator to check. Sure enough the bunny spoon had fallen inside it. Oh what joy. Little miracles that show how much our God loves us.
Prayer: Heavenly Father thank You for the many ways You reveal Yourself to us with precious reminders of Your love, provision and care. This was just one season of experiencing life in the power of the Holy Spirit. There were many more blessings in that time and ever since. Those who mock Your existence miss so much. I love You with all my heart and worship You in Spirit and in truth. In Jesus' name. Amen.