TRIP OF FAITH
By Caryn Burdine
It began as little urgings to travel to N. Georgia to meet an online friend whom God had sent into my life through the website. Reluctantly, I asked my cousin, Leigh, to go with me but since she’d already had plans to go out west to see her parents, I wasn’t optimistic. Turns out, her previous trip was cancelled, and so we started making plans for a weekend road trip to Georgia.
Around this same time, Leigh and a mutual friend of ours, Lori, were having urgings of traveling to North Carolina – reasons unknown. Everywhere they turned was some “sign” pointing them to North Carolina, or bringing North Carolina to their thoughts. So, Leigh and I included NC into our travel plans, and decided to drag Lori along with us, in spite of her recent health problems.
Leigh and I chose Asheville since she felt she was being led up there for a possible move. In Asheville, she could relocate with her current job at Lenscrafters. Unfortunately, Asheville was a good 5-6 hours away from where we would be in Gainesville, GA…possibly longer considering the mountains. We discussed this with Lori, but Lori asked about Murphy, NC and where it was in relation to Gainesville. Incredibly, it was only 1-2 hours directly due north from where we would be. Although none of us knew why, Murphy became our destination.
Murphy had come up through Lori answering a help wanted ad specifically mentioning someone with Christian values. She worked at home doing computer work for this man for approximately 40 days (a significant time frame in the Bible). The man paid her with a check that contained no address or phone number. He then dropped out of sight. But for some reason, Murphy, NC stuck in Lori’s head.
In early June, Leigh and I made the reservations for our trip on July 18-21. Celebrating our journey to unknown destinations, we went to lunch to read the information we’d collected for our travels. To our incredible surprise, we discovered that in Murphy, NC was a Biblical Theme park called, Fields of the Wood. This was one more “sign” of confirmation for us, and one more destination that we knew we were to see.
On June 20th, I finished reading the book, “The Alchemist.” This book was sent to my college bound son as required reading for incoming freshman. What was incredible was that it was an allegory about one’s walk with God and finding one’s purpose, or God’s Will, for life. It spoke of following the “signs” God gives us, and the obstacles that can sometimes steal our focus. As I did an outline of the book, and what I learned from it, it seemed very relevant to the upcoming trip, and the “signs” that Leigh, Lori, and I had been given about Murphy.
About two weeks before we were to leave, I was lead to another book that spoke directly to me about the upcoming trip -- “The Invitation” by Nancy Moser. It was about 5 people who were sent mysterious invitations to a place called Haven, Nebraska. The invitations were sent by God. Through “signs” and faith, they accepted the invitations and spent two days learning about their relationship with God and growing in their faith. Once more, this book paralleled our trip to Murphy. Although we did not know why we were going, we knew God was leading us and we had to walk by faith, follow His “signs” and trust. If nothing came of the trip other than our own obedience to where we felt God leading us, then that was okay. At least we would be obedient. However, such was not the case.
Debbie, my friend in GA, was planning to go with us to Murphy, too, and as the trip neared, another online friend from NY, Leanne, was considering meeting us. That gave us 5 – just like the book. As we all prayed about it, though, God slowly intervened and weeded us out, much like He did with Gideon’s Army at the spring of Harod.
Lori, from whom Murphy originated, ended up in the hospital with severe back problems and a surgery scheduled for the day we were to leave. Debbie was called into mandatory work for inventory purposes, and Leanne’s uncle died the day before we were to leave. Leigh and I were the only ones left. Leigh and I, who shared similar trials and have walked this Christian walk together for so many years, would be sharing, once again, God’s awesome wonders and answers.
None of us thought this an unfortunate accident, but truly God’s intent all along. Leigh and I would go to Murphy, and it would be for two completely different reasons.
My Expectations
My only real prayer through all of this was for God to change me. I didn’t care how, but I had been having some personal struggles recently and felt my answer was in our obedience to this trip, no questions asked. Yes, we often felt like Abram when God told him, “Go to the place I will show you.” Abram didn’t know why either, but he was obedient.
Dale had been back home now for 5 years. Before his return, I knew that my drinking had been a major factor in our marriage and part of the reason for the problems in our relationship. Lately, I had found my life slowly slipping back into old habits. This was confirmed again on our anniversary night when Dale, once again, mentioned his notice of my drinking more. Beer is my downfall. Not wine, not liquor, but solely beer. I can drink beer, and I enjoy it, like someone else can drink Pepsi. I could see myself falling back to that forbidden place, and I was conscious of needing to do something about it. I had prayed a lot about it, but as I look back now, they were just flitting prayers, flung haphazardly up to God. What I really wanted was for God to just strike me with lightning and take the desire away. But that would’ve been too easy.
God had made a covenant with me of promises for Dale’s salvation, but it was not an unconditional covenant. It was conditional on my part to continue closely with Him and walk in His ways. I knew in 1997 that I was to forsake the beer. The drinking held me back from seeking God. I could feel it all happening again, affecting not only myself, but the marriage, too. Therefore, the fulfillment of God’s promises lingered. All of this has great significance to this trip, although I didn’t know it at the time.
Remember my prayer – “Lord, Change me!”
And then there was Murphy…
Word studies
Before the trip, I had done a couple of word studies seeking God’s direction. One was on “mountains” since that was our destination, and the other was on “thunderstorms” (storms, thunder, lightning). The storms were frequent in Florida before we left, both literal and within my marriage and myself.
Leigh and I have always believed that storms are a sign of God working in
our lives and answering our prayers. The
mountains have always held certain significance to us about God’s presence
with us.
Some significant verses that seemed to apply to our upcoming trip:
Storms
- Job 38:1, 40:6: The Lord answered Job out of the storm.
- Ps. 148:8: lightning and hail, snow and clouds, stormy winds that do his bidding…
- Ps. 81:7: In your distress you called and I rescued you, I answered you out of a thundercloud.
- Zec. 9:14: Then the Lord will appear over them; his arrow will flash like lightning. The Sovereign Lord will sound the trumpet; he will march in the storms of the south.
-
Is. 30:30: The Lord will
cause men to hear his majestic voice and will make them see his arm coming down
with raging anger and consuming fire, with cloudbursts, thunderstorms and hail
Mountains
- Gen. 22:14: On the mountain of the Lord it will be provided.
- Ps. 43:3: Send forth your light and your truth, let them guide me; let them bring you to your holy mountain, to the place where you dwell.
- Is. 2:3: “Come, let us go up to the mountain…He will teach us his ways.
- Mic. 6:1: …plead your case before the mountains.
- Nah. 1:15: Look, there on the mountains, the feet of one who brings good news, who proclaims peace!…fulfill your vows…(italics, mine)
** There are many, many more verses that pertained to what we experienced.
The Trip of Faith
Thurs., July 18, 2002 – the day we set out
My devotional title/verse for that day was: He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. (John 10:3, italics mine). Coincidence?
As we pulled out of the driveway, I realized I had forgotten my allergy pills, so we pulled right back in to retrieve them. When I walked in the door, Lori was on the phone telling us she was being discharged from the hospital instead of having the surgery. She wanted us to come and pick her up for the trip. I told her to call Leigh’s cell phone, since we were on our way out and we could discuss it. Remember, Murphy was Lori’s idea in the first place!
As we talked about it, we realized picking her up wouldn’t work out for a number of reasons. However, Lori went with us in spirit, receiving her own answered prayers through our experience. As it turns out, she didn’t get discharged until late afternoon, and in hindsight, her back would have never survived the car ride and the walking we did.
We arrived in Dublin, GA, our first night’s destination, after a very pleasant, problem-free drive. We went to Wal-Mart to pick up some things for Debbie and then out to dinner. By 7:30, we’d settled in to our hotel room for the night to call home and do our Bible studies.
When we called the kids, they told us about a fierce storm that had occurred that afternoon in Florida. They likened it to a hurricane with intense winds and unceasing lightning. Yet, Leigh and I had encountered no rain at all on our drive.
My verse for that day was John 10:3 – “The watchmen opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.” Leigh and I do our Bible studies by cross-referencing the main verse. We call this our “Bible walk.” It’s how we feel God speaking to us.
That night in my study, I came across John 10:16 in my walk. “I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They, too, will listen to my voice and there shall be one flock and one shepherd.” (Italics, mine) Now, I had claimed this verse for Dale and I when we were separated, knowing that when Dale returned, God would also call him. I had just told a friend the day before we left that I know God did not bring Dale home for us to live in two different worlds as oil and water. This verse was confirmation to me from God of the fulfillment, yet to come, of His promises.
After my study, I settled down to read a novel I was in the middle of, “Jerusalem Vigil,” by Bodie & Brock Thoene. Each chapter is separated by a blank page and begins with a Bible verse pertaining to the story. As I turned the blank page to begin a new chapter, what was I confronted with?? John 10:16!! “I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They, too, will listen to my voice and there shall be one flock and one shepherd.” Coincidence??
My verse for this day was Eph. 3:20-21: “Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus…”
We arrived at Debbie’s about 1:30 pm and it was everything and more I had prayed for. The three of us got along like we’d known each other forever, and we spent the afternoon rocking on her front porch and just talking.
That evening, we did our Bible studies together and showed Debbie how Leigh and I watch our daily verses for God’s guidance. It turned out that Debbie and I had the same devotional. Coincidence??
The only thing Debbie lacked was confidence in herself to believe that God was speaking directly to her. She had all the right tools – the books, the tapes, the references, etc – and hopefully, God used Leigh and I as examples in following His guidance through the verses to whatever destination was on the other side. After all, wasn’t that what this trip was all about?
In our Bible walk, we came across Luke 12:31 – “But seek his kingdom and these things will be given to you as well.” And as I read on to vs. 34, I was hit again with another “sign.” “For where your treasure is, there your heart will also be.” This was a particular verse I had read in the book, “The Alchemist.” Coincidence??
Also in my walk that night was Eph. 4:1 – “As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received.” In my mind and my heart, I knew God was speaking to me about my recent episodes of drinking, but I pushed these thoughts back down, and didn’t talk about them with the others. Neither Debbie, nor Leigh, knew of the recent struggles I was having, but I knew inside what God was saying to me.
As God would have it, Debbie was also a help to me.
In her “library” of books were two specific books that I
needed to help me better understand my communication problems with Dale, and the
struggles I was having in the marriage at the current time.
God is good!!
Sat., July 20, 2002 – heading to Murphy
My verse for the day: Matt. 5:16 – “In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.”
I was on cloud nine that morning from the time we’d spent with Debbie, reeling in joy and praise for God putting us together. And there was an “awe” in the air we headed for the unknown – Murphy. We continued to see several “signs” along the way confirming we were going where God wanted us to go. There were church sayings on marquees, businesses named “Cornerstone,” and clouds hovering above the mountains. One particular sign, in the middle of nowhere, stood out to us, and we had to turn around to get a picture: Your Life is God’s Gift to You. What You Do With Your Life is Your Gift to God. It was adorned with doves, God’s sign of peace.
While in the mountains, we stopped at a little mountain shop and were told of a waterfall up ahead. I’m a particular waterfall fanatic, so we made a detour for the falls. Although there were cars in the parking lot, when Leigh and I reached the falls, we were the only ones there. It was an absolutely breathtaking sight – a two-tiered waterfall, set deep into the woods. Purple butterflies (another “sign”) hovered all around and we both could feel God’s presence in that awesome sight. As we left, we gathered some rocks for a memory and Leigh picked wildflowers. Small rocks were everywhere glittering like gold (another “sign”). As we were driving out, we came upon a deer at the side of the road (an unusual sight for mid morning). After running a few steps into the woods, he turned and our eyes locked, and something stirred in me deep within. He stood there and posed for our picture.
Just before Murphy, was a town called, Blairsville. It was a historic town with a town square and bell tower. We pulled over to call Lori. Lori had been reading her Bible at the same time we were at the waterfall. She was in Ezekiel, praying for us, and reading about “rushing waters.” Coincidence? While Leigh was on the phone with Lori, I heard the town bell clang one time…another “sign.”
At this same time, Lori was relaying to Leigh about her own answered prayers. She had received much-needed health insurance, and her daughter, who had been struggling in NY with her father, was on her way home!! She’d also received help for rent and electricity through a church that came to her door. God is good!!
When we arrived in Murphy, we decided to find a cheaper hotel than the $79.99 Best Western we had reserved. After all, this was a cash only vacation. We couldn’t find the Best Western at first, but we found a real nice, newly renovated motel for $29.99. When we walked in our room, the first thing we saw was a candleholder surrounded by angels and pictures of roses all over the walls. When Leigh called to cancel our other reservations, they couldn’t find her name. Coincidence??
Necessities taken care of, we set off to Fields of the Wood. Anticipation mounted in each of us for what we would possibly encounter there. When we arrived, our first stop was the gift shop to obtain film. There, Leigh found a card with her ex-husband’s name, and on it contained the exact verse she has claimed for him through their trials. We wanted to get something for Lori, and were looking at some bracelets with specific verses/phrases engraved on them. Two stood out to us: one said “One day at a time,” the other, “Nothing is impossible with God.” We chose the latter because it was a verse that had been in the book, “The Invitation,” read just before this journey.
We put our souvenirs in the car to start our tour, but then I remembered the film and had to go back to get it. Leigh, in the meantime, found a chair in the shade and sat to wait for me. A lady soon joined her and instantly struck up a conversation. They were still talking when I met up with them. Although we were anxious to get started, we couldn’t help but think about “angels unaware” and we each were listening intently to this stranger who spoke so openly. Two things the lady said struck us – “Nothing is impossible for God” and take life “one day at a time” – the very sayings we were considering for Lori in the gift shop. Coincidence??
Leaving the lady, we couldn’t have gone more than 20 steps when Leigh started choking. The only think that I could think of was that ice from her drink had gotten stuck, but she literally was gasping for air and couldn’t breathe. I tried to do the Heimlich on her, but it wasn’t working, so I called out to three guys walking by to help. They also started to do the Heimlich, but she told them no, so one of them layed his hands on her and they all started praying. (This is Leigh’s story and reason for Murphy.) Her episode ceased the minute the man touched her. Although praying never crossed my mind, I am ashamed to admit, I don’t think it was supposed to. Those men were part of God’s plan as I was later to find out from Leigh.
With Leigh back to normal (whatever that is), we could finally begin our tour of Fields of the Wood. There were the 10 Commandments in stone on the side of a mountain, monuments with Bible verses, a replica of Jesus’ tomb and the hill of Golgotha. Although a couple of people mentioned to me about what an awesome place it was and how spiritual they felt there, I didn’t feel it. I was comparing it to the waterfall earlier – God created the waterfall, while man created this park. The waterfall was much more spiritual for me. The only time I really felt God’s presence at the park was when I was one on one with Him in the prayer chapel. Had it just been the 10 Commandments in the mountain, it would have been enough. The rest of it seemed, to me, a little overdone.
Aside from Leigh’s choking episode, our tour of “Fields of the Wood” was uneventful. It was interesting to us that a monument dedicated from the state of Indiana (where Leigh and I are both from, and where we first met) contained a verse about marriage/divorce. This is the topic of both of our trials and our walk with God.
Having one more picture left on the roll of film, we drove to what was supposed to be the largest cross in the world (unfortunately it was horizontal, not vertical). On the way, we came across a monument that made Leigh stop the car. The title of the monument? One Flock/ One Shepherd. This was the third time in three days that I had been given that verse! Coincidence?
One thing that bothered me about the park was a tree they had named, “The Witness Tree.” This was a tree that held the banner of the church when the park was first being established. Among all the trees in these woods, this particular tree (the exact tree holding the banner) was struck by lightning. Since I’d done the thunderstorm study before the trip, and saw how God used lightning to rout his enemies, I can’t help but wonder whether God was telling them not to go ahead with this park. After the lightning strike, the tree has deteriorated to a dead piece of wood poking from the ground. It left me wondering.
After our long day, all we wanted to do was find a nice little restaurant for a cold beer and a sandwich to absorb all we’d experienced that day. We drove around for a while looking for a place and stopped back at our hotel to ask. We were told there was no place in Murphy to get a beer with your food. So, having seen an ABC liquor store down the road, we decided to get some beer, grab a sandwich and go back to our room. (Remember my weakness…) In the ABC store was any kind of wine or alcohol we could have possibly wanted, but THERE WAS NO BEER IN MURPHY!! Ten miles to the next town either way, and they had beer, but there was no place in Murphy to get a beer. Think God was trying to tell me something? After much whining and complaining, I had to relent and accept what God was saying. Beer was my downfall. It was time to change. (My prayer – “Lord, Change me!!)
After dinner – and coffee!! – We headed back to the motel. On our way through downtown Murphy, we passed a bride and groom (God’s description of the church and himself) celebrating there new union with a horse drawn carriage ride. At the same time, the church bells were sounding out the chorus, “Onward Christian Soldiers.” The “signs” just kept coming.
Back at our room, Leigh called to check in with Lori again while I did another Bible study. This time I chose Matt. 6:33 from the study the night before (same verse as Lk. 12:31 and from the “Alchemist” book). “Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness and all these things will be given to you as well.” The first verse in my cross-reference was Matt. 3:2 – “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.” The notes in my Bible further stated: Make a radical change in your life as a whole. I think God was driving home the point. THERE WAS NO BEER IN MURPHY.
The next verse spoke just as loudly because it is the very verse I have claimed for Dale’s salvation since our separation of ’97 – “Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart.” Remember, my promise was a conditional promise and here these two verses are right together. Coincidence?
Leigh was on the phone with Lori relating our day. Lori had pictured us at Fields of the Wood at sunset. Incredibly, though, we were staying at the Sunset Motel. Yes, Lori was definitely with us, even though it wasn’t in a tangible way. Another thing Lori asked was if we had seen any birch trees, her favorite, but we had not. So far….
The three of us were rolling on the floor in laughter as we recounted to Lori about Leigh’s choking episode. But after the phone call, Leigh and I got real honest with each other about our experiences – both what we were hoping to encounter, and that which we truly did encounter. I told her about my recent struggles with beer, and how obvious it was what God was telling me through a town that had no beer. And she told me of her vision just before we left Florida.
Leigh had felt for some time that there was something wrong with her physically. She’s desperate to quit smoking, and had been putting off making necessary doctor appointments for tests that have needed to be done. Leigh’s vision was about getting a healing on this trip, and for all her imaginations, she couldn’t figure out how that would be done. However, when the man touched her hand and started to pray, Leigh felt a spark run through her body, and she knew she had been healed – from what is insignificant, for we may never know. I wasn’t supposed to pray, it was the healing touch of that particular man that God wanted. And after that, and the episode with the lady, we hadn’t seen either of them again in that small park. Angels unaware?
The two of us were awed by our experiences and what God had shown us and
done in us by our simple following of His signs and our faith that He was
leading.
Sun., July 21,2002 – we head down to my Dad’s in S. GA
We started out early for the 9-hour drive to my dad’s. From my dad’s it’s only another 5 hours to home, but we just weren’t ready to reenter the “real” world yet. We were planning to go back a different way, and travel through a tourist town called, Helen. One the way, we came through a town called, Hiawassee, with an enormous lake, nestled in the middle of the mountains. I found the place I would like to retire to, and feel in my heart that someday, I’ll be there.
We missed the turn for Helen, not due to our mistakes, but due to following a sign (man-made) that was marked wrong. Neither of us cared much, so we just forged ahead. About 1-½ hours from my Dad’s, we encountered an incredible storm. It was raining so hard we had to pull off the road. We pulled into a church that was right off the highway and thought it ironic that we were taking “refuge from the storm” at a church. As we watched – not in fear – but in awe at the magnificent fury, Leigh actually saw a bolt of lightning strike a tree. The tree smoked from the hit. 2 Sam. 22:13: “Out of the brightness of his presence bolts of lightning blazed forth. Ps. 29:7: “The voice of the Lord strikes with flashes of lightning.”
My dad was at church when we arrived, so we settled in to do our Bible studies for the day. My verse was Eph. 4:22-24 – “You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your mind; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness” (italics mine). What did this say to me? Stop falling back into old habits! THERE WAS NO BEER IN MURPHY.
After this study, I went outside to pray – mostly for strength in
dealing with this temptation of mine – and thanking God for all He’d shown
me on this trip. I walked over to
throw something in the trashcan and the outside floodlight came on.
As I walked back to where I was sitting, there, right in front of me, was
a penny – a personal “sign” to me of God’s presence and confirmation
that He’s hearing my prayers.
Mon., July 22, 2002 – heading home
This was the day we were heading home, but neither Leigh nor I was in a hurry. We both wanted to hang onto our experience and were afraid that when we returned to the “real world” and our day-to-day lives, we would forget our lessons. We both knew that we would be severely tested as time moved on. The morning was quiet as we did our Bible study.
The heading on my study that day was, “He died to sin once for all; but the life that he lives, he lives to God.” How incredible this was considering what I learned from this weekend.
My verse was 1 Pet. 1:14; “Therefore, since Christ suffered in his body, arm yourselves also with the same attitude, because he who has suffered in his body is done with sin. As a result, he does not live the rest of this earthly life for evil human desires, but rather for the will of God.” Other verses in my walk that summed it up were: Rom. 6:2 – “We died to sin. How can we live in it any longer.” 1 Pet. 1:14 – “As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance.” Yes, I got it loud and clear. I had no more excuses for ignorant living. THERE WAS NO BEER IN MURPHY.
Before we left Dad’s, there was one more thing we had to collect for Lori – her birch branches. Yes, my dad’s yard had several birch trees. Lori was still there with us. Only God!
Leigh and I were fairly quiet on the ride home, both of us lost in our own thoughts of the weekend and our apprehensions of the return to “life.” Huge cumulus clouds, dark with rain waiting to be let out covered the sky, but actual rain was minimal. Ps. 104:3 – “He makes the clouds his chariot and rides on the wings of the wind. Rev. 1:7 – “Look, he is coming with the clouds. We both knew that God was still guiding us, still leading us, only this time it was toward home.
The one “sign” we had not yet seen on our trip was a rainbow which
holds great significance for Leigh and I from our trials of ’97. Every rainbow is God telling us that He is still with us and
has not forgotten our promises. I
prayed for a rainbow – more out of an effort for God to reassure me the
weekend was really all I thought it was. I
watched the sky intently, waiting for God to answer.
Up in front of us appeared a most unusual cloud formation, very out of
place compared to the other clouds. It
looked like a human spine. (Personally,
I saw this “spine” as the place of Leigh’s healing, but I kept the thought
to myself for fear I was reaching the extreme.) I kept watching this cloud
because it was so unusual. Then it
started changing colors – literally!! Pink, orange, teal, green, deep blue,
red, purple - one at a time as if God was up in the heavens clicking his “view
finder,” each click bringing us a new color.
Then it was white again. I
couldn’t stop watching that cloud – And then I saw it…my rainbow.
It was not a typical rainbow, but it was definitely there.
The outline of the arch was formed from the clouds, and all the colors
were now together as a finale to our trip.
What an awesome God we serve!!
Tues., July 23, 2002 -- home
This was our first full day home, bringing what we experienced into our daily lives. We came home to dirty dishes, piled laundry, and dirty floors, but we also have a renewed spirit and strength, and a determination to seek God amidst our chaos.
My devotional heading today was – “Then comes the end.” Yes, the end of our incredible trip of faith…an incredible spiritual experience. Even though we haven’t been home 24 hours, the trip seems like a surreal dream. But it’s also a new beginning. Hopefully, it is a beginning of a new life with God at the head and a determination to change my life and conquer my weaknesses.
My verse for this day is 2 Pet. 3:9: “The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” I realize that in these last five years of waiting for God to call Dale, I’ve gotten discouraged in His slowness. The more discouraged and disappointed I got, the more I drank my beer. The more I drank, the farther I stepped from God. The farther I stepped from God, the less His light shone through me and the more it affected the marriage…then I got discouraged, and the vicious cycle repeated. God was not slow in answering my prayers because He was waiting for Dale…God was waiting for me!! And He got my attention. THERE WAS NO BEER IN MURPHY.
Also in my Bible walk today was Hab. 2:2-3: “Write down the revelation and make it plain on tablets so that a herald may run with it. For the revelation awaits an appointed time; it speaks of the end and will not prove false. Though it linger, wait for it; it will certainly come and will not delay.” (Italics, mine) I have written it down. Not only because I feel God telling me to, but also so I have something to remember the experience, and to try and explain to others how simple God’s leadings can be if we will slow down and watch for them and obediently follow them. When this verse speaks of the end, I hear it tell of the end of my waiting for the fulfillment of the promises. I will wait in faith.
If God can show himself so vividly through this weekend because I was intent on seeking and following the signs he was giving, then I hope to seek him as intently in the day-to-day life. Yes, it will be a challenge because of all the distractions and obstacles that come up in a day. I can see no other options to a fulfilling life. God will take me where He wants me to go as long as my eyes are on Him in trust and faith. Please pray for strength for me to battle my temptations. I still know that there are incredible tests to come. THERE WAS NO BEER IN MURPHY.
Copyright 2002 Caryn Burdine