From sinking sand He lifted me,
With tender hand He lifted me;
From shades of night to plains of light,
O praise His name, He lifted me! —Gabriel
Rus, this moves me to share publicly now something very special triggered by this...
The hymn Love Lifted Me always was one of my favorites!
Hearing it first in Sunday School as a child, when I was 9 and went for 8 weeks to Camp Jocassee in the mountains of South Carolina, each cabin had Sunday Services.
I vividly remember sitting outside on the wooden bench by the front door, hoping the hymn would be # 4 - Love Lifted Me - and it often was.
It was perfect for little girls, singing in rounds allowing great harmony efforts..:))
Fast Forward to when I was 26 and at a low point in life...my parents (with whom I lived for a total of 4 1/2 years) urged me to accept a proposal from Hank, a protege of Daddy's - a young chemist with NASA at the Cape - only child of the retired head of the IRS in NY - he adored my two little boys (then 6 and almost 5) - offered to honeymoon where I desired, suggesting Rio de Janeiro - anywhere....
However, I knew I did not love him, and would not settle for financial security.
That prompted the Holy Spirit to then answer my fervent prayers that Spring to "Show me how to provide a good life for my children"...
Along in May came a not so likely prospect, who knew a fellow my sister had dated, making talking to him "okay.' He soon asked for a first date on a Friday night to take my boys and me to a drive-in movie!! Wow! Including my children?!! [Even took them to the rest room for me!]
Tuesday of the next week, he asked me to go out after he, a Water Safety Instructor, taught a Lifesaving Class. When we arrived for it, we learned it had been cancelled.
Where to go, then?? We'd seen the one movie in town (Melbourne, Florida was very small then!), and neither enjoyed drinking...so ended up visiting with his brother (with whom he worked) at his business for a while, and then going down Melbourne Beach to just sit and talk, to get to know one another.
Spreading a blanket, it had to be way up from the water underneath a high bank, the breeze about a very brisk, sand-whipping 35 mph. There were numerous pesky gnats.
We were just sitting there side by side, not touching nor thinking of doing so, chatting a short time, when suddenly the world changed!
The previously heavy crashing surf totally calmed and became glassy (mirroring Him!) - the wind stilled and the gnats were gone....
From that point neither of us uttered a word, but was acutely aware of The Presence of The Holy Spirit...He was conveying "Be still, and know that I am The Lord!"
Without going into some of the personal details, He gave us individual messages at the very same moment, divulging His desire for us, lifting our sins and then infusing us with divine peace and forgiveness.
Mine was a totally clear and emphatic "You will go with this man.."...
From that moment of the delivery, He faded from the scene, and the crashing surf resumed - as did the super strong wind and the gnats!!
In our humanity and sunk in awe, we looked at one another, knowing without even talking we each had experienced it, and stood up, wondering...and then found *proof* - a Sign only GOD could leave to confirm we were not merely delusional..:))
(Relating it much later to several men of God, they all agreed it truly must be the miracle we *knew* it to be.)
It truly was total fulfillment of that song He planted in my heart as a child - "Love Lifted Me"!!
To my parent's dismay, wanting "security" for me and a very interesting life with Hank, we took it from there, marrying a year and a half later, the country in a deep recession ...he reentered the Air Force to be able to afford to support the 3 of us.
In 3 weeks, That Night will be 46 years ago..:))
No matter what was ahead, we received His message and obeyed...no - not with totally smooth sailing at all times - to the contrary - He forced us to mature and grow through many *challenges* and setbacks..:)
I did notice my message was simply "You will go with this man" - -
and not "Your life will be a bed of roses!!
Hawaiian Marriage Prayer
Lord, let us never forget
our first sweet feelings
of love for each other.
Grant us a love
that grows stronger
with each passing year.
Guide us to overcome
every challenge together
and keep our hearts pure to each other always.
Amen.
Neat story! Thanks for the ping...
Have a nice day!
I've Never Shared this Story with Anyone but my Family, but when I was About 12 Years Old, I had a Certain Physical Problem, (I can't Say what it is, because it is So Embarassing!) and I Began to Beg our Lord to Remove it. What is Awesome is that my Family and I did not Even Belong to our Savior as Yet, (we were 'Unsaved') and All I Mainly Knew of our Master was His Name, that Sweet Name of Jesus. But I just Adressed Him as 'God' whenever I would Beg for my Ailment to Be Taken Away.
My Lady, Within a Few Days, my Physical Condition Began to Lift; it became Less and Less, and then it was Suddenly Gone, and hasn't Returned Since!
I have Other Physical Ailments Now-a-Days, and a Couple that are Painful, so I'm not of the "Name it and Claim it" Beliefs; and I have Never had Anything Like That Happen Since, but I Wanted to Post it Here So I could Join you, Dear Maggie, in Glorifying our Lord for the Sovereign, Unexpected, Blessed Movements of His Spirit of Grace! A Young Girl, me, who Knew Very Little About our God, was Shown Great and Undeserved Mercy by a Great and Merciful God!
I'm not Good at Putting my Thoughts into Words, but I Wanted to Praise our Father in my Feeble Way, and Exalt the Name of His Dear Son!
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You write so well, dear Lady! Thank you for every tesxtimony to our loving Lord!