An Amazing Grace

By Marty Norman –

Who says nothing is impossible for our God! Recently I attended the wedding of an 84-year-old woman and a 91-year-old man. It was a miracle!

Both were the parents of two friends which made it even more of an honor to participate. Their story is an amazing grace, one of hope, redemption, renewal and love. What I learned from this experience is twofold: never underestimate the promises of God and never doubt the power that heals. After hearing their story you too will agree that for Jesus, all things are possible.

This, then, is their story.

Claire, 84, had been divorced for more years than she could count. Four children and an unhappy marriage, she became a career and small business woman until her retirement. Moving from home to apartment to retirement center, she was no different than many seniors as her health and hope declined. Soon after her move, she fell, was hospitalized and went downhill rapidly. Almost dying twice, she weakened to the point that she could no longer walk and was confined to a wheelchair. Dementia, as often does, crept in.

My friend, a strong believer, did not give up. Through prayer and God’s grace, she lovingly ministered to her mom and loved her as Christ loves his people. Slowly Claire began to come back. She started attending a weekly prayer group as well as a weekly Bible study. Painfully she began to walk again. A friend prayed over her prophesying that “the best was yet to come -her best years were ahead of her.” You could have fooled me by the looks of things. That kind of shows the condition of my faith.

Brad’s story was the exact opposite. A retired Army Colonel with three married daughters and numerous grandchildren he was happily married for over 60 years. He was the sole caretaker of his beloved wife, who was in ill health for many years.  After she died, he was active, bright, quick, with a great sense of humor and continued to drive and live alone, although the loneliness was overwhelming. Everyone was worried that the loneliness would get the best of him. His daughter, my friend, began to drop by to visit him in the evenings. Her loving presence allowed him to open up as never before. But he needed more. Who could have guessed what the Lord had prepared, but then we know that with the Lord, all things are possible.

One day, my two friends got together to discuss the loneliness of their parents. Since both were huge history buffs, an idea formed to take them to lunch and introduce them to one another. It was love at first sight.

An amazing transformation occurred.

Acting like teenagers, they began to date, going out to eat, laughing, joking, holding hands and talking for hours. They never seemed to run out of conversation. Five months later they tied the knot.

What an awesome experience. The wedding party consisted of her daughter and his grandson who stood with them at the altar.  Attendants were over 16 great grandchildren with numerous children, grandchildren, in-law and friends in attendance. A picture of them holding hands with the caption “We love you, Bow Bow and Dadaw!” graced the program.

It was a perfect day.

The church overflowed as many came to celebrate their joy. Handsomely decked out in their finest, they both were radiant. They stood, and sometimes sat, at the altar like teenagers. Her two sons gave her away, and her son and daughter-in-law officiated. His great grandsons did the Scripture readings. The highlight of the ceremony was an operatic recording made in 1942 by her mother, which provided the music and a teary moment for all. Truly I tell you it was a day made in heaven.

So now when people ask, I tell them nothing is impossible with our God and I share Claire and Brad’s story—the perfect witness to an amazing grace.

Marty Norman is a wife, mother, and grandmother of five, who lives in Fort Worth, Texas.  She is the author of Generation G – Advice for Savvy Grandmothers Who Will Never Go Gray. You can learn more about her at:   www.martynorman.com, http://martynorman.blogspot.com, http://savvygrandmothers.blogspot.com.

The Vilest Offender

By Brenda W. McIntyre –

Keith was one of my favorite cousins. It didn’t matter that I suffered endless teasing from him when I was a child. In spite of his pranks, I looked up to him.

I was startled and scared when, as a teenage boy, he threw cherry bombs under the trampoline while we girls were jumping. I was frightened when he locked my sister and me in the kitchen and told us someone died in that room. But I was amazed at the new gadgets he always seemed to have—a self-inking stamper disguised as a little tube, magic plastic he made into elastic balloons, and a real American flag that took up an entire wall in his room. I quickly forgot about being mad at Keith whenever he shared his hot toothpicks or made an elastic balloon for me.

I was proud of Keith when he began racing cars at the local race track. More often than not he was the winner. Then, I was overcome with grief on the day in August, 1992, when I received a phone call about his death. Keith was the victim of a heinous murder; killed in the prime of his life.

I waited breathlessly for Keith’s killer to be sentenced for the murder. Manslaughter. The verdict was manslaughter with the possibility of parole after 18 years. I was flabbergasted.

When the man responsible for Keith’s death came up for parole a few short years later, I wrote a letter to the State Board of Pardons and Paroles asking that he not be paroled from prison. I wanted him to serve his full sentence. I wanted him to pay for his crime. Again he came up for parole and I wrote another letter. Finally, after spending 14 years behind bars the man was released from prison.

I wondered how I would react if ever our paths crossed. What if he became a Christian? What if he started going to my church? The words to Fannie J. Crosby’s hymn, “To God Be the Glory,” rang out in my mind. The touching words say, “The vilest offender who truly believes, that moment from Jesus a pardon receives.” If that man cried out to God and asked for forgiveness, he was free from his sin. Regardless of the magnitude of his sins, all he has to do is simply believe in the Son of God and ask for forgiveness and he will receive pardon from Jesus. Salvation is provided as a gift from God regardless of one’s sins.

The man responsible for Keith’s death was living in a world of sin and darkness when he took my cousin’s life, but Jesus atoned for that sin. John 12:46 says “I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness.”

That same grace is available to you and me. Maybe we haven’t taken a life. Maybe we haven’t participated in criminal activity as defined by laws that govern us, but I can assure you we have sinned against God as outlined in the Bible. No one is free from sin. The wonderful news is stated in Ephesians 1:7, “In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace.”

Get Your Weapon Out!

By Teresa Lusk –

Recently my 7-year-old daughter came to my husband and me and told us that she wants to be cool like the other kids. In addition, she despised for a moment her God-given personality because, as she stated, she makes jokes halfway through her sentences and, “No one else does that.”

Of course it broke my heart. It’s my child we’re talking about, but more than anything, it angered me. It angered me that she already believes the nonsense this world and the enemy of her soul throw at her. So immediately, we gave her the truth and the pep talk about how great she really is. It didn’t take long before her eyes lit up and she got a hop in her step.

And then, I pulled out my weapon! You know that weapon that can demolish strongholds and things unseen (2 Corinthians 10:4 NIV)? The weapon of God’s Word. She not only reads her Word daily as she has been doing for some time now, but she has been equipped with Scriptures that were made especially for her to speak out loud to remind her daily of her worth in Jesus Christ.

Sure she will hear lies for the rest of her life, but she can take comfort in knowing truth to demolish the lies. As parents, we do our best to protect our children from the seen, so why wouldn’t we do what we can to protect them from the things not as evident. Don’t delay; get your weapon out too.

Teresa G. Lusk has passion to empower individuals to move beyond their past and present circumstances and into a better life. She is also the author of Good Enough to be a Homemaker and CEO, and is a Motivational Speaker. You may find out more at www.teresalusk.com.

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