Our stories

Donna S.

 

 "So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand." Isaiah 41:10

 

 

Almost 6 yrs. ago, I found myself alone and my faith was shaken! I had invested over half of my life in a marriage that had failed. I was struggling with how this could have happened to me. It certainly was not what I had envisioned 25 years earlier when saying my vows to my future husband before God, my family, and friends. I could not believe that God had not answered my prayers and did not save my marriage! I was literally lost, I knew nothing about the situation that I now found myself in. Through all the tears, anger, and loneliness my Abba Father proved Himself faithful. God brought people into my life that loved me unconditionally, that understood what I was going through and who walked with me through this valley! With the support of these friends and my family, I began to understand that God does not force His will on anyone and this was not His fault. He was answering my prayers in ways that were above and beyond anything that I could have ever imagined. He has a plan for my life and it is good!
 
" For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11
 
That is exactly what started happening in my life, I found new hope in God! He started giving me a new vision for my future and I knew it was good! I began waking up each morning with a new song and a new joy in my heart! God had taken the tattered pieces of my life and was transforming them day by day into a beautiful tapestry! In the fall of 2010, I started attending the new Contemporary Service at St. Luke UMC. I love worshipping God in spirit and in truth. Our praise and worship service brings us right into the presence of my faithful Abba Father and my heart is ready to recieve God's message. My faith family at St. Luke have made me feel loved right from the very first service that I attended. I am now involved and growing in my faith everyday. I love these people and I love serving with them. There is a passion at St. Luke to reach out and help people in our community. To share the love of God with those who have lost their hope and are broken.
I will tell you that life is not always easy but I know it is always worth it when God is right beside you giving you new hope and new mercies each day. Ephesians 3:20 sums up His faithfulness to me:
 
"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 glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever! Amen" 

 

Diane R.

 

The Leaf

I have a friend who speaks to me of God

And how He loves me; how He always has.

I had a hard time understanding that

Till yesterday, while sitting on the swing,

I questioned her and tried to comprehend

The simple truth she shared with open heart.

I listened, watching autumn leaves cascade

From oak and hickory along the drive

As distant thunder rumbled from the north.

I listened, wishing I could just believe;

Searching deep within me for the faith

To know the love she spoke about was real.

And then she paused. "That leaf is floating...Watch!"

I stared as one small scrap of brown arose

And hovered just above the autumn grass.

Then carefully it floated to one side

And back again, a little higher now.

The leaf began to dance, around a tree,

Across the driveway, rising as it moved.

"It's God," whispered my friend, "right here with us."

And, at that moment, I believed He was.

What else could make a dead leaf dance like that?

It skimmed along the grass in pirouette

Then rose again, without one scrap of breeze.

The other leaves lay still upon the ground

As, from a darkening sky, a shaft of light

Washed over us. "He heard!" She smiled at me.

"He knows your heart. He loves you. He loves you."

And something in me trembled like the leaf

That danced before us in the quiet air.

"I love Him, too," I said. She took my hand

And thanked the God of leaves and light and love.

And since that moment, I have been consumed

By this amazing possibility;

If God can make a dried-up leaf-scrap dance,

What can He do - what will He do with me?

By Diane Reeves

Copyright 2005

(please do not use without author's permission)