Testimony

For the first time in my life, I'm sitting down to prepare what I will say when giving my testimony to people. I've given my salvation story to two very large groups, and my cancer one three times. All with minimal amounts of notice. Back in 2004, on two separate occasions I was sitting in a church and the Holy Spirit pressed on my heart that I was about to give my testimony. These were not situations I would have any reason to believe that. But He reminded me of a few verses, so I frantically looked them up while the pastor was speaking about whatever was on his heart. Then just like I had come to expect, both times the pastors, who had NO IDEA what my testimony was, said, "This person has no idea I'm going to do this, but I'd like this girl to come up and tell you her testimony.". The first time was at a Chi Alpha sermon during grad school, and the second was in a huge church in South Africa after a missions trip. At that one the pastor never said a word to me all week, except to call me the wrong name. But after our project was over, we went to his church service just to pass the time before our flight home, and he called me by (correct) name up to the pulpit.

Anyway, those were great experiences and the Holy Spirit was so clear about what to say, I went up with the verses I had just looked up and told my story. Eight years later it's a little more difficult. I think because I don't have the easy life anymore. "Brothers, I could not address you as spiritual, but worldly--mere infants in Christ. I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for it." 1 Cor 3:1-2. This time around I'm (supposedly) more mature so my part of the job is bigger. More responsibility. I've been broken in--just hours after the great news a radio station called so without any notice Yaacov and I told the story on the air. Over the weeks after that I got a chance to tell two more groups, each with a little notice that I couldn't utilize to actually prepare.

This time I've had TWO WEEKS notice. I can't just speak off the cuff, I think that time was a gift to help me prepare and say what actually should be said. Mark 5:19, "Go home to your family and tell the how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you." So, my job is to do just that.

Of course, it's tomorrow that I'm speaking to a women's study, so that notice has dwindled down to a day. But I'm going to make sure that everything I say relates to telling how much He has done for me, and all the mercy He has displayed. It really is such an honor to have such good content to discuss, the challenge is to prepare enough to be thorough but timely, and still say what He wants instead of what I want. I guess that's the challenge in most things, actually.

Oh, and by the way, He reigns. Ecc 3:14, "I know that everything God does will endure forever; nothing can be added to it and nothing taken from it. God does it so that men will revere Him."