Drives me crazy, we are both saying the same thing but for some reason there is a wall of understanding between us.
I'm 57 Female. Been married twice, divorced twice, and I don't know if you could say I'm widowed but I lost my ex-husband back in October.
We got divorced for medical reasons, that's the way the government pulls the family apart, but we didn't have much choice.
We were still friends, as I am still distant friends with my first husband who found himself a new wife. And they are happy and I am glad for them.
I grew up in Boston. A small town called South Boston. Purely Irish Italian and incredibly racist.
I never had a problem with racism. I had friends from all walks of life and all colors. I liked people for their character.
I was raped at 13 and chose to keep the child. My parents were very big supporters and helped me raise her.
I now have a grandson who just graduated highschool and has autism.
Hopefully she will come and stay with me sometime soon in the future, as my health is failing fast.
I was born into the Catholic church, my mom was Catholic, my dad protestant, and so the church wouldn't recognize their union. That kind of took care of my mother's faith in the church. But she sent me anyways. I made my first communion and never went back.
I met a biker when I was 17. I took off with him for 1 1/2 years while my folks raised my baby.
He was into cocaine, alcohol, and he was quite abusive. But I stayed with him because I thought I loved him and I could change him.
He overdosed and ended up in the hospital, I figured it was time for me to go home.
But right before I left, sitting on a carpet with an oil lamp for light, I opened up one of those old gothic Catholic bibles that have the pictures in them.
I began to read the book of revelation. Dragons? It was scary.
So when I went home I joined a Southern Baptist church in 1981. It was a very small church, maybe 20 people. And the Pastor was a fire and damnation preacher. I got baptised in a tub. So I been baptised twice.
I got married, we baught an apartment building, I joined a printing company and everything was going ok.
Then there was a crash and the company closed, we lost the building and had to move to a small town in New Hampshire.
At this point or just before, I was doing correspondence courses with the Armstrong and the Church of God.
I only went to one meating because they were located so far away. But the peace I felt when I entered, I had never felt before.
Since then I been in and out of the bible. Always with the scriptures running through my head. Being able to read a proverb and turn it into real life lessons. I have no man to teach me. I don't need anyone but the holy spirit to lead me.
And I think he's done a pretty good job so far.
And you know why I think that?
Because I see it in my daughter, her compassion, her caring, giving of herself when she has nothing to give.
She is my fruit. And I see in her, the work the Lord has done in me.
And no one will convince me otherwise.
You don't have to go too far from home to know what the world is made of. You just need to have ears to hear and eyes to see.
And this world needs a revival, badly.
Hugs
This is a wonderful story! I hope tyour daughter and grandson find you and you all can live together.
I know about failing health. I have four heart conditions, Lupus, chrinc,severe and widespread arthritis.
The only thing I would tell you is that you need to be part of a local assembly and submit yourself to a bible believing pastor teacher. Why?
Ephesians 4:11-15
King James Version
11 And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;
12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:
13 Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:
14 That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;
15 But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:
1 Corinthians 12
King James Version
12 Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I would not have you ignorant.
2 Ye know that ye were Gentiles, carried away unto these dumb idols, even as ye were led.
3 Wherefore I give you to understand, that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed: and that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost.
4 Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit.
5 And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord.
6 And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all.
7 But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal.
8 For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit;
9 To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit;
10 To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues:
11 But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will.
12 For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ.
13 For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.
14 For the body is not one member, but many.
15 If the foot shall say, Because I am not the hand, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body?
16 And if the ear shall say, Because I am not the eye, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body?
17 If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where were the smelling?
18 But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him.
19 And if they were all one member, where were the body?
20 But now are they many members, yet but one body.
You needd to be part of a local body to bless and be blessed and recieve from others. You need a pastor to have your faith matured! God does not use lone rangers. I know After leaving Romanism I tried. We need to be connected with other believers and elders to be blessed.
They won't be perfect (neither are we) but God uses the body to buid us up so we all mat glorify Him!