walking in mama's shoes?

i know i need to update things here. it has been so busy around my house ... bill is still off work, i'm working hard - lots of clients, and i've been spending a lot of time with Robby. as i type, he's crashed out on our pull out couch in the living room because he has agreed to come and do some gardening work for bill today.

so on to walking in mama's shoes ...

sunday night, robby and his girlfriend, milly, asked me to take them to church. robby had been to the lutheran church around the corner with the family he is living with. apparently the sermon had hit him between the eyes. powerful stuff.

Thank You Lord for using Your men and women of God to speak Your words of life to us.

so i pick them up and we try to decide which church to go to. my church does not have a sunday night service because we rent out our facilities to another church on sunday night. we have one on friday night instead. so we decide on a local pentecostal church because that is our background. we drive up ... can't believe it ... huge church, no service.

so we go to another local church ... no service. the kids insist, they must go to church. i remember a little church that a friend goes to. we stand outside the church so they can have a cigarette (old habits die hard) and the two of them are feeling very, very sick to their stomachs. thank You, Jesus, that they know enough not to let it stop them!

we go into the service. the music was great, the Spirit of God was evident. wonderful! i know several people there, it was a great time. the sermon was fantastic. i could see robby studying the pastor ...

as the pastor is closing the service, the Lord gives him a word, just for these two kids. he says

i know, by the Spirit of the Lord, that there are at least two people here who have very deep wounds in their hearts. they're wondering about how to serve the Lord. He wants you to know that He accepts you just the way you are. warts, mistakes, history and all. He only wants your heart.'

need i tell you what happened next? awesome. i cannot tell all of the rest of the story, because it is robby's to tell. but i know he will tell it one day.

what i will tell you is robby told me later ... 'i was studying the pastor because i was thinking there was no way i could ever do what he was doing. he was so good. but after what happened tonight, i know that i know that it is my purpose in life, that i must go to Bible College and be the youth pastor that God called me to several years ago.

Oh Lord. You are so faithful. Father, how can i thank You for allowing me to be present when he made this decision. how can i thank You for the mighty way You have kept him over the last five years?? You are an awesome God. Thank You, Thank You, Thank You!