Good Morning, Lynn Here. If you have prayed for any length
for a prodigal or a spouse to come to faith and feel like they are so lost, so
far from God that it will never happen, then this story is for you.
I want to introduce my friend,
Angie Knight. I met Angie in the very early years of blogging. I met her
face-to-face at a blogger’s retreat in her home state of Florida in 2009. That
was an ordained and anointed retreat for me. Many, MANY works of God came from
that weekend where the women prayed over me. Winning Him Without Words was just
one. While I was there I met Angie’s precious family. I stayed in her home and
met her husband and daughters. It was an amazing weekend.
Since then her life and mine have
become a little busy. Hers with mission trips to Cambodia and Slavic countries
and mine with our community here at SUM. Our hearts remain connected through
the beautiful fabric of the Body of Christ and yet we haven’t talked in probably over a year
or more. So here is where the story soars to the supernatural.
God is Divine and Providential.
Okay, so on Wednesday I was
finishing the final chapter for our new book, Not Alone. This chapter is about
parenting through rebellion and the Prodigal Adult. And I’ve been asking God to
give me words to include. Now here is the really good part.
Out of the blue after more than a
year, Angie posts on my Facebook wall this: For those with a prodigal
(anything)…this will encourage you 😉 (I've had you on my mind Lynn Donovan!
Have a GREAT week!) She includes a link to an article on her blog. She hasn’t
written there in months and months.
Why am I always flabbergasted that
God listens to me and actually helps me in amazing ways??? Sheesh. (Lord, thank
you for your faithfulness.)
Okay, Let me set the stage. Angie, her mother, her sister, daughters and one of her granddaughters had taken a weekend trip to spend the time together at a beach resort. Sunday morning arrives
and it’s time to pack up and head toward home.
This is the story she shared with
me.
My
daughter was 15 years old when she decided the "church path" was not
for her–and she walked in a mighty dark wilderness for a long time. Glimpses of the old Tiff would be seen from
time to time, and we continued to pray on.
One thing we knew for certain–that was the MOST difficult thing any
parent has to face–we could not bale her out of every situation–because we
had ENTRUSTED God to work on her and in her to bring her back to a place of
desiring HIM.
Tiffany
and her daughter joined us for the beach retreat weekend and as we drove toward
home we wanted to stop at a local church for Sunday services. We had a church
in mind and set off in with plenty of time to make services. However, due to a
flood, Tiffany in the lead car, took a detour and we ended up at a country
church, where Pastor Danny Davis met us with hearty handshakes, laughter and a
very welcoming spirit. Without going
into the details of the service, let me just stop and say, it was NOT business as
usual.
God
continued on with ordering and setting the day out in HIS plan and fashion.
The
special speaker did not get to speak.
The LORD brought the message that morning through the voice of the
pastor–and I could honestly tell you –I saw a visible change, as well as
"felt" it when the Holy Spirit began to move.
As
the pastor, under a heavy anointing was walking back and forth, speaking what
GOD was in that instant laying on his heart–the string of us girls from mother
all the way down to the youngest, our granddaughter, completely filled up one
whole pew. He looked me straight in the
eye and said, "Angie Knight, you are about to see your miracle. You are about to see something that you've
prayed about for a long time become reality."
He
walked on, shook, I was weeping, praising–not knowing what exactly–because,
truthfully, there are many things I'm praying about–yet my mind went to this row
of women.
And then it happend, Tiffany went forward.
That
morning, The Lord gave me a front row seat as He brought His daughter back
home.
As
a mother of a prodigal, there is nothing in this life sweeter than to witness
her "rebirth." Her birth was wonderful–but the birthing of her
"new life" was extraordinary. Words fail me at this point. It was one of those, "you had to have
been there" days. We rejoiced all
the way home.
Perhaps
you are the parent of a prodigal that you have prayed for and feel there's not
much hope…can I tell you something?
Please
keep praying.
Your
prodigal has a day…set and ordered by The Lord.
If
you think it will happen "one particular" way, please give up your
idea to Him and let Him do the orchestrating of the music of that life. He has
written the most beautiful score to be heard-and only He knows when it will be
played.
My
day came quite unexpectedly in some ways, but then totally expected in others.
Take heart parents. Keep praying.
Your prodigal is still being watched by an
Almighty Eye. -Angie Knight
(Tiffany's story is included in our new book. I can't wait for you to read it, Hugs, Lynn)
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