A MATTER OF FAITH: THE BURNT POT
For the past four or more years I pretty much shelved this blog while I worked on other writing projects, including a book to help me share and sort some things out. Unfortunately, much like this blog, whether through intimidation, doubt, or writer's block, not to mention poor health, I had almost given up hope of ever getting to the finish line. That was until a week ago Sunday.
While the full credit belongs to God and the messages I heard at church, I must also direct credit to a few videos I watched on YouTube at 'Weracle'. Seeing the joyful and thankful spirit Wi Park exudes in his videos as he shares his miraculous ongoing recovery, Christian faith in God, tenacity, perseverance, and strong desire to encourage others, reminded me of the way I once was. He, along with my longing to be closer to God, gave me a desire to get back to sharing my faith and God's grace, but the pathway still seemed obscure until YouTube's algorithm brought me to another YouTuber's video in which a young man shared about his lack of confidence in himself following a lost relationship. I was touched and inspired to write a comment to encourage him. That note brought me back here. As I read through a few of my earlier posts, what I could share here suddenly hit me. Having been through another recent miracle, I could share it and the many experiences the Lord has brought me through over the years, the answered prayers and miracles that God has granted in my life, to remind myself and hopefully encourage others who struggle as I do with past trauma, or emotional, mental, or physical health issues.
In truth, I have been going through somewhat of an emotional crisis since my husband's passing fifteen years ago. Whether the matters at hand are the cause of the anxiety and depression I have been feeling, or the other way around, I cannot tell. What I do know is that the recommended help - some help was not help - can only take me so far. Talking to someone definitely helped me see some matters more clearly, such as where I was being haunted by the past, blaming myself for things I had zero control over, or likewise accepting responsibility for things that were not mine. However, the ability to change that way of thinking and fully heal can only come through the grace of God, my Lord Jesus Christ, and the help of the Holy Spirit, without whom I would not be able to share these things with you.
Going forward, my plan here is to share one story a week under the hashtag #A Matter of Faith, to encourage myself and anyone else who finds their way here and stays long enough to read them. If that's you, may God add whatever is lacking to these brief stories and encourage you along your journey, and may you find hope and peace through Christ.
In the love of Christ,
Your friend Beverly
(A.K.A. StrayNoodles)
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Before I dive into this first story - in sharing but not necessarily in time - let me first say that getting this first blog together has been a week long battle. Due to a failed Windows update, I lost all of documents, videos, and photos that were stored on my PC, along with several programs and could not get them back, or restore to an earlier date. After fruitlessly searching my external hard-drive and numerous flash drives for the photos you see here, I almost gave up. Then yesterday, after hearing a sermon on meekness and a second one on what we need to be like - to persevere - I felt encouraged to do a more diligent search. So this morning, after a quick prayer, I began my search which took less than twenty minutes to garner a result.
I pulled down some old boxes from the storage shelf, the second of which yielded a huge pile of over fifty forgotten rewritable cd's. I sorted through them, selected a stack to look through and amazingly found the pictures I needed on the very first disc. Praise God!
So, without further ado, here is the first story in the series of 'A Matter of Faith':
THE BURNT POT
Half way to church I started having a panic attack. I couldn't remember if I had just put the pot on the stove, or if I had turned the burner on too. These type of queries were normal for me. Many, many times I would head back and find the door locked, or that I had turned off the stove, and that everything was fine in spite of my worrying. Now I was too embarrassed to ask my friend to go back again, especially since I knew it would make us late.
We arrived at church at seven-forty-five pm and that nagging feeling was still with me and growing stronger. During the song service I began to have a sick feeling in my stomach that would not go away. At one point, in the middle of the evening, a hymn was selected - unfortunately I have forgotten the title of it - the words of which leaped off the page. It immediately struck me that it was from God and He was commanding me to pray to Him for help. In obedience, I asked him that...if I had indeed turned the burner on...to please watch over my home and spare it, and our cat. I believed God was able to protect my home somehow, but I also acknowledged that He would only do this if it was His will.
The evening ended normally with one of our ministers reading a chapter in Psalms from the scriptures. On this night it was Psalm 46, which was also the verse I had opened to earlier in the day. Following along, my heart leaped as I read the words, especially in verse five, "God is in the midst of her, she shall not be moved, God shall help her, and that right early." Immediately I knew that God had heard and answered my prayer, though how was still a mystery.
On our drive home, I shared my concern with my Sisters in the faith. I felt at peace that God was in control, but I did not know what His answer had been. As we neared my street, I craned my neck to see if my house was still standing, or if there was any sign of smoke, or fire trucks. I breathed a sigh of relief, thanking God immensely that my house was still standing and with no outward sign of damage. Thinking that my dread that night had been unfounded, I noted that the door was unlocked as I entered, indicating my husband was at home. It was only then that the sickening smell of smoke filled my nostrils and I realized I was wrong.
My husband had arrived home about twenty minutes earlier than normal that night and had intended to go for a quick walk through the mall. However, as he was getting off the bus, he was suddenly overcome by an intense thirst. So he headed home first, which was only a hundred or so feet from the bus stop. The smell of smoke immediately hit him as he opened the door. He raced to the kitchen and saw the pot on the stove glowing gold. Without thinking, he grabbed the pair of oven mitts off the nearby hook, opened the front door, picked up the pot and threw it out onto the front lawn. The time was now just after nine pm.
If you have not grasped the miracle yet, the math and these few remaining points will make it clear. I physically set the pot on the burner at six-forty-five pm., my husband arrived home just before 9. The pot was on the burner...on high...for over two hours. The intense heat had cracked the burner beneath it in several places, broke a glass butter dish that had been sitting on the counter next it, fractured the glass lid, and melted the fallen shards back into sand in the bottom of the pot. The pot also burnt a black circle into the lawn where it landed. The heat was that intense. Yet, neither the wooden spoon, or the pasta box sitting on the counter beside it, or the curtains above the stove caught fire, nor was my dear husband harmed when he picked up that extremely hot pot.
The strangest thing is, that it actually took me a while to get my head around what the Lord had done. For a brief second, I actually found myself thinking - albeit foolishly - that it must have been a pretty good pot. That notion was completely dispelled by the following response from my sister when I emailed her what had happened. "Dear Bev, Thank you for still being here and able to share that story with me. I will remember it always. We all got those pots from mom for Christmas one year. Remember? My daughter and son destroyed a pot each from my set by burning the stuff in them within fifteen minutes of not watching the water. The bottoms separated from mine. So yes, I definitely see the miracle. God bless you and your family..."
If all of this was not enough evidence of a miracle for me, sadly, one week later it was in the paper that a woman lost her home in a similar incident. She went to the store having left a pot on the stove. When she returned thirty minutes later, her entire home was engulfed in flames. She lost everything. Then, not even two months later a member of my church sadly lost her kitchen under similar circumstances. In addition, the repair man who replaced our burner told us that when a burner cracks under such intense heat, it usually blows a hole through the bottom of the pot, sending flames shooting up to the ceiling...I am certain you get the picture from there.
For me, this incident was a lesson on the importance of going back to check and especially prayer. It reminds me to not be so self sufficient that I don't reach out to God in times of trouble, nor to think of myself more highly than I ought. God is always there seeing the things we don't, "...an ever present help in times of trouble..." Psalm 46:1. He wants us to know that we can call out to Him. Every answered prayer is to show us that He is listening and that He cares in the big things and the little. Trials are opportunities in which to trust Him. May you be blessed as you look for the miracles in your own life, big and small.
In the love of Christ,
Your friend Beverly
(A.K.A. StrayNoodles)
PSALM 46
1{To the chief Musician for the sons of Korah, A Song upon Alamoth.} God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.
2Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea;
3Though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof. Selah.
4There is a river, the streams whereof shall make glad the city of God, the holy place of the tabernacles of the most High.
5God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved: God shall help her, and that right early.
6The heathen raged, the kingdoms were moved: he uttered his voice, the earth melted.
7The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah.
8Come, behold the works of the LORD, what desolations he hath made in the earth.
9He maketh wars to cease unto the end of the earth; he breaketh the bow, and cutteth the spear in sunder; he burneth the chariot in the fire.
10Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.
11The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah.
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