Back to the Basics... pt2

Yesterday marked eight months since my sweet wife moved on to heaven.   And as is now a daily response, I can’t help but smile and rejoice with her as I picture her totally set free from the devasting effects of the Alzheimer’s that ravaged her brain and body for many years.

When I look at myself over the last eight months, I can honestly say that I think that I am making positive progress in realizing, facing, understanding and managing the incredibly difficult array of emotions that have been bombarding me.  I can say without any doubt that I NEVER imagined that it would be this hard, nor can I say that I’ve ever faced such a horrific time in my life before!  But my faith in God and His Word stays strong and I continue to trust Him for the strength, direction and fortitude to move forward with whatever He has planned for me.

I realized a few days ago, that I am finally beginning to be able to see beyond today.  I have always been a good long-range planner and had the gift to multitask numerous events at the same time… at least until Piper’s homegoing.  For many months since then, my only vision has been for one day at a time… sometimes only one hour at a time.  But with the passage of days, a new peace and personal confidence for the future has begun to arise in me.  So, along with preparing our house for sale, I am now stretching out and have been working with the moving company and a representative of our temporary apartment home in Broken Arrow.

If I am to be completely honest with myself… I would also have to admit that I am kind of excited about what I am beginning to visualize about my new life in Oklahoma.  I was reminded in prayer yesterday while taking in the restful view surrounding our backyard, that I had been known to tell people after we had moved here that I wouldn’t be surprised if we eventually ended up in Oklahoma with the kids… and whala!  Here I go!

So… new beginnings for a mature life!  What does it all mean?  How do I go about facing this new chapter?  Well, as I’ve stated before, the Lord has recently been bringing me back to the basics of my… or I should really say, “our” faith.  Because where I stand today in my Christian walk is a direct result of the adventures in faith that Piper and I walked since practically day one of our relationship.

Over the past few weeks many of the first scriptures that really spoke to my heart as a young man at the beginnings of our Christian explorations as a couple, have been rushing into my thoughts and carry with them much of that same zeal that sparked the revival fires of Jim and Piper Berruto.  Of course, much of it started with my spunky girlfriend, like the time she and her Mom attended a Monday night meeting at a large church in our hometown that was experiencing something called “The Baptism of the Holy Spirit.”  That experience changed her life as was immediately apparent when we spoke on the phone the moment she got to her home later that evening.

And whatever she got… I WANTED!  From that time on, we dove into the wild ride of the Charismatic movement and never turned our back nor let go of the hunger that burned inside of us.  Lately I thought of one of the books that I have continually turned to for a quick rekindle since I first read it in the late 1970’s entitled “Nine O’ Clock in the Morning” by Father Dennis Bennett.  Father Bennett was a popular, well educated pastor of a large, conventional Episcopalian church in the late 1950’s.  It was located in the Los Angeles suburb of Van Nuys in southern California.  After many months of study and examination,  Father Bennett yielded to the move of God and received the Baptism of the Holy Spirit with the evidence of speaking in tongues.  In the book he tells the story of how he was forced to resign his pastorate, received national attention and was later asked to take over a failing mission church in a run-down area of Seattle, Washington.   

The rest is well documented in the chronicles of the Charismatic movement as Dennis and his church in Seattle became a center for the movement while he became a well-known speaker and teacher on the Baptism all over the world.  Father Bennett passed in 1991.  That book spoke to my heart back then and throughout the years.  My personal experience mimicked may similarities to his life, his liturgical Christian background, and how he formulated his ideas over the Pentecostal blessing that was originally experienced by the early church in the Biblical book of Acts.

Recently I was reminded that he also lost his first wife due to disease and once again, went through many of the same pains that I am currently dealing with.  So, I picked up my second… almost worn out copy… and began to read it again… with the same rekindling of those old-time fires occurring in me once more!

Yesterday and today, I felt a leading during my Bible study time to meditate on an old favorite found in Philippians 4:13 where the Apostle Paul declares: “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” (MKJV)  I can’t tell you how many times over the years that this particular statement of faith has carried me over a hurdle in life.  And in May of 2019 it still holds as strong and as true to me as it did back in the mid 1970’s!  That’s what I love about the Word of God!  It is always fresh, always powerful, and always victorious when applied to the needs in our lives!

Well, I may be facing a whole new road, with a whole new set of circumstances that I’ve never faced before… but my answer to all of these has always stayed the same!  For I can and I will continue to do ALL things through Christ who is strengthening me!  What do you say?  How about you?

Have a great weekend, and as you do, continue to say with me… “I am expecting to make it past all the hinderances that come against me today, through Christ who is strengthening me!”