Encounter of Affirmation 9/15/09

Today, I happened to be sitting on the wall outside the courthouse in Smithfield. It was a beautiful fall day--warm, balmy and bright. I noticed a lady of about my own age walking slowly towards me. She started to sit down on the wall, and I invited her to move closer to me in order to be in the shade. (This meant that the usual "bubble of social space" we all try to maintain would be broken. She gratefully nodded and sat down close to me.

I commented on the beauty of the day, and she agreed, but I could sense a "heaviness" about her. She told me her story as I sat and listened. She had received a telephone call at work during the night telling her one of her sons had been arrested and was in the Smithfield jail.

The long-story-short of it is that her oldest son had the unfortunate luck to be with one of his brothers when the brother "kicked in the door of his girlfriend's apartment" last night. (Dianne's "bad choices, bad life--good choices, good life" was ringing in my ears as she told me her son's sad story.)

I asked her name, and she told me it was "Carolyn" (our own daughter's name, for those of you who don't know our daughter). I asked her son's name, which she told me was "Will". Carolyn was very worried about Will because he is mentally impaired and doesn't always understand what is happening to him. She started to tell me how worried she was about how he'd do in jail around other more "experienced" prisoners, and was very afraid for him.

Right then and there, I asked Carolyn if she would mind if I (we) prayed for her son together. I have never in my life done anything like this before, and it surprised even me. I felt the Holy Spririt prompting me (as David reminded us on Sunday; the HS only prompts us to good things). She agreed, and we held hands, sitting next to each other on that wall in front of God and all of the dozens of people going in and out of the Smithfield Courthouse at noon on a Tuesday afternoon. (This part, I did not even think about until just this minute.)

I thanked God for this beautiful fall day, but then went right into praying for his blessings for Carolyn and for Will. I prayed that the Lord would guard and keep Will safe from harm and not let him become afraid. I also prayed for Carolyn to have peace of mind in knowing that Jesus was there with her son in jail at that very moment.

I then asked God to be with Carolyn and Will in the coming days and to show His love to her and her family.

This was not something that I could have ever done without the knowledge we have learned at Crosswalk. I praise God for his merciful love for all of us and I will continue to pray for Carolyn and her family over the course of the next few days, especially. Will's court date is on Thursday at 10:00 in the morning.

I will always treasure the look of gratitude, and dare I say, "relief" on Carolyn's face when we hugged after praying together. David, you are right when you say that it is not just the "affirmed" who are blessed when we encourage one another, but the "encourager" as well. God Bless -- Marthann

We Need Some More Help

Hi Everyone! Last night at my first meeting for the serving teams for the Wed. Night Suppers, I was surprised to find how few people had volunteered to help for such a big program.

We'll need more, regular, volunteers if we are going to be able to serve supper on Wed. nights to 150-180 people each week throughout the coming year.

Check your schedules to see if you can volunteer once a month on a regular basis to help out on one of the four cook teams: The 3rd or 4th Wed. teams are in particular need of help. We really could use more help.

We need a committed core of at least 6 people on a regular basis on those two nights. Please help if you feel so led. -- Marthann

Please Keep Our Brother in Your Prayers

Well, Mary Amelia and I are off to Maryland to be with our brother, Brooke, during his surgery tomorrow. We will stay with him until Friday when his girlfriend, Sue, will take over so we can drive back to N.C. to attend our brother-in-law's wedding on Sat. in Winston-Salem. Our brother-in-law is marrying a wonderful woman (who also lost her spouse to cancer) and we wish them all the happiness in the world.

These are bitter-sweet times for the Rector/Ashcraft/Witzig clan. We know that God has us all in His hands, but sometimes it's a little more difficult to have confidence that "all things are working to the good for those who love the Lord". Please remember us in your prayers. We really appreciate it--especially now.
-- Marthann

Good News about Betty Hall

Thought you all might like to know that Betty Hall's CT scan on Aug. 3rd showed some suspicious results and consequently she had a PET scan on Aug. 6th.

"The PET scan showed absolutely no indication of a cancer cell anywhere in her body!!!"

I know the power of prayer has played a part in this miraculous outcome for Betty Hall, and want to ask you to continue praying for both her, and Eric as they greet the first good news they've had since last fall with thanksgiving and praises.

Eric and Betty wrote: "We can finally write the closing pages in this chapter of our lives, and look forward to whatever today may hold for us. Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery--today is a gift, that's why it is called the present."

Marthann Witzig

Okay class...I think the time is coming for us to expand both our quarters, (the new building) and our hearts, (to the new people who may come when they see the sign welcoming our new pastor) later this summer. I have already had a friend in my neighborhood here in Clayton asking when the new building is opening and when the new pastor is coming. She practically invited herself to come check us out before I even had the chance!

God has big plans for Bethlehem Church. I feel it more strongly than I ever have before. He has expectations of us that we might think are too grand, too much, or too soon...but I think He wants us to "step out of the boat", as Pastor Fox said last weekend. I believe God wants us to trust Him to make good things happen here at Bethlehem through Him. We may not think that we are worthy of such plans, but God knows that we are, and He expects us to listen to Him calling us to TEACH, PREACH and REACH His children in the greater Knightdale community! I say, "bring it on!"

Amazing Grace

Wed. June 17th, 2009
Sorry I missed the lesson last Sunday. What a blessing the topic of "grace" has been to me. I am always amazed at how God answers our prayers--specifically. He is waiting for us to ask Him to give us the strength and the courage to act on our faith. All we have to do is ask.

I am praying that He will allow me to be a channel of grace to anyone who needs it in their lives. I know that He constantly uses the opportunities provided in our everyday lives, if only we open our eyes to see them!

My prayer: Dear Lord, as a loving recipient of your grace FROM others, I humbly ask you to use me as an instrument of grace TO others. Amen

Amazing Grace Friday, June 12th, 2009What a lesson we had this week! I am sorry I will not be in class on Sunday to discuss what was presented in our lesson on Grace: Expressing God's HeartAs I read 1 Peter 5:10, 12, I was struck by how God gives us grace to get us through the difficult times ahead--and there are going to be some doozies for my beloved family.

The fact that God designed us to enjoy a personal fellowship with him is incredible to me because it says to me that GOD SEES OUR POTENTIAL. This answered my own question last week about how to "love" the "unlovable" when on a mission day to the homeless, or to others whom I may be distracted by their seeming shortcomings .

The lesson tells us we are to become "grace-givers" and that grace equals mercy which stems from the gratitude we feel to God for bestowing us with His grace. This grace is an undeserved pardon, and a blessing that is continuously supplied to us over and over by God. (Think of it as a soda can in a vending machine that rolls down into the slot when we remove it -- a never-ending supply of grace!)

We are expected to be channels of His grace to others in our lives--not just to those we love like our families, but to those we don't even know. Acts 13:43 tells us to be faithful to the grace God has given us.

2 Corinthians 9:8 tells us that there is enough grace for every conceivable need!

My Prayer: Please Lord, open up every area of my heart and life to your amazing grace and make me a channel of that grace to others. Amen.

--Marthann

Awesome new Format for the Crosswalk Class Blog! Good work, David! I'll be there tonight to help with Stop Hunger Now! -- Marthann

Questions About Further Crosswalk Class Growth

I read David's e-mail on our Sunday school Crosswalk site and agree that we do need to think about how to help our class continue to grow. I know we are sometimes crowded in our class room, and also fear that some people who may want to come into our class are put off by how crowded it is when they peek inside.

What I want to make sure to do is continue for us each to look for opportunities to invite people to join us--either people we see in the church service, or in our everyday lives. Sometimes I know I get complacent and forget to look for the opportunity to touch someone that may be right under my nose.

Anyway, I just wanted to say that I am going to try and be more observant and make myself more available to God's gentle nudge when a new prospect is right before me!--Marthann