Faith,Hope & Help Ministries' Personal Testimonies
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"Living By the Word"
By Fitz Houston
From the CD, "Jammin' With the Lord", available soon!
"Holding On to God in the Midst of Trouble"
In the beginning days of October, as I prepared for four lectures about my Men, Let's Talk book (Pornography; the quiet addiction), with YAM (Young Adult Ministries) and the Men's Sunday school class, simoultaneously our finances were hit from every angle. Some checks were incredibly late in coming, some were lost, I had to threaten to sue one employer before getting one check and Murphy's law had me miss several days of work. Needless to say our finances took a sudden turn for the worse that month.
By the 15th of October, while working with an apartment manager who was trying to work with us, over the next two weeks, we went to over ten emergency aide agecies, only to find out that they no longer provided the "emergency rental assistance program", state funds had not been replenished or we earned too much money (they really only assisted section 8 and welfare families). There seemed to be no help for middle class families who just had a bad month. Fear tried to set in, but my wife and I kept focusing one of God's many promises, "God did not create a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind."(2 Tim.1:7) and "My God shall supply all my need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus."(Phil.4:19)
We next looked into emergency loans, but the majority of them were either Payday Loans, which you can only have one at a time, or loan programs that had been phased out in California. Again, fear tried to set in, and again we kept (2 Tim.1: and Phil.4:19 among others) on our tongues. In the midst of all these doors closing that seemingly led to answers, God placed several employees at some of these places that were God-fearing women who went out their way to help us find some formula that worked. (FAVOR) They really didn't have to take that extra step like that but we praised God for them.
By the beginning of November, after paying the November rent on time and seeing the difficulty were were having with getting assistance, the owner of our building who was passed impatient, forced the manager's hand to set the eviction process in motion. The manager had to comply to the owner's wish and now more pressure had been added to the situation. However, both the owner and manager agreed that if we came up with the money before the paperwork got to the serving level, that they would stop the proceedings. (FAVOR)
One payday loan and assistance from my church's CDC department helped us accumulate half of what we needed but the owner wanted all or nothing. Doors continued to close. My wife and I prayed each and every day while continuing to turn over any and every rock to find solutions to this situation. Two new scriptures came to the forefront of our list, (2 Cor.4:18) "For we look not at the things that are seen but at the things that are not seen, for the things that are seen are temporary while the things that are not seen are eternal."
During all of this, I hinted to my Sunday school teacher, "Now I understand why God blessed us to pay for the Thanksgiving retreat for both of us, in full, in July....because He knew we were definitely going need that spiritual healing.
A week later, a week before the retreat and still no success at getting any closer to the amount we needed, we were served. We told the manager that we received the papers. Then he said that if we could work to have the entire past due rent in by Mon., Dec.1 then he would work to stop the process. We would just have to pay the rent plus court costs which could be as much as an additional $600 dollars. But that option, in our eyes, was still God's FAVOR shining on us because the manager didn't have to offer that option.
Another door closed just before the retreat that we really thought was going to come through by the deadline time. Then two days before the retreat, I got a voice over job to revoice an actor's lines in two movies, praise God. The pay for this project would be exactly the past due rent plus most of the court costs. The only problem was that it was not going to pay until Dec. 5. We called the manager and told him the good news but he said that he couldn't tell us if the owner would grant us the extention until Dec. 1st.
I told my wife, "God really has a sense of humor. He wants to see if we're going to go up to the retreat holding on to all this worry or let it go, give it all to Him and let Him do His thang. And also, it is no coincidence that the timing of all this attack began the same day I began to minister on my book about the sensitive topic, 'freedom from pornography through the power of the Word of God.'"
On top of that, on Thanksgiving evening, one night before the retreat, the Lord strongly urged me to buy my wife a ticket to T.D. Jakes conference (GOD'S LEADING LADIES) which I knew she also wanted to attend the following weekend - a ticket which cost $89.00 and would have to come out of the half of the past due rent we had just scraped together. Only for one foolish moment did I almost hesitate. But then I thought, God has bought us too far through all of this to let us down now. This is no time to be disobedient. And I immediately paid for the ticket online, but didn't tell my wife so I could surprise her, plus I didn't want her to worry about the money.
The retreat was an awesome experience indeed. I knew I was in trouble when I found myself on the floor after Pastor Pansy whispered in my ear at the altar, "Stop trying to do everything yourself and give it all over to God." Her message and everyone elses over the two days ministered to my heart. An incredible sense of peace came over me at the retreat and went home with me.
The devil tried hard to steal my wife's joy at the retreat during that first day of the retreat by throwing dart of anxiety and fear, but the praise & worship, good messages and fellowship soon chased him out.
Following the retreat, the manager was out sick on Dec.1. But when we spoke to him on the next day, I told him that the money is on its way but that we just need the extended time to get to the pay date. This time, unlike before, his response was, "Just give me what you got and I'll get started on stopping the eviction process." (NOTHING BUT FAVOR).
My wife went on to the Jakes conference and with the "1-2 punch" of the Thanksgiving retreat and God's Leading Ladies, she came out with answers to some spiritual questions she'd had for years regarding her purpose in God's kingdom.
The long awaited payday to complete the past due transactions took place the following week, praise God. No only did those checks come, but a few other checks came much earlier than expected. And during this past week of waiting, even the manager seems more at peace more than usual. (FAVOR)
During this same time, one of my Sunday school classmates offerred to give us assistance should we need it. At first, I said "no thank you , but thank you so much for the offer." I had to really think about that response because sometimes we can block someone else's blessing when we turn down their offer.
As it turned out, after paying all the rent and legal fees required, we had pulled from money needed for our next car payment and it was my Sunday school classmate's assistance which made the difference. It was no accident that God told her to help us at that exact time. Divine timing is never an accident.
I went back to her and said, "I'm glad you're listening to God because I almost let pride get in my way and block both of our blessings."
The Thanksgiving retreat's effect on me has been lingering as I wake up every morning and play a tailor-made video of various praise & worship services including shouting and dancing, every morning in order to reach that spiritual high acheieved at the retreat's am service of feeling God's presence in that place while giving praise.
The retreat has had a positive effect on our spiritual lives as a couple as well and strengthened us in many areas.
I highly recommend the attending the Thanksgiving Retreat, especially any of you who have never experienced it. Put it high on your list of priorities for your spiritual nourishment. Moses went to the mountaintop and came back with the 10 commandments, Martin Luther King went to the mountaintop and came back that that famous prophetic message. Well, this past Thanksgiving Retreat, my wife and I went to the mountaintop and came back with a increased sense of purpose and spiritual strength like never before. An experience my wife and I shall seek to experience annually from this point on.
So while recently being cast in two television shows on the same say after all I've just shared with you, is truly exciting, it doesn't come anywhere near the joy I experienced at the retreat, when I felt God's hand touch me. And it is no coincidence that being cast in these shows happened in the timing that it did. God rewards obedience and many times FAVOR, as in this testimony, is as priceless as the financial blessing itself. In fact, every television show I've booked over the past seven years has immediately followed my being obedient with some assignment God has given me. Our purpose in Him is bigger than our jobs. It's about letting His light shine through us, no matter what our job is and spreading the Word through our actions as well as the spoken word.
T.D. Jakes once said in a sermon many years ago which I?ve never forgotten. God will show you visions of where He is taking you. He just won?t show you what you?re going to have to go through to get there. And that?s why we have to hold on to God?s promises especially in the midst of trouble.
PRAISE THE LORD!
Fitz@Faith, Hope & Help Ministries
God's Hidden Blessings in the "Storms" (a testimony)
In reading through the Old testament, it has always amazed me how many
times God's chosen people would grow doutful after seeing one incredible
miracle after another. You would think that the parting of the Red Sea
would be a miracle that would give you enough faith to last a life time.
Even in today's day and age, if we look close enough, he is working
miracles every single day, i.e., everyday miracles such as waking us up
every morning, a parking space waiting for us as we rush to an
appointment, unexpected encounters with just the right person after a
series of detours and delays throughout the day, being delayed at work
only to find out that delay saved your life. These, in my book, are as big
a miracle as those in the old testament but are many times taken for
granted as we get caught up in the hustle and bustle of everyday life.
Today's testimony is about how we discovered "God's hidden blessings in
the weather.
Several years ago, we lived in a two-bedroom apartment that was badly in
need of some roof repairs. Every time a major rain storm came along, it
was time to get out our trusty bucket to deal with an annoying leak.
Over a period of six months, each time it rained this leak slowly began to
grow in size until one bucket grew to eight buckets lined up all the way
across our living room.
Each time we complained to the manager at the time, he would say, "What
can I say, the owner uses his friends to make the repairs not the best
company."
Well that wasn't exactly the report we wanted to hear, paying
$750/month,.looking at an eight foot leaking crack in our living room
every time it rained. By the sixth month of this madness, at one end of
the crack, a huge water stain had appeared about three feet in diameter.
This indicated that water was collecting at that spot and the ceiling
was getting more and more saturated.
We continued our complaints to management because it was obvious, in this
case, that the squeaky wheel was going to be the one that gets the
grease.
Finally, after enough complaints, a different company came out to take a
look. When they came into our living room, they were amazed at the damage
the water had done to the ceiling. Then they just barely touched the
saturated spot with a broom handle and an entire section (3 sq.ft),
crumbled to the floor, exposing the asbestos insulation.
"That's not good!" replied the repairman.
"No kidding!" I replied, almost letting something else slip out.
So up they went like the other repairmen did so many times before. But we
had to wait for another storm before we could know for sure that it was
fixed.
About four days later here came the storm and back came the leak stronger
than ever. This time my wife and I decided that with the exposed asbestos
and Niagra Falls in our living room, we were not going to pay the rent
until this was fixed, especially with the exposed asbestos. Up the
repairmen went again.
Now during this time, a paycheck that was to pay my rent this
particular month was running late. Unfortunately, one of the downsides of
being an actor means you sometimes have to deal with employers who take
their time paying you. Chasing down this particular employer became a
nightmare in itself as we continued to deal with the leak.
Storm #2 came, and still the persistent leak was strong as ever. Up they
went again. This time they discovered that even though the roof had been
topped almost 6 times by now, the water was seeping through the side of
the elevated part of the roof and then ran down to our apartment.
"Now you can pay us the rent you owe", said the landlord.
"Not so fast!" How do we know this fixed it? We won't know that it is
fixed until the next storm so they can finally close this exposed
insulation."
Now I had really thrown down the gauntlet so to speak, telling this man
that we would pay him as soon as we had proof the roof was fixed. At the
same time, of course, I was still chasing down my employer to get my
check.
The owner was not going to be in such an understanding mood about my
check after the demands I made about "fix our roof and then you'll get
your check."
Another major storm was predicted about a week away and the landlord
reluctantly agreed to wait until that storm passed before pressuring us
again.
As the good Lord had it, the third and worst storm came and passed. This
time, praise God, not a drop leaked from any part of the ceiling. Also,
on the day that the third storm came, so did my paycheck, praise God,
which allowed us to pay the manager the rent as soon as we were able to
tell him that the last repair worked like a charm.
Man, did this whole experience give us a new point of view as to the
role a "storm" plays in your life. So many times, the word storm
indicates a totally negative experience or time of testing. But for us,
in this situation, God's hidden blessings were truly in these three
storms. For if they had not happened, spaced a week apart like they were,
the impatient landlord would not have tolerated my late check situation.
Think about the storms you've gone through or are going through in your
life. I bet if you look hard enough, you'll find that God has hidden
blessings in your storm as well.
May the Lord's peace reign over all the storms you encounter in your
lifetime.
Fitz @ Faith, Hope & Help Ministries
God's Healing Power "At Work" (a testimony)
Text: (Matthew 5:16) "In the same way, let your light shine before
others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your
Father in heaven."
It has always amazed me how God will many times set up your testimony
such that when you describe what happened in a particular situation, your
only answer is your testimony giving Him all the glory.
This time my testimony deals with the area of divine healing. We have all
probably witnessed healing services across the country, live or on
television, but when you personally experience divine healing, it takes
that experience to another level.
My introduction to this testimony is kind of embarrassing and that
embarrassment almost prevented me from sharing this testimony with you.
Then who knows how many people would not have been blessed.
In one of my other testimonies, GOD WILL GET YOUR ATTENTION, I described
a period of time in my life where my "Jonah experience" was a graveyard
shift security job at an inactive guard house where the only activity
was God's revelation to me as to why I was there; to get my priorities
straight.
One night, while reading THE ELIJAH TASK and the chapter on spiritual
warfare, seemingly out of nowhere the biggest bug I have ever seen in my
life dropped on the pages I was reading. This huge moth/butterfly/
catapillar was the size of the palm of my hand (about 3 inches long with
a closed wing span of about 4 inches).
Needless to say, when you're half sleep and trying your best to stay
focused reading something at four in the morning, when a bug that size
pops up in front of you, you experience quite an adrenaline rush, as I
did that night.
I stood up and backed away quickly, pushing the roll-away chair out of
my way, all in one move, while keeping my eyes on this monstrosity the
entire time. As I stepped off the small rug that was under my chair onto
the concrete tile, both feet left the ground. I was totally helpless as
all 270 pounds landed squarely on my tail bone.
I felt my entire skeletal structure rattle and was almsot certain that
something must be broken. I laid there for who knows how long trying to
analyze how bad was I hurt. Finally, more angry than hurt, I pulled
myself to my feet and noticed that the prehistoric bug had elevated to
about 20 feet in the 25 foot picture window.
"Oh no, you're not getting away with this one.!" I mumbled partly to myself and the bug as well.
I quickly went into a small closet and a few seconds later, came out with everything I could carry that would make a great projectile. However, the bug was nowhere to be found. There was no way a bug that size could descend in a matter seconds and fly out the cracked front door without me seeing it.
I told my relief about the bug at the end of my shift but it was never seen again. Now, of course, I've been asking myself ever since, was all of that with the bug a dream, a hallucination or a visitation in the spirit. I definitely don't think it was a coincidence that it landed while I was reading about spiritual warfare.
Anyway, about four months later, I began to feel a dull ache in my lower back. I didn't think much of it at first until the pain began to increase steadily over the next month and a half. Soon the pain reached a point to where it felt like I was walking around with a steak knife stuck in my back with numbness going down my left leg.
My Motrin dosages which began at 200 mg per dose had increased to 800 mg per dose with very little relief. I finally went to the doctor and found that it was a sciatic nerve problem.
You may ask why it took so long to get to the doctor. A problem many of us fitness fanatics have is that we hate to admit that, with all of our fitness prowess, there still comes a time when we need to see a doctor. Well, I was definitely humbled that day. My doctor scheduled me to see a specialist over the next six weeks or so.
Two weeks away, however, was our church picnic where I was to minister in music with my flugle horn. Even that thought was painful because when you play a brass instrument, you are blowing againsts resistance in the horn which also puts pressure against the lower back. Plus, I would be standing on my feet for at least 20 minutes or more. Still, I was determined that nothing was going to keep me from my picnic performance.
At this time, the only standing I was doing was getting up to walk to the next place where I was going to sit or lie down.
The two weeks passed quickly and soon came the day of the picnic and my time to go onstage. I had taken my recent dosage of Motrin. Then my wife and I prayed and she laid hands on me and up I went to perform.
The 20 minutes went by quickly and pain-free, praise God. I was really grateful that I made it through it all.
The next morning I awoke, prepared to take that long walk into the kitchen to take my next dose of Motrin. However, on the way to the kitchen I didn't feel any of the throbbing pain and numbness in the leg. Feeling it was only because the last dose had not yet worn off, I took one tablet just to be sure.
Six hours later, I realized that the pain actually be completely gone. My belief was validated when I skipped a dose and found that the pain and discomfort was indeed a thing of the past, praise God, and has never returned.
Since the time, several years ago, I have come across several people with sciatic nerve pains who asked me what did I do to finally free myself of the constant irritating pain. And look at God, my only answer could be, "Well, I had a divine healing. I performed at my church picnic and the pain was gone the next day."
The response I get to my healing testimony varies according to each person. Some feel they should look into their relationship with God while others walk away wishing I would have said I had had back surgery or something.
I look at my determination to perform in the church picnic that year to be my version of "if I could just touch the hem of His garment, I know I'll be healed." Even though I wasn't expecting a divine healing, I knew that God had given me an assignment that I was to minister in music at the picnic that day. I was determined to carry out that assignment.
My lesson here was "there is healing power through your act of obedience". Though the are many causes for various physical ailments, how much of our diseases or dis-ease is manifested from our disobedience with God? Only you know the answer to that question but it is something worth looking into.
In looking back at my encounter with the prehistoric bug, that bug represented all of the distractions we have in life that pull our focus from the Lord. When that happens, we fall. But if we get back up and refocus on the Lord, we find Him there waiting for us with open arms ready to soothe and heal our wounds.
As the songs says, "We fall down but we get up. For a saint is just a sinner who fell down and got up."
May the Lords healing power and blessing be upon you this day.
Fitz @ Faith, Hope & Help Ministries
God's Favor at the Car Dealership
Many years ago, while writing one of my mini books entitled "Your Life, Your Testimony", I remember thinking I don't know what to write in this book.
Suddenly, the Lord gave me the realization that one of the main reasons He delivers us from one situation to another is so that we can share our testimony with others who may be encouraged by how the Lord's blessings are apparent everywhere we go.
As many of you may or may not know, both of our cars broke down with major repairs needed to the point where we just decided to give one of the cars to charity and pray for funds to give the other car the new engine it needed.
A new engine, in this particular car, has been estimated no less than $1300. Until then, my wife and I were forced to either rent cars for our work assignments or catch the bus, which is enough to test anyone's religion.
A frustrating cycle began. I would get a job assignment, rent a car to get there, get paid for the job and then watch much of the earned money dissappear in the cost of the rental car. How was I going to save $1,300 for a new engine or save $1,000 down payment for a new car if all the money available to be saved, was constantly being eaten up by the cost of renting cars.
I applied for a car loan online just to see what I could qualify for. My credit rating isn't the best so the results came back with a qualification that had a whopping 23% interest rate attached. Ouch! So I just sighed a filed the information away.
Finally, after a few more weeks one weekend, I told my wife, "That's it! We're getting out of this rental car." I saw several job assignments ahead but I also saw how much of my money was going to be spent on car rental.
So I went first a used car lot where I had seen several very nice looking used cars and, in the past, had encountered a very friendly salesman who garanteed me that he could work with me on any kind of credit.
The problem I was facing on this venture was that I had no money to put down on anything that day because of the upcoming rental car bill, but I could get the down payment paid throughout the month.
So on this day, a different and less cordial saleman ran my credit check and came back laughing. "Ah, have you looked at your credit lately?" he smirked.
"No, but I'm sure you're about to tell me." I replied.
"There is NO WAY we can put you in a car on this lot for less than $2,000 down today. You're too much of a risk."
"Well thanks anyway!" I told him, and he walked away.
I knew my credit wasn't the best in the world but the way he laughed at my rating really rubbed me the wrong way. So, a little frustrated, I headed back to my car.
As I was about to get in the "rental car", the Lord told me to turn around, go back and write down all the cars I like on this lot. Learning many years ago what happens when you are not obedient to the Lord's voice, I pulled out a piece of paper and a pen, went back onto the lot and ended up with a nice list of 14 cars that I liked on this lot.
The salesman was looking at me, the whole time, like I was crazy, thinking, "Why is this man writing down what he likes if he can't afford to get any car on this lot?"
Now from this point on, everything else about that day seemed surreal to me. It was almost like I just came along for the ride.
I went home and told my wife to " get dressed, we're getting a car today." She, of course looked at me like, "do you know something I don't know" , when in actuality, I was acting with a frightening confidence which even I didn't understand at the time.
I went into my file cabinet, pulled out the online car loan approval, jumped in the rental car and off we went on our way to driving down a part of Van Nuys Blvd that we call car dealership row.
As we approached, looking only for a cheap new car or medium priced used car, we saw a cute car marked $7999 and stopped as if that was the car to get. I got out the car to examine it more closely. All the white collar salesman gave me this judgemental once-over, obviously concluding that this man is probably going to waste my time. So as a results, they sent a young black rookie salesman to come help me.
"Yes!" I replied, "I need a car today."
The young rookie salesman was obviously shaken that he didn't need to use his sales pitch opening. He showed me a 2003 version of the car that made us stop in the first place, and after a short test drive, I said, "We'll take it."
Now the fun begins. I was immediately passed to a more experienced salesman whose main job was obviously to close the deal. For the next two hours he kept coming up with all kinds of down payment combinations. But he wasn't hearing my repeated statement that "I DON'T HAVE ANYTHING TO GIVE YOU TODAY!"
Finally, with the threat that we were about to leave and come back another time, the saleman left and came back and said, "I've figured out how to put you in a car today. Give me two checks to put on hold until you tell us to deposit each one and you got a car."
"No problemo!" I said. "Now that's what I'm talking about! PRAISE THE LORD!"
Over the next hour, all the paperwork was processed and completed and we drove off the lot with a nice 2000 Dodge Neon which was $2000 dollars higher than our original choice. However, the dealership knocked $700 off the price of this car so that it would fit into my loan application requirements. PRAISE THE LORD!
God truly showed up in the dealership that day because, coming into the dealership, the only thing I knew for sure that day was the fact that I had no money to put down that day and that somebody was going to sell us a car, at some dealership that day. The salesman's attitude originally was telling me there was NO WAY I could drive off with a car with no down payment that day. I guess he thought I was joking when I said "I HAVE NO MONEY TO GIVE YOU TODAY." But when I said, "Then we'll just have to come back at another time", all of a suddenly the salesman made everything work.
Now in reality, you and I know that it was the Lord making everything work. PRAISE GOD!
In reflecting on the blessings of that day, I realized that from the time the Lord told me to write down a list of cars I liked on the other car lot, to when we drove off the lot with a really cute car that we really liked, He was in total control. Never once did I listen to man tell me what I couldn't do. Never once did I doubt and ask the Lord what He was doing. I felt an incredible peace the entrie time. I just confessed my desire, believed I'd have a car by the end of the day and watched the Lord do His thing, "making the impossible a possibility."
Then I thought, why can't we apply this to everything in life, put it all in God's hands. So many times, I've confessed something and then doubted I could really get it. Once you doubt, you've recalled your request to God because your doubt is really doubting God can bring it to pass.
I share all my testimonies with you in the hopes that they can inspire you with the comfort of knowing God is with us everywhere we go and ready to help us at anytime. However, if we don't ask Him for help or don't put it all in His hands, then we are standing in our own way and blocking the very blessings God is trying to get to us.
May we all strive forever be obedient to God's voice.
Fitz@Faith, Hope & Help Ministries
OBEDIENCE IS THE KEY
After several weeks of what seemed like spinning my wheels, I
remembered from my prayer journals that whenever blessings
seem to stop flowing in my life, that is God's way of letting me
know He needs to talk to me.
So I finally got to the point where I said, "Okay, God! What is it
that I am not doing?" or "What am I doing that is not in your will?"
Immediately, God showed me in the spirit how I had gotten complacent
about working on getting my 2 Christian mini-books and 2 Christian CD
projects to the next level of exposure.
I immediately began to pray for guidance as to where to start in this
area because now we're talking about a lot of money. During my prayer,
a Christian book publisher called, whom I had tried to reach weeks
before. After telling him about my projects, we came to the agreement
that he take my projects on and be my publisher. In addition, I had
levels of expertise in praise & worship and music that would benefit
his ministry. And as a results, by bartering, the cost of publishing
my projects would be more manageable.
Right after the conversation with the publsher and happy to be back on
track with God's assignment, I received two phone calls from my agent
with two auditions for the television shows, WATCHING ELLIE and STATE
OF GRACE, and was cast in both shows the following day, praise God!
"Seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these
THINGS will be added to you", immediately came to mind to remind me that
as long as we are OBEDIENT and living our lives, seeking to keep God's
will and purpose for our lives in mind, then the blessings that follow
are God's way of saying, "Well done my good and faithful servant."
May we all seek to stay tuned in to God's guidance that we may be used
mightily in His work in helping spread the gospel throughout the
world.
Fitz @ Faith, Hope & Help Ministries ---
God Will Get Your Attention - (a testimony of obedience)
UNDER CONSTRUCTION
God's Favor in the Court System (a testimony)
(LESSON) - A SPIRITUAL JOURNAL IS TRULY VALUABLE IF YOU REALLY WANT TO INCREASE YOUR FAITH BY KEEPING A LOG OF ALL THE TIMES THE LORD HAS BLESSED YOU.
Recently, I was served the infamous jury duty notice, as we all get from
time to time. However, this time around, I misplaced the notice until
after its deadline and was therefore called in for mandatory service.
Upset at my carelessness, I was particularly disturbed at this mandatory
service because of a recent law passed which no longer respected
"financial hardship" as a reason to get out of duty for any trials
expected to go one week or less.
For me, that could still be devastating as all my jobs are either "on
call" or paid by the day. So, as I thought about it, a short week, as
they put it, could still put me out of anywhere from $750 - 1500 for
that week.
I still had to go through the selection process by the lawyers. How
long would that take? As I sat in the court room awaiting the
dreaded selection process to begin, the Judge asked if there were any hardships
other than financial, he would hear them at that time. Then the Lord
guided me to stand up and request a specific week, a few weeks later,
one that I personally projected that financially I could possibly afford
to take off.
"I don't know" replied the Judge. "I've never had that request before.
Let me check."
Quickly the clerk called the Jury room and came back moments later with
the approval for me to be released that day, with the court order to
return in 2 weeks.
The two weeks went by quickly and that day was upon me again. As I
headed toward the courthouse, I remember saying a short prayer, "Lord, I
know that you cancel debts, but I ask you now, if it be Your will,
please cancel this jury duty."
As I entered the jury room, there were only eight other people in the
room unlike the 100+ in the room two weeks earlier. The clerk came out
to give instructions to us, like before, but told me just to sit tight
because my situation was different.
"Oh, no, they've got me now for sure." I thought.
Following her instructions, she told all of us to wait, as she had to
check with all the court rooms and their need for jurors. About five
minutes later, the clerk returned and said that all needs for jurors had
been full-filled and that we would not be needed this time around. Our
time was served. We were then released!
Trying to withhold the fact that I was doing a praise dance inside, I
gave a very controlled smile and quietly left the building.
Outside, I must have said "Thank you, Jesus" or "Praise the Lord" about
a hundred times for the Lord showed favor towards me in preserving that
week of work I thought I was going to lose. Only the Lord knew that the
week I was requesting was going to be a slow trial week or one where no
new trials were beginning. God is so good!
Then I thought about how we sometimes limit all the places where we think
God's blessings can show up. Why not in the court house too? I have been
consistently trying to be obedient and apply His word to my life in every
way.
That day only continued to strengthen my faith in God's blessings. For
deep in my spirit, I knew that even if I did have jury duty, God would
have provided some other way for my finances beyond my imagination, IF I
did not doubt..."for He is able to do exceedingly and abundantly above
all can ask or think according to the power that works in me." (Eph.3:20)
No matter what your situation just remember that "God did not create a
spirit of fear, but of love, and of power and of a sound mind."
(2 Tim.1:7). It is when we keep fear out and put our trust in God that
blessings are released into our life.
May the Lord bless you and keep you.
Fitz @ Faith, Hope & Help Ministries
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Sunday, August 12, 2007
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