"For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever.Amen" -Romans 11:36
That verse rang so clear in my head this past Saturday as I was in a car wreck. A group of us were on our way to a Christian Hip Hop Concert and I was in the car with four other ladies. There were 3 other vans full of children and adults from our neighborhood following us. One minute we are in the car jamming to some old MJ tunes the next thing I know the car starts to shake, the tire blows out, we crash and hit the cement median and the car begins to smoke.(FYI-I was not wearing a seat belt for some odd reason,I normally have it on) One my friends nose begins to bleed due to the impact of the air bag. We all walked out of the car with minor bruises nothing serious, PRAISE THE LORD! Emotionally, I believe it took a toll on us. I could not help but keep asking the LORD "WHY"? not why in a sense of "why me" but asking Him that in wanting to know what were HIS PLANS.The way everything happen was unreal.We were just in jammed bumper to bumper traffic and the LORD slows it down to were no other cars were around us to hit us as we spun around the interstate.
For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things.....
"Really Lord, what does this mean for me right now,how how was all of this for your GLORY and the good of us all here????"
I struggled throughout the night asking the LORD what He was doing. I wanted to see Him, I longed to see how HE works things out for the good of those whom He loves as well as for many of the non believers that were with us.
After the concert,( oh yea, we continued to attend the concert, we needed all the encouragement we could get,and the LORD used the men of Reach Records to do just that) we took the kids and adults out to eat. At the table one of the moms whom I have began to have a close relationship with begins to tell me what she thought of the concert. Kevin and I have been ministering to her and her children for quite some time now. She begins to explain to me how she told GOD that when the time came for her to be a christian she wanted to be FOREAL about it. She didn't want to have one leg on this side of the fence and one on the other. She wanted her kids to see how serious she was as well. She says, "man, Nicole, I am ready..hearing those guys speak tonight and just being around all of you, and just noticing my kids and how they are acting different from being around positive people, helps me to see that it can be done. I mean, being around you all has helped me in the way I talk and be a parent to my kids, I want to be different She continues to say,"I know its going to be hard and that's what I am so afraid of"
I begin to share with her the power of the LORD and His Holy Spirit that will come and give her the strength she needs to walk it out. I also remind her of the LORDS goodness in bringing us and the Kellys, the Browns as well as Keisha and Joshua to this neighborhood. One of the many reasons, I told her was so that she would have a community of other Christians who would walk along side her and encourage her along the way. She was grinning from ear to ear. We ended our conversation because others started to join us. Pray for me as I follow up with her this week.
I sat in amazement and thankfulness to the LORD at how he was answering my prayers.
"For from Him and through Him and to Him are all
things....."
The night comes to an end and as I am sitting in silence just thinking about all that has happen,as I look around at everyone I begin to ponder on how precious, and short life is. We never know what each moment holds. But the LORD does,he knew what would happen in the next moment as I sat there, He knew what HE wanted to do in the hearts of many through the car accident from earlier.
Another mom who attended the concert with us begins to ask me how I was holding up. I tell her I am ok, still a little shaken but I am ok. I begin so share with her the goodness of the LORD and just how things could have turned out differently, a lot of other people could have been hurt. But our GOD, He is a protector. Her exact words to me where "you know what Nicole, now I believe that, I believe that He is real and that is His powerful..I believe God wanted me to see you all in that accident..watching you all after it happen and seeing what I saw, shows me that there is a GOD out there."
We are not sure if she is a believer,but that night, the LORD did something in the hearts of both of these women. I shake as I type this because my mind cannot comprehend the ways of the LORD!! Who is LIKE HIM?! WHO IS THIS KING Of GLORY!?
That day, that accident was in the hands of a Sovereign LORD! Of course I believed that, I know that, but to hear it, to see it all unfold just does something to your faith! I could not believe the LORD used us like that. Something so difficult and painful for some the LORD used it to reveal HIMSELF. PRAISE THE LORD FOR CHOOSING TO REVEAL HIMSELF TO US ALL!!
The LORD did not have to answer my prayers, But HE DID. Even if He didn't I would still say He is Good and His mercy endures forever!! How great is our GOD!
To Him be the GLORY forever Amen.