It was no accident!

I remember thinking that I must live in the quietest and loneliest towns in my area.  I had been living in our home for four years before meeting two of my neighbors.  I thought to myself well this must be what it’s like to live in the country, people like to keep to themselves and homes are usually further apart from each other which cut any normal attempt of communication. 

After living in my home for over seven years I got the most amazing surprise.  I heard my door bell ring this week and when I went to the door I had a friendly lady at the door with a magazine.  I thought to myself she must have the wrong house because I didn’t know her.  However she proceeded to ask me if the magazine that she was holding belonged to me and it was mistakenly placed in her mail box a few houses down my street.  At first I thought this is really nice that she went out of her way to bring me this magazine.  As I thought this she began to explain to me that she receives the same magazine at home and how this magazine has changed her life.  See, she wasn’t holding your everyday gossip or fashion magazine, she was holding a magazine that is published to bring hope to those who are facing some sort of suffering.   No wonder the magazine is named Every Day Life, because most people’s everyday life are surrounded by much suffering.  She was so excited to know someone on the same street that receives the one thing that changed her life forever.   She was so excited that I don’t think she even noticed my bleach stained clothing that I was using as I was doing my house cleaning.  She didn’t know who I was but it didn’t seem to matter to her, she was just happy to know that possibly someone close by could have had the same opportunity that she had to have a life changing experience with God.

After hearing a bit of her amazing life story I realized how God literally pursues us.  I was brought up to think that I had to earn the right to have God’s grace in my life but this way of thinking was so far from the truth.  God’s grace was always there and He was waiting for me to give Him the chance to come into my heart. 

“As a shepherd seeks out his flock on the day he is among his scattered sheep, so will I seek out My sheep and deliver them from all the places where they were scattered on a cloudy and dark day.” Ezequiel 34:12

I was truly blessed by this woman’s excitement and her kindness.  She was also an answered prayer without even knowing.  You see, a few months earlier someone that I care for very dearly approached me with a great concern about the teachings of the same author of this magazine( the magazine that was mistakenly dropped off in someone else’s mailbox) stating that this author is a false teacher leading many astray from the truth of God. 

I thought to myself, is she referring to the same Godly anointed woman that I have been blessed to listen to for many years?  Could she really be a false teacher just because of being a woman?

This Teacher of the Word, like she calls herself, has helped me see things about myself and to strive to be the best I can be for my family through listening to her teachings.  When my friend approached me about this a few months earlier I was troubled because so many religious leaders (obviously mostly male leaders) don’t believe that women should teach, especially teach man.  I know the apostle Paul spoke of this when he was addressing one of the churches but it was due to a lot of gossip and conflict in that church (let’s face it most gossip does come from women).  But to think that women can’t preach in times like these is absurd.  Should it really matter whether we are hearing a word of Hope and salvation from a man or a woman?  God clearly states in His word:
         “That I will pour out My Spirit on all mankind;
         And your sons and daughters will prophesy.” Joel 2:28

When my friend approached me I didn’t want to do a religious argument with her, mostly because I was very happy that she had a life changing experience with God and I knew that by questioning what she was stating might have confused her.  At times it is best to allow the Holy Spirit of God to show others things.  There is already too many church and religion politics at play in society and I believe that sometimes we need to allow God to work instead of trying to prove points with others. Also I knew she really was approaching me out of deep concern and love and not out to create strife.

But I have been praying about this for a few months because I wanted God to reassure me that I wasn’t committing a mistake by listening to a woman that preaches the Bible.  Amazingly God answered my concern thru this woman that showed up at my front door.  If God used a woman preacher (JOYCE MEYER) to bring such hope and deliverance to this woman that showed up at my house and her whole family than clearly this woman preacher is being used by God.  We might not agree on all things but it is important not to lose focus of what is truly important.  The important thing is to bring hope to those who are suffering and allow each one of us to give our individual account to God and not a man or woman. 

Thank you my blessed new found neighbor for bringing such excitement about God and also to be an answered prayer.