Make Heaven Crowded
One of the things that I have loved about the alabaster gatherings is the heart of it is to lay our lives down and just fall at the feet of our Lord Jesus Christ and surrender it all!!Picturing Mary washing our Lords head and feet with a beautiful jar of incredibly expensive perfume, but not only that she uncovered her hair and used it to wash Jesus’ feet and her tears flowed over his feet THIS is so moving and beautiful to me. She was a woman who had every reason to carry a heavy cloak of shame from her vividly colored past. Breaking the jar to release the perfume represents a sacrifice and a willingness to give generously of yourself, in my mind she bared it all unapologetically letting her hair down, a seemingly wasteful woman by pouring out perfume valued at a year’s wages. What a humbling beautiful picture.
Years ago, as I was pressing into the Lord asking Him what are you desiring specifically for me in this season. I heard Holy Spirit asking me to start to pray over the homes in the area I live in, while I walked in the early mornings. For salvation for each member of that home. I happen to live in a rural area and I usually walk pretty early, so I don't see too many people.
I wanted to be obedient so I started doing it right away, As I walked, I never saw anyone out, so I asked the Lord for opportunities to actually see my neighbors and connect with them. After a while a new couple moved in to my neighborhood and I prayed the Lord would give me an opportunity to get to know her and eventually share the good news of Jesus Christ with Her.
One morning as I was walking down the road, I was overjoyed because I saw her out smoking on her porch and I finally had a chance to introduce myself, her name was Angela, we talked for quite a while just getting to know each other. I invited her and her husband over for dinner, we had a wonderful time just getting to know them.
As time went on, I'd always stop to talk to Angela when she was out on the porch in the mornings. Angela had a huge heart and a great love for animals. She had 7 dogs, adorable goats and chickens that were incredible egg layers. I started buying her chicken eggs which gave me even more opportunities to be with her and just get to know her and love on her.
Our church had a woman's Christmas tea and I invited her and her mom. They came and really enjoyed it. But she said the church thing was not for her and she wasn’t interested in it.
So, I just kept our talk to her very loved animals. That spring I invited her to a ladies’ bible study I was leading but she said she was scared to go. Angela said she had lived a very rough life and felt-those women would judge her. I tried to share with her they would never judge her they would just love on her, but it’s an interesting thing with the Lord and Satan. Jesus calls us out by our name and satan calls us out by our shame. At that time satans voice was much louder.
A few months later I stopped to talk to Angela and she really relaxed and started to share a lot about her life the traumatic things that had happened to her which made her spiral into very poor life choices. and the deep shame she felt. I told her how much Jesus loved her and was pursuing her, but she just couldn't accept that the blood of Jesus could be enough to cover her shame and her choices she had made.
One of the things Angela struggled with was alcoholism. As time went on, she went through a few jobs because of it and tried many times to go through detox and be set free!! One of the times after she had finished a detox, she texted me and said I think I'm finally ready....
I can't tell you how excited I was to go to her house and lead her to the Lord, I just knew the angels in Heaven would be throwing a huge party for my new sister in the Lord!!! As I prepared, I prayed for Patti to get out of the way and to allow Holy Spirit to fill me and to minister and speak through me, I brought an extra bible I had and a book on deep healing from a bible study I had led. It was such a precious time as she repented of her sins and made Jesus Christ the Lord and Savior of her life. what a long-awaited day to finally celebrate her new freedom in Christ!!
Angela had the desire to confess all the things that laid so heavy on her heart , I'm not going to lie but it was a little rough hearing a lot of her life choices. but for Angela, she said each confession she proclaimed brought a lightness she had never experienced before All I could say is redeemed, redeemed Angela you are redeemed by the blood of the lamb.
Life doesn’t always come up as a beautiful bed of roses after we surrender our lives to the Lord. Life was defiantly not perfect for her after her conversion, she still was not totally free from her alcoholism. But I would just encourage her that the Lord Knows her heart please don't let Satan shame you into thinking you’re not a blood bought beautiful daughter of the king made in His image for a purpose so much greater than you can imagine.
A few days ago, Angela's husband texted me to tell me she had passed quickly and unexpectedly from acute pancreatitis. He was so shocked and overwhelmed to lose the love of His life. After consoling Him I reminded Him she is now present with the lord walking on streets of Gold!! Worshipping our great God for eternity. As I inquired about how we could help Him He said just prayer right now. I so believe He will be saved very soon.
I was shocked she was so young just 43 years old. I just sobbed thinking of her fight for freedom from the demons of addiction. Her poor body just couldn't take it anymore.
But..., I’m so incredibly grateful for the Holy Spirit calling me and convicting me to be obedient to the great commission. Angela is in Heaven dancing and worshipping our great God and Lord and Savior right at this moment. I'm sure she had other people plant precious seeds in her life but I had the precious pleasure of reaping in her life.
There is truly nothing more important in our walk with the Lord than obedience. the Lord wants our obedience even before oursacrifices. So, my encouragement to all you precious women who desire to break your alabaster jar and lay down your life for the Lord.
To be obedient to the last words Jesus commanded for us to do " The Great Commission " Matthew 28:18-20 "Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely, I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
when I get to heaven, I hope to hear well done my good and faithful servant. Then hopefully there will be people I will see who I've planted seeds in to and those I've helped watered and then those who I would have the pleasure of helping Holy Spirit in reaping them into the Kingdom.
I want to encourage you ladies; we are all in different seasons of life. Be it motherhood, single, divorced, widowed, empty nesters, grandparenting or even in a nursing home. It doesn't matter what season you're in, you'll always able to walk out the great commission, because there will be people you’ll see in one way or another. Just ask Jesus daily to help you walk in the steps he has ordered for us that day and quiet yourself so you can hear his quiet voice speaking to you, guiding you to be that vessel He can fill up with Holy Spirit and use you to pour out and into other people lives, helping to fulfill the great commission and make Heaven crowded!!
