Life is about seasons. My daughters and I have entered a season of going to the little Vineyard Church in our area, for some community worship.
I have also merged our Worship evening with the church, so that those people who are seeking something more can join us once a month for an time of ‘Deeper’ worship and prayer.
It was through this ministry, that the church asked to interview me for their monthly newsletter.
As I was sharing my story, I was reminded of Gods absolute kindness and grace.
We may not experience it every day – but we KNOW IT! And sometimes we have profound Landmark Moments that completely change our lives and set us on a different path – a God path.
Here is my most life altering moment:
Many year ago, during the time of the Toronto Blessing, I visited the Claremont Vineyard Church. I had been invited by my best friend, who I had known from the age of 4, and it was their family friend, Alexander Venter, who would be giving the message. I was a little skeptical about this movement of the spirit as I had been brought up in the Baptist Church which was very conservative.
But when they called the people forward at the end of the message I went up saying to the Lord ‘If this is of you, then you touch me. You show me your power.’
At this point in my life, I had a very broken relationship with my father. I was quite terrified of him. I saw him as Hitler in my life. I had been disowned by him when I was four years old and although I still lived in the family and he was still ‘my dad’, he had no time for me and it was something I sensed every day. So throughout my childhood, I traveled this road of relentless rejection.
When Alexander Venter rested his hand on my head, I fell flat on the floor and I was literally stuck to the floor for four hours.
Even after everyone had gone home and all the chairs had been packed away, I was still stuck on the floor radiating the heat of the Holy Spirit.
Throughout that time, I experienced a miracle which was way beyond the physical bounds of this world.
The Lord led me through a series of my childhood memories, almost as if they were videos flashing before my face, and as each memory entered my head, I would cry about it. But the very next moment, a wave from the Holy Spirit would wash over me and I would start laughing and I would be released of the memory and the pain from that moment. This process went on for the full four hours that I was lying on the floor and when I finally stood up to go home, I had absolutely no bitterness and hatred towards my dad. In fact, I could actually say ‘I love my dad.’