"For I know the plans I have for you", declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11 NIV

Monday, February 7, 2011

In HIS Time

I am glad you stopped by.  Let me tell you a little bit about myself and why I am beginning to blog.  In the summer of 1969, God definitely called me into the mission field.  I had given my heart to Jesus Christ two years before and I knew that God was calling me to spread His Word as He commanded. 

And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.  Matthew 16:15 KVJ

Before I was saved, I had not lived according to His Word and I had made poor life choices.  Wrong crowd.  Bad influences and poor decisions on my part. However; God used those poor decisions to give me the best blessing of my entire life.  My darling daughter.

I am so glad that the Holy Spirit did not give up on me, but He kept calling me to accept Jesus Christ as my Saviour and Lord of my life.  Now I had a precious child--a true gift from my heavenly Father--and a journey in front of me to walk.

The Sunday night at church as I listened to a missionary give her testimony, I knew that God was telling me to go forth into my home town, and into all the world as He directs.  I wrote to two Missions organizations and told them of my call from God.  I also was forthcoming with the fact that I was an  unwed mother. 

In 1969 even the Christian community was not forgiving of mistakes, and they  told me that they were  glad that Jesus had saved me, but as for my being a missionary with their organization, thank you, but no thanks. 

I even took a trip with my pastor and his wife to a missions conference in Tennessee, to speak with the president of the missions group there.  He listened to my story and was sympathetic for me, but he also explained that their group could not have a missionary who was an unwed parent.  He saw my tears and heard my plea that "if God can forgive me and make me a new person, and could cover my sins with His Blood, then why could not the missions board do the same."   He finally said to me, "If you will never tell of what you have done and never tell anyone of  your life before becoming a Christian, then we might consider you." 

Oh my goodness!  Did I just hear right?  Did he just tell me to renounce my own daughter?  Did he just suggest I LIE??

My reply was that "I would be basing my whole ministry on a lie".  

Needless to say, I came home questioning God, "Why did you call me and I know that you did, and then not make a way for that calling?"  After much prayer, the Holy Spirit gave me peace that I had done all that I could and that I could work in my home church and be a blessing for Jesus.

In December of 1969 God sent Shug into my life, and his proposal to me (after 16 days of courtship), was "Will you marry me and let me adopt your child to be my child?" 

On January 11, 1970, Shug and I were married.  God blessed us with two precious sons (my life would have been so incomplete without my them) to make our family complete.

For at least the past year and especially for the past six months the Holy Spirit has been speaking to me about starting a blog.  I did not think I had anything to say, but night after night I would wake up with scripture after scripture going through my mind.  I would even get up and write them down and research them out.  I still felt such a strong need to do a blog.  I said, "God how can I do a blog, I don't know what to say." God answered, "You do not say anything on your own, you say what I give you to say and I promise you that someone will need to read it."

My precious daughter of my heart is a blogging wizard and she set up this blog for me and while we were formatting it, she was telling me of some things in her life that God is doing and believe me they are miracles.  All of a sudden  it dropped in my heart, WITH THIS BLOG I AM GOING TO BE A MISSIONARY!!! 

Over the last 41 years from time to time I would ponder  "God why did you call me to be a missionary and then close all the doors."  But today, after over 41 years through the magic of cyberspace I am beginning my missionary journey!

GOD IS SOOOOO GOOD.  If you are reading this and you feel that  God has promised you something, no matter how long ago that promise was made to you by God, never, never, never give up on that promise because I am living proof ~ "What He has promised, that will He bring to pass."

I hope that this first blog has touched you and I welcome your comments.



In Christ's Love, Gloria



Copyright 2011 Gloria B. Powell. All rights reserved.
He did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God, and being fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform. Romans 4:20-21 NKJV

2 comments:

Aunt Angie said...

I am so thankful to be your special "blog wizard"...even though I'm NOT a wizard at all! I just love you so much and would do anything I could to HELP you on your missionary journey! Who would have thunk it!?

What a blessing you are! :)

Denise said...

I love your heart for God, bless you.