Had a long talk with a dear old friend of mine last night, Thad. I love that guy one of my best friends. I worked with Thad for a year but then there was some crap that happened that was quite unfortunate but it drove a bit of distance between us. But we got past that…life is too short to harbor any ill will. God really used Thad in my life. It’s a pretty cool story. It was August 2007, God spoke to me, and said, You have one week to fast and pray, because the last week in August is going to be difficult (this is part of the early warning system). So I did just that. The last week was tough. I had my kids for the previous 6 weeks, and had to return them to their mother. Whenever that happens its like I get divorced all over again. Their mother was being difficult…so I thought that is what I was preparing for…but no. I went into work on a Monday…and I just knew I was going to lose my job. Yet it didn’t happen on Monday…I lost it on Tuesday. Yet…I was so prepared and so filled with peace, I knew that I was under God’s hand. How many people do you know can honestly say the day they got fired…was a great day? There was no severance package nothing. So on my way home, in a pouring rainstorm, I made two calls. The second one being to Thad. The first thing he said when he answered the phone (in his twangy Oklahoma accent) was “Brother, when you coming back to California.” 12 hours later, I had a job offer…for a month. I took it…and wound up working for Thad and LMA for a year. What a great year it was. It was God moving me out of Texas. Even though my kids were there, it was a toxic environment for me. Texas is where X moved to, to indulge in a lifestyle that ultimately and quickly led to the divorce. It was filled with negativity. I had to get out in order to heal. It was back in California about two weeks later…where I was feeling…that I was as healed as I was going to get from the divorce, and that my second life was beginning. It was a time of incredible peace and hope that I hadn’t experienced for nearly 20 years. God spoke again to me…”Now that you are the man that I always designed you to be, now you are going to change the world.” I thought he meant right away…so I was a little discouraged in the ensuing months…but he had to get me back to the Middle East to fulfill all the desires he had purposed in my heart.
The year working for Thad was fabulous. I was back home…and truly starting over. I lived with my parents for that year, and some people might make fun of that, but it was wonderful. I was able to connect with them, heal, and feel loved for the first time in a long long time. God was preparing my heart for something even bigger and I’m living that out at this moment. Thad and I laughed a lot together. Every morning he would saunter into my office and get the soap opera update. “What did she do now?” And there was usually something I would tell him. He would roll his eyes and get more upset than I. It was great having that type of emotional and spiritual support. I miss him.
I was speaking with Ms. Texas again and I asked her permission to share a bit of her story. I had a few people email me, to inquire what she had battled and overcame. It’s a pretty dramatic story, but she was an abused spouse and suffered some pretty horrific domestic violence, even to the point of having a loaded gun put to her head. I just can’t imagine the terror of that at all. I thought my situation was bad…but its nothing compared to what she went through. Now…her ministry is to help other battered spouses. The first step she said is to realize that abuse is occurring. The recognition is a very important step. Its also true that both men and women can be abused. Its not gender specific. Ms. Texas is writing a book and is going to have a ministry (even more than she does today) that is going to reach out to tens of thousands of women. She shared part of it with me and it’s going to be fantastic when she finishes and publishes it. It’s a problem in our society that is largely unrecognized. Its also a big problem here in the Middle East. In Conservative Muslim culture the wife is subservient to the husband. She covers herself in her abaya and veil, and walks behind the husband (usually) by 6- 8 feet behind. They are to cook, clean, not disagree with the husband, take care of the children and give the husband sex whenever and wherever he wants. I thought this would be a good opportunity to announce that Im converting to Islam…….. OK…that’s a joke…and it is a serious problem here. Its just interesting that is her passion and Its so prevalent here. But that is just another example of “What the enemy meant for Evil, God can turn for good.” So remember that whenever something unfair or incredibly difficult hits you. God maybe using you to walk through it in order to be a blessing to others in the future. Ms. Texas can talk to a battered woman, much more effectively that I could.
Very busy and good day at work. I was worried about our cash flow with the economy. We have a delightful new accountant. She’s Filipino as was a pastor in the Philippines. She mentioned early this morning that she was praying about the cash situation, and today we had about $15,000 in outstanding debts come in. I guess its good to have an accountant of faith. Oh by the way…with Beni, Reji, and myself and a few others I suspect…we are filling the office with Christians…for the Middle East…I think that is pretty spectacular and unheard of. God has a plan in all of this.
1 comment:
I think Filipino accountants are great. Just like those working at Embassy FS in Dubai.
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