FAM Fellowship members stand in total awe and amazement as we continue to see the Lord pour out His love and power in our midst in ways far beyond our comprehension and understanding, and in ways far exceeding anything we could ask or imagine! So today I just want to give the Lord glory and praise for some of the things happening in our midst, and that’s IN JUST THIS WEEK…SO FAR!

On Monday, one of our members who received divorce papers just last month, was very surprised to get a call from her husband on the way home from work, asking “What’s for dinner!” Not only did he come to dinner, but he stayed for four hours, which is something he hasn’t done in a very long time! And even though he had said that he really wanted some home cooked food, he came knowing that she was just going to pick something up on the way home from work, because she had some errands to run and wouldn’t have time to cook! But that just means she now has a good reason to invite him back for dinner another time! She also shared that she had just started tithing again, which she hadn’t been doing, because she moved recently and hadn’t established a church home yet. And even though she didn’t see how it was possible to manage, she did that in obedience and then trusted the Lord. And now, in addition to this awesome praise report, she also shared how many ways the Lord has since blessed her with totally unexpected income! God’s Word NEVER fails and He NEVER lets us down!

Also on Monday, another member’s husband came to see her twice, spending a total of five hours with her. He was back again for three hours yesterday and plans to take the kids on an outing on his own today, which is something he hasn’t done since leaving. And for the first time, he acknowledged that he could see the pain of what has happened in their eyes and hear it in their voices, and he said that, starting today, he’s going to DO something about that! And it looks like he means that, because it’s probably not insignificant that he has started leaving his tools there, along with dropping off some other material for his business, which he could certainly leave at the NCP’s house! AND then yesterday, when he was creating a resume for a job he really wants, he didn’t use the NCP’s home address; instead he asked to use his wife’s address! Yes, Lord, that’s definitely another husband on the way home!!!

Then yesterday, one of our members whose husband had recently asked her to buy a house and move out (something she certainly didn’t want to do, but had agreed to do in submission to him, while trusting the Lord to stop it if not HIS will), saw a lot of totally unexpected and unpredictable things come up to delay the closing! First, her husband had originally said he wanted a divorce, and has since said they’d just separate and start dating again, and see where that goes. Well, in order to qualify for a mortgage, they had to have some kind of legal settlement agreement in place, which they were supposed to sign last night. But that didn’t happen, because her husband got stuck working late! Also, they found out yesterday that her husband has to pay off the lease on the car he drives (it’s in her name), in order for her to qualify for the loan on her new house, even though they had originally been told that an affidavit stating that he makes the payments would suffice! And as part of the settlement, her husband is taking out a loan on their current home and giving her half of the equity, which is what she’s using to buy her new house. But the closing on his new loan was put off to the end of the week, which means her closing will have to be postponed for the second time, and that is not going to make the seller very happy! And as if all that weren’t enough, on top of everything else, she found out yesterday that as the result of abnormal mammogram results, she now has to have a biopsy! Needless to say, that really throws a monkey wrench into the situation, and while there’s no telling what God is up to, we know it’s got to be something GOOD!

Then another member’s husband was coming to dinner at home last night for the first time since he left, but she’s in another time zone, so I haven’t heard how that went yet. I fully expect it to be another praise report though, because he only just started coming around again about two weeks ago, and engages in “normal” conversation with her now for the first time in ages too! Also, while she was out of town the weekend before last, he came home and did some yard work, which he used to love doing and hadn’t taken an interest in doing since leaving! And he was the one to ask if they could get together this week “to discuss property and expense issues…”, but this was the first time he ever accepted an invitation to eat there! This is so exciting, because this is how restoration often begins! Now that the Lord has re-established contact with her husband, he WILL see the changes the Lord has made in her and be totally captivated by his new wife!
Update: I’ve had a chance to talk to this member and as I expected, she does have a great praise report! When they talked about it two weeks ago, her husband was set on selling the house and dividing up an account they had set aside for home repairs. But last night he actually asked her what she’d prefer to do and she told him that after taking some time away to visit her family and having more time to think about it, she’d rather stay in the house. To her surprise, he told her that he thought that was the “right” decision, AND he said they’d go ahead and start using some of the money in the account to make some house repairs! Now that’s quite a turn around in two weeks, and ONLY GOD COULD DO THAT!

Then another member was blessed by her husband’s presence with the family on Mother’s Day, when he cooked a wonderful dinner for them and they enjoyed a very special day together. And he even opened his arms to her for a hug before he left! But the BIG news is that he’s considering going away with her Friday for the weekend – just the two of them. He had originally said he would go, because he thought the kids were going, but when he found out they weren’t, he changed his mind. Then he offered to buy her a ticket so she could fly instead of taking the train, which she declined, because she
thought she’d enjoy the train. But he called her back Monday night and said he’s changed his mind again, and he thinks he will go! So we’re all praying that nothing causes him to change his mind again and that this will be a wonderful time of reconnecting and restoration for them! He’s been gone for several years, and this is a HUGE change in his attitude…but then his wife has changed a lot too! And this member also shared with me yesterday that she had just made a renewed commitment to tithing as well, and now money was coming in from all sorts of unexpected places…not to mention this wonderful praise report! Our God is so faithful and awesome! He just wants us to trust and obey!

Then this Saturday, one of our members will be having lunch with his wife for the first time in well over a year! After a year of little contact, other than necessary communication concerning bills and the kids, out of the blue, his wife just started sending “chatty’ email messages a couple of weeks ago, and they started communicating on a much more regular and personal basis; and all of this, as the time for the final dissolution of their marriage rapidly approaches! Based on one of her messages indicating that she might be reconsidering her decision to get a divorce, he asked her to spend some time with him so she could get to know the new man he has become before going through with the divorce…and asked her to go to lunch with him while she’s in town this weekend, and even said she could stay at his apartment if she needs a place to stay. She arrives tomorrow, but has not said anything about where she will be staying, but she did suggest that they go to their favorite place for lunch! She has acknowledged several times that she sees the changes God has made in him, so we’re praying that she too will fall in love with the new and improved husband the Lord has blessed her with!

Then another one of our members, whose husband just agreed to drop the divorce a few weeks ago, but who said he’s not quite ready to move home yet, because he’s scared (probably that the changes he sees in her won’t last), spent Mother’s Day with his family and actually apologized to his wife for being afraid to come home just yet. But she took that opportunity to reassure him that it was okay, and that he was worth the wait! What a blessing it has been for all of us to see how the Lord has worked in the restoration of their love, marriage and family! And we all know and are seeing proof that what he has done for one, He WILL do for all!

And finally, one of our members whose husband remarried last year, has experienced a significant change in their relationship too. They usually only communicate about their small child, but he’s started calling a lot more often and just to talk; often reminiscing about good times from their past. They met briefly over the weekend at a midway point when he returned their son, and he called less than an hour later (they had stopped at a restaurant and the NCP was obviously not at the table) to tell her that she really looked good! Then he called her again the next day to wish her a happy Mother’s Day and again told her several times how good she looked! And he wanted to know if she had noticed that he had lost quite a bit of weight as well, which she acknowledged and said he looked good too! Despite everything we don’t know, it’s obvious that she is on his mind a LOT! So it will be very interesting to see what God will do in their situation!

There’s no doubt that the recent and continuous restoration miracles experienced in the lives of FAM Fellowship members bear witness to the powerful truth of God’s Word, especially Revelation 12:10-11, which says Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say: “Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Christ. For the accuser of our brothers, who accuses them before our God day and night, has been hurled down. They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death. And not one of us could possibly doubt the awesome power of praise, because we’ve seen such amazing proof of it in our midst and we KNOW that God truly inhabits the praises of His people, or as Psalm 22:3 puts it: But You are holy, Enthroned in the praises of Israel. And even as we give God the glory for the great things He HAS already done and continues to do, we only just begin to understand the awesome promise found in Ephesians 3:19-20, which says Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. And the more we come to understand and recognize the awesome power of God that is at work within us, the more blessed and encouraged we’ll be!

Posted Wednesday, May 16th, 2007 at 6:08 pm in Seeds Of Faith.