-The Light of
Navigation Series-
GOD, THE THREE
WITNESSES and......
As a Christian,
by far the greatest challenge I faced when my son died was the
uncertainty of where he stood with God. I heard him ask Christ into
his heart and life as a child, but as a parent you wonder if it was a
child's simple imitation of the parent's convictions at the time, or
a true heart felt conversion. Did my son truly understand as a
child, what asking Jesus into one's life is really all about? My son
was in the throes of addiction at the age of 32. He seemed to live
life as he pleased, and as far as I knew, not really giving God a
second thought. I struggled deeply
for several months after his death hoping for some sort of closure on
this issue. For a time, questions pummeled my mind relentlessly.
Was my son ok? Was he with God? Was he safe? I longed to know he
was with God and not lost to me forever and that I would see him
again someday. True to His nature, God answered my heart's cry as
only He could.
One
of the biblical laws established by God in the old testament and
mentioned in the new, was the law regarding the two or three
witnesses. Two to three witnesses were required to confirm the truth
or facts of a given situation, an event, or to determine the
credibility of an accusation leveled against someone. “......On
the mouth of two to three witnesses a matter shall be confirmed.”
And again, “This is the third time I am coming to you. Every fact
(word) is to be confirmed by the testimony (mouth) of two or three
witnesses.” (Deut. 19:15, 2 Cor. 13:1) We see this in our culture
during court trials when witnesses are called forward to testify, or
to “bear witness” about an event or person's actions. As
Christians we know that this is one avenue that God will use to speak
to us when we need confirmation on an issue or an answer to an
important question we've asked of God. Two or three people, in
succession, unrelated to each other, will confirm or communicate
through what they speak, the same answer or direction God is giving.
I have asked God for these confirmations on life issues and decisions
many times over the years so I know I am hearing Him accurately. God
wove into the week of my son's passing the three witnesses for me.
As I stood in
the flower shop, shocked at being handed a bill at cost instead of
retail for my son's funeral flowers, I began to see that God had
arranged everything ahead of time. Every funeral arrangement being
made fell into place seamlessly as well as all financial needs being
met when I had none. I felt loved by God on a level I have never
known before, and sensed His deep love for my son as well. A child
like amazement was embracing me in every moment as God's love and
grace carried me daily. I called my Pastor in Florida to tell him
what God was doing. As I began to share with him what was happening
he said...” Marguerite, God is confirming that your son is with
Him.”
Pastor:
Witness #1
The following
day, the woman who had volunteered to sing for my son's funeral
handed me what she said was my son's favorite hymn from the folder of
music she carried. Randall frequently attended church with her and
her daughter that he had dated, a few years before. As she handed
the sheet music to me I was stunned and speechless. The first hymn I
had learned as a child, which drew me to Christ decades
beforehand,....I was now holding in my hands. It's title was “I'll
Walk With God”. I had never shared this about myself with my son.
I had not known that this too was his favorite hymn as an adult,
until that moment, as the sheet music was handed to me. The funeral
home's hospice pastor listened intently moments later as I shared
with him this amazing “coincidence”. He said, “Marguerite, God
is confirming that your son is with Him.”
Hospice
Pastor: Witness #2
At the end of
the week I flew out of Florida and back home to Oklahoma. Randall's
funeral was devastating for me, yet at the same time, an amazing,
living demonstration of the movements of God and His love even in
the midst of the greatest of life storms and tragedies. I also began
to see with greater clarity, that He loves us even in the midst of
our shortcomings, failures, and yes, lack of obedience. I thought to
myself, how could this be? Could it be that there was an inherent
undercurrent in my belief system that has seen salvation as more
about performance, than God's love, and I had not recognized it? I
began to realize through all of God's loving movement and
confirmations the previous week, that I am guilty....guilty of
performance in my walk of faith more than I knew, and that I was
projecting it on to others too. My knowledge of the love of God was
exposed as minuscule. My son gave me a gift in his death. That gift
was the exposure of the underlying performance spiritually in my
life. It was subtle and hidden. I am learning to let God love me, as
I am, instead. It's not about what I do or don't do, though
disobedience can bring great hardship or harm, but to Whom I belong.
This is about trusting that God's love will never fail. God only can
know the heart of a man, and we do not. By the way..... He can be
trusted with that.
The evening I
had arrived home on my flight, I decided to call a close friend who
was also the personnel coordinator at my place of employment. I
needed to inform her as to when I would be returning to work . When
I began to share about the moves of God that had occurred, she
startled me by abruptly interrupting me in mid-sentence and said,
“Marguerite, God is confirming that your son is with Him.”
Personnel
Coordinator: Witness #3
Then, eights months later, there was....
THE MESSAGE FOR ME
It was my first Mother's Day without my
only child, my son. No card, no phone call. It was difficult. The
holiday was on a Sunday this year. Needless to say, I grieved at
church when they called the mothers forward for a special gift. I
grieved openly again at a friend's home during the holiday mid-day
dinner I had been invited to. When I returned home that afternoon
there were Facebook posts of comfort from many friends who knew of my
grief on this first Mother's Day without him. There was also one
from my nephew too. As a result of my son's death, God had begun to
lead him out of addiction in his own life during the following weeks
and months. During the process of learning to follow Christ, he has
at times, been flowing in the gifts of the prophetic or words of
knowledge from the Holy Spirit and it was evidenced in this Mother's
Day message he sent......
“Today is a
special day! Today is the day that we celebrate one of the best
things God gave us, and that's mothers! I know that you may be having
a hard time today, but there is one thing that I know and that's that
Randall
is soaring with angels and He has left me here to remind you of that!
I
love you with all my heart and soul MOM and just wanted you to
remember that our time here is nothing compared to the time we will
share later!
So let's thank Him for the little time and blessings we share now and
enjoy this day He has given us here!”
J. Tsiatsos
Mother's Day Face Book Message
5/14/17
Randall L. Woodall
5/18/84-10/02/16
God's speed
son.....
