about face. by (me!) sandra, tvgp
i only know Joyce Meyer from TV; and I continue to watch her 5 days a week, and I still consider myself a student for life. I know her also through reading a few of the many books she has published; and from a very brief in person encounter when I attended one of her book signings
-and I smile big here and interrupt with the passage that encounter triggered: book/chapter/verse.. not memorized; just the essence:
.. and the first shall go last.. and the last shall be first...
***
entirely unintended on my part for sure.. and you'll have to read about it if you're interested and curious enough to understand my reference.. type, a little unfair favor
entirely unintended on my part for sure.. and you'll have to read about it if you're interested and curious enough to understand my reference.. type, a little unfair favor
in the search bar of this blog.
but, all that is prelude to explain (again), that while I know joyce meyer from these sources and occasions; I do not KNOW joyce meyer
and, I cant invite her over for coffee with me this morning. But, let's say I could. She would be the one person
well, there are more than one. so let me say instead, she would be the first person I would want to share this with: My appearance on my Charlie Rose's show.. how after we talked and talked around the big round oak table about writing and blogging and all that, -when he got to his closing question, and asked me
(me!)
how I wanted to be remembered, what would come first? writer, blogger, artist? mom.. humanitarian..? what would you want the first line to be?
"guess how I answered Joyce! guess what I said?! -Christian."
***
true; in my dream, this vision took place..
***
but it struck me in an odd way this morning when I picked up her book, and came across the 'about the author' paragraph. I'm not sure where the problem exists exactly.. is it in the word and definition for about.. for author.. or is, -as it has always been to me; and is to me write now:
the most ridiculous thing in the world to capture a human being in a paragraph...
if this was your only reference; how utterly absent it is; void..
I'm with time, energy and memory restrictions and obstacles write now, but I'm going to just bullet point:
* born into a highly dysfunctional family, where her father sexually abused her for many years, raping her over 200 times from age 8ish, through 15 or 16.. where her mother, in fear and without the courage or strength, essentially knew and did nothing about it.. where her brother, also abused, went into the military; and came out with drug addictions and an inability to cope in this world, and ultimately died, an addict, alone, homeless.. despite many profound attempts and opportunities to heal..
* where, after decades and decades, she repaired her relationship with her father; forgave and helped him in his senior years.. helped both her mother and father, in fact, and toward the very late part of her fathers life, he finally apologies and receives Christ into his before dying..
* where, despite the chaos, trauma, abuse surrounding her, she had the instincts to attend church, and get saved.. and prayed her way through the suffering
* where she met and married the first man to show her any attention, because she felt like damaged goods and who would want her.. -but this man was a thief and womanizer, and ultimately she divorced..
* and where, when she did start in a more specific way to learn and teach about God and the Bible, and found The Word of God, was helping in big ways to turn her life around, and help her heal..
well, ive always loved this description she shares: how she taught bible study classes in her living room wearing short-shorts and smoking a cigarette..
but she did certainly become sensitive to hearing the voice of God, and knew she had a calling on her life..
and this badly, severely, traumatized, defensive, angry, sassy and determined young adult..
has gone from glory, to glory, to glory.. in mostly slow and painful, but sometimes fast and joyful steps..
and I'm skipping a ton here too, but! -how many years has she been teaching? how many conferences? how many dream centers helping others? how many starving people around the world have been fed? ill people been visited and helped... lonely people connected...
but it is her very individual evolution, and not just the gazillions of people she helps around the world I am so fascinated with.. truly manifesting the fruits of the spirit in her life, as a daughter, wife, mom, employee, friend, pastor..
where there was hate; there is now love in great abundance
where there was misery; there is now joy
where there was quick, explosive, impulsive temper; there is now patience..
where there was chronic upset; there is consistent peace in all circumstances
where there was mean; there is now kindness
where there was gruff and bossiness; there is now gentleness
where there was spite; there is goodness
where there were questions; there is now faithfulness..
and where there was fleshly impulsive immature reaction; there is now thoughtful, practiced self-control.
***
when you witness or learn of any human being making that much progress against that many obstacles of such grave intensity; I hope you are inclined to look very closely at -how.
***
mostly I have witnessed people who were troubled and abused with obstacles to face in their youth.. who never quite evolved in this way... alcoholics who remained alcoholics and died that way; drug addicts who remained drug addicts and will die that way; selfish, mean people who remained and died that way; depressed who remained depressed; stuck who remained stuck.. I could go on.
but each time I witnessed an over-comer... a conqueror.. someone who grew and evolved and reached out to help others..
-I saw the common denominator, and it was God.
and it is only the people who have evolved in this way that I want teaching (me!), and as a result of being a student of these teachers..
I too am a spiritual success story.
"Thank You! Jesus! & amen!"
posted by SHE @ 9:35 AM
2 Comments:
now to be fair.. I have in fact witnessed a small number of people who have evolved in a beautiful way, and they are atheists, secularists..
and I am glad to see this result; across the board; however it is accomplished.. but
inside my heart, when I meet and talk with these individuals; my Christian education allows me to know, secretly, and sometimes overtly
-lots of people were praying for you! -and it worked.
and I didn't even mention dave meyer; but equally worthy of respect and study..
what man asks God to send him a woman who needs help?! and I love how Joyce says.. how she talks about how poor dave had no idea what he was getting himself into when that prayer got answered..
and how it was dave's stability throughout her chaos and impulsiveness.. and the way dave did not let her dictate his moods and day, with her temper, that helped so much.. a -there are many stories here too..
but ive never met a man like Dave in person.. and re-mention here, how many times I
watch. rewind. watch. rewind. watch.
when Joyce said to her husband, dave, "isn't (so n so) a pretty woman." and dave said back, "i don't notice other women. youre my girl."
-nope. I have NEVER met a man like dave, in real life..
but I sure would like to.. "thank you Jesus! and amen!"
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