Day 5 -500 Words A Day Challenge

Has there ever been a song that just sent you to another place, song that so captured your heart’s cry and brought healing to your wounds? I was sitting in a Christian School and my life reflected anything but that of a Christian. I found myself in a school assembly hall listening to the story of God’s great love-plan for mankind. God, wrapped in flesh given the name Jesus, sent to take my sin upon himself, so I could be connected and have a relationship with Him.

I was on a path of self-destruction at 14. I was kicked out of a public Jr. High school for my bad behavior at 13 that included cussing out my choir teacher on a pretty regular basis, smoking, skipping school and various other things they had on their list when they called my mom to come and get me.  There was a new Christian School that I was taken to and the 3^rd day there I also got kicked out for passing out drugs to the “cool” guy in the parking lot. Kicked out of there, but by some miracle I was given a chance to come back, thanks to some pretty loving people on the school board that I owe a great debt to up to now!

That day, in that Chapel service, God, wrapped his love around me and got my attention for the first time. I said, “God, if you are real, please come and do something in me. I know I am not living right or doing right. Come, and make your home in my heart. Wash me clean from all the junk in my life and give me a new start today.”  That’s all it took, a heartfelt cry from my heart to His ears. And guess what? I found out, for myself, that God is VERY real! He so drastically changed my life that day that people could see it in my face! I was FREE! Washed clean. Fresh start! Imagine. I popped my head in to the principles’ office and told him the great news!

What I didn’t know is that they had already called my mom and told her that I was busted for sneaking in some Pot or Dakka as they call it in Botswana. They failed to tell her the great news of my “new life”.  I wasn’t even aware that I was busted at the time. I was sitting at my desk when the teacher came and told me I was wanted in the Principles’ office. As I rounded the corner, I saw, on his desk, the remnant of a rolled joint. Someone had ratted me out. I sat there, wondering that the timing couldn’t be worse. He was bound to call the police and that was it for me. It was not my first offence. As we sat there and exchanged glances, I said something to him that made him know I was for real in my new found faith. I said, “Mr. Grimes, that was mine and I did wrong. You can do whatever you feel you need to do, I understand. But one thing I know for sure, is that God has forgiven me.”

As I left the office, I didn’t know what was ahead. But I had peace. UNTIL, I remembered, I had bought my very first significant quantity of Marijuana that very day and it was in my handbag under my desk.  I had saved my babysitting money for weeks to buy it. I passed a note to a trusted friend whose sister had sold it for me. She too, had given her life to God that day. I reminded her of the stuff in the bag and said to “meet me in the bathroom urgently”. When we got there, we split up the goods and little by little, flushed it down the toilet. With each flush, in my heart I was flushing my past away.

A lot of things happened in that season and it took time for people-especially my mother and that school board, to believe that my encounter with God was real. Someone once said to me, “all this talk about Jesus’ blood, its just gross!” But I am here to tell you, it is that very blood, that Jesus shed for you and for me, that has the power to still the storm, to calm the raging sea inside of our hearts. It’s that blood and all that it represents, that gave me strength to go through some really tough times in the coming years. My dad left, my mom nearly died, my brother ran away from home, and I was left with my little blue eyed sister, so innocent and my mom. I got a job and I finished school and by the grace of God I am where I am today because of the price Jesus paid on the cross.

Thanks Andrae’ Crouch, for writing this song. It has reminded me that without Jesus making a way to God through the ultimate sacrifice, I would not be where I am today.

Andrae’ Crouch is a well-known name to anyone on the gospel music scene and many circles around the world. He became a preacher’s kid as a little boy when his dad was asked to pastor a church. He started out on the piano and never stopped! Around 14, he started writing songs and leading the choir. Up to that time he had a stuttering problem so he let is twin sister speak for him in public.  At 15, he had written a song, but tossed it in the trash because he thought it was poor. His sister, Sandra, thought differently and salvaged it. It became his first published song and it is the song that captioned my story today.

“The Blood Will Never Loose It’s Power” Andrae’ Crouch

The blood that Jesus shed for me way back on Calvary

The blood that gives me strength from day to day

It will never loose its power.

It reaches to the highest mountain

It flows to the lowest valley

The blood that give me strength from day to day

It will never loose its power.

It soothes my doubts and calms all my fears

And it dries all my tears

The blood that gives me strength from day to day

It will never loose its power.

Thanks Andrae’ Crouch, for writing this song. It has reminded me that without Jesus making a way to God through the ultimate sacrifice, I would not be where I am today, with the awesome adventure and joy of serving God in Africa for over 25 years.

info on Andrae’ Crouch taken from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andra%C3%A9_Crouch