When I first began to have a relationship with GOD, I found out that He was always there for me, no matter how big or small my decision was. I could hear His voice in my head saying, “Trust Me, that’s not for you” or “go for it! I’ve got you.” I would seek His approval for EVERYTHING I did. I suddenly found myself not making the same mistakes I’d made in the past. Sometimes, I would ask God for guidance and the answer would not come. I learned to just wait on Him before I moved and the answer would come or the situation would change and I would then know why I had to trust Him.
Scripture became my best friend. I could always count on the word of God to help me in any situation... not my girlfriend or my mama, but the Word of God!
“Because he loves Me,” says the Lord, “I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name. He will call upon me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him.” Psalms 91:14-15 (NIV)
Working on a job (which would later become my career) where my boss treated me unfairly, I was instructed by the Lord, not to quit. Out of obedience, I continued to work there until my contract ended. At that time, I did not understand that God honors leadership (good and bad). God will deal with the leaders. Before you can lead, you have to learn to follow. I continued to work as if I was working for the Lord. I gave my best, even though it didn’t feel good to my flesh. I cried many nights just to get through those days. When my contract ended, I was greatly rewarded in a way that man does not have the power to reward me. I was blessed with my own business!
I am now able to run it with integrity, patience and love toward my employees, credited to the adversity I had to endure while waiting on and trusting God. I know that there was a lesson in my struggles. Today, I thank God for teaching me life lessons that only experience can teach us.
Being a divorced single mother of three, I also endured the same struggles that plague many women today. I had to be the provider and leader of my family, just like many other single mothers. I believed I had to be a superwoman to keep my children happy, healthy and whole.
I cried out to God often when things got too hard for me…which was often. My relationship with the Lord had taken a back seat to the world. I did everything within my power to be the best mother, sister, aunt and friend I could be, while giving little thought to the kind of woman of God I was becoming. When I asked, “Lord what am I doing wrong?” He spoke to me and told me I was more interested in satisfying man (people) than I was with making sure HE was pleased with me. I then re-evaluated my list of priorities and was shocked to find that I had put Him in the latter part of my top ten. I asked GOD to forgive me, and began to re-direct my energy. God had been good to me and did not deserve to be neglected in my life. I re-dedicated my life and my children to Christ. We began attending Wednesday bible study and Sunday service with a purpose—not just as a religious act.
Soon, the Lord started giving me instructions again. He told me to stop some habits of years because He would be taking me places that they would not be allowed. He told me to dedicate my body to Him—NO FORNICATION—with no further explanations. When I said okay, and took the first step to make these changes, God stepped in and removed the desire for these things from me.
Therefore, if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed. John 8:36 (NKJV)
I continued to praise Him and thank Him for deliverance because I am truly delivered. I made everything in my life (even my children) second to God. He then began to take me to places just as HE promised. Because my heart was determined to please Him, nothing of this world was able to lead me astray.
Yes, most of my “friends” stopped calling or coming around and people kept reminding me of who I was before. I would simply tell them who I am now and that Jesus made it possible for me to be forgiven and to start a new life in Christ, and that they could be recipients of that same grace. God sent people into my life to keep me encouraged.
Almost a year passed since the Lord instructed me to turn away from sin and back to Him and I still hungered for more of HIS word. I would constantly study the word and revere Him as He began to reveal the mysteries of His word to me. I had finally become content with just being in His presence and knowing that the love I was seeking was available to me all along.
If they obey and serve Him, they will spend the rest of their days in prosperity and their years in contentment. But, if they do not listen, they will perish by the sword and die without knowledge. Job 36:11-12
Just when I thought God was as awesome as He truly is, I was instructed by the Holy Spirit to ask out (strictly platonic) a single man of God. He was a divorced father of two that I had known for years. I did, out of obedience, even though it felt uncomfortable.
Dinner was good, but the conversation was better—comfortable and unassuming. A few weeks later, he invited me to dinner for my birthday. I was pleasantly surprised because that was definitely out of character for him as well. While I was getting dressed for dinner he called to ask me if I was okay to drive in the rain because he’d just stepped out of his office and it was storming. It wasn’t raining where I was, but I offered to postpone our dinner. He assured me that he could drive in the elements just fine, but wanted to be sure that I would be okay. Ahhh!! A real man of GOD!
We went to dinner and after four hours of talking, my heart was His. However, I knew that the Lord had to verify these feelings. Two weeks later at his Appreciation celebration, I was doing my normal work in the ministry. A guest pastor came to me and told me that the Lord showed him me that I was to be the Bishop’s wife. Two days later The Bishop proposed to me. Two weeks later, we were married (where we shared our first kiss), because he was determined to keep his record perfect before the Lord!
I am blessed to have such an awesome man of God as the leader of my family. I am rewarded with a love that surpasses all understanding. His first obligation is to the Lord and next is me. He understands God’s purpose for his life, and mine. He fears the Lord and cherishes his relationship with the Lord and with me. That allows me to submit to him in everything and not fear that he will not honor the vows we took before God. However, ultimately, my trust is in the Lord not man.
God does bless and honor righteousness. Seek the Lord, not a man and walk in righteousness. God will honor and bless you. <>
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In addition to serving as the First Lady of Faithful Fellowship Church, Wydrika Parks is also an entrepreneur. She is the owner of one of Atlanta's largest tax firms, Tax Time2.
First Lady Magazine has been a very satisfied client for many years. Tax Time2
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