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| Preparing for a Foot Washing...Wedding of Greg & Allison Miller |
A single woman who longs to find love often has little
crushes on men in her life. It is easy
to form an attraction to men at work, especially when one works closely with
men and develops a camaraderie. In
America, often times we spend more time with our workmates than with our
families. Forty to sixty working hours…that
is a lot of time. It is easy to see how
affairs can happen. It starts innocently
enough…shared laughter, a glance, a compliment to a hungry heart. I am so very grateful that I have not fallen
into this trap…but I have not been immune to temptation.
Many years ago, one such temptation
almost took me down. It was lust, for
sure, and my hungry heart was oh so weak.
The pull was magnetic. Looking
back now, it seems illogical. I think
that there was something demonic involved.
The Bible is clear that as Christians, we do face supernatural forces
working against us. It is crucial for us
to be on guard. I shudder to think of
all that I would have lost if I had fallen.
Many others’ lives would have been impacted as well.
If you are reading this and you are
struggling, I understand. God understands. You must
run for your life! Run away as if your
life depends on it. You will not regret
running. You will regret an affair. It
can never be blessed by God. And it will
trip you up and set you off course for a season…maybe for the rest of your
life.
I was in a small women’s Bible
study at the time with three other close friends. This was critical for my spiritual growth and
sense of family. I entrusted them with
my struggle and enlisted their prayers.
I know to-this-day that I was spared, in part, because of their prayers
for me.
One particular week, I was obsessed
with the thought of this person. I felt
so frustrated with my thought-life and I was full of shame. I knew that I had sinned with my thoughts,
even though I had never acted on my desires.
At the end of that week, on a Friday evening, I went to a home
fellowship meeting. This was a group of
about 10-15 people from my church who met once or twice a month
for prayer and bible study. I was not
feeling very spiritual at the time and I had forced myself to go to the group.
It was an evening of prayer and
ministry to each other. The majority of
the evening, I was present in body only.
I kept quiet. These friends did
not know about my struggles. I remember
being amazed as I witnessed God working that night. A decision was made to put a chair in the center
of the room and anyone who wanted ministry and prayer was invited to sit in the
chair. At one point, while a woman was
sitting in the chair, another woman was praying for her and shared a vision of
an envelope burning. She asked the woman
in the chair if her vision had any significance for her. The woman in the chair began to weep. Many years before, she had a
miscarriage. She had been so sorrowful
and so angry at God, that she could not even bring herself to read the cards
and letters she had received after the miscarriage. The envelopes remained unopened, in a box in
her home. I watched as this woman was
prayed over and loved, and she began to work through the pain she had carried
for years. It was a beautiful and
hopeful moment. How much God loved her;
to speak to her this way through a sister-in-Christ.
I longed to get in the chair, but I
was so full of shame and I felt unworthy.
I couldn’t bring myself to go there.
I sat on the floor, near a wall, with my bare feet tucked under me and
my eyes downward. It was summer time and
I had taken off my sandals.
The same woman who had the vision
of the envelope burning spoke to me at one point. She said, “Janice, I think you should get in
the chair.” I was relieved to be
invited. I sat down with my eyes
closed. I heard some movement and some
whispering…I wasn’t sure what was happening.
I sat and I waited with my eyes closed.
Then I felt something at my feet and the woman whom God had been using
that night said, “Janice, the Lord told me that we are supposed to wash your
feet.”
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| Basin & Pitcher used when Johns Ellington proposed to my dear friend, Cheryl, more than 13 years ago...and yes, he washed her feet... |
They had prepared a basin for
me. It was full of water and some lovely
soap that felt silky and soft. I had
never experienced this before. As Jesus
washed his disciples’ feet, so He washed mine through these dear friends. As they washed my feet, I wept. And they prayed. They prayed so many sweet prayers for me. They didn’t know about my sinful thoughts or
my broken heart. But God did. And He washed me clean.
When I got home that night and got
into bed, my feet were still tingling. I
felt such mercy and love from God. I was
not shamed. I was forgiven. And I moved on…after receiving such love and
such forgiveness, I had no more desire for the sin that had tugged at my heart. I wanted God more.
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| Greg & Allison Miller |
Or do you
show contempt for the riches of his kindness, forbearance and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness is intended to lead you to repentance? Romans
2:4
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| Greg Serving his Bride... |
Finally,
be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so
that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is
not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities,
against the powers of this
dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms... Ephesians
6:10-12
Listen to this classic from Leslie Phillips:
