GIVEAWAY WINNERS: Laurie, Lisa Shaw, Rebecca, Elisa, Teresa, Lindsey, Barbara, Martha, Tina, Melodie and Sharon. CONGRATULATIONS, ladies!! Please be sure I have a mailing address for you if you are not local to me and a telephone number if you live locally. If you have not already done so, please email your contact info to me at [email protected].
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Today I want to welcome Karin Fendick to The Point. When I asked for Faith Stories to share in this series, she was one of the first to offer hers. Karin’s heart is tender toward Jesus and her desire to share Him with others is palpable. I know you will be blessed by Karin’s Faith Story. Are you willing to write your Faith Story so it can be shared? If so, go here to learn how.
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A new heart I will give you, and a new spirit I will put within you; and I will take out of your flesh the heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. (Ezekiel 36:26 RSV)
Jesus met me and changed a woman who had no heart at all into the tenderhearted woman who writes these words now, indeed replacing a heart of stone with a heart of flesh.
One evening I sat at the computer, in my Chicago suburban home. An internet message came through from a stranger, like many I’d regularly receive, asking simple questions. The info he provided included the fact that he was in a committed marriage, satisfied with his life, and a Christian. We began chatting online. He warned me that somewhere along the way he’d try to save my soul. I took it as both a joke, and a challenge. He and his family lived in Alberta. He wanted one chance to speak with me, on the telephone. It was during that phone call that God first appeared for me, as the stranger’s threat to try to save me became real. At all other times in my life, I would have laughed or simply hung up the phone. That night, with that man, I could not.
I had never had God in my life, sort of thought He was there, but had no relationship with Him at all. Coming from a Jewish family, I had never believed in Judaism, but never knew Jesus either. I had lived 43 years, with no belief, living one day at a time, for that day only. God touched me that night, put in His bid for me. For 3 solid weeks I did not have one moment’s sleep. The stranger from the internet and phone became God’s mouthpiece for me; staying connected to me; pushing me to places I did not want to go; leading me to listen to what God had been trying to tell me; directing me to the New Testament; praying for me and weeping with me.
I was stuck in the middle, couldn’t believe and couldn’t return to my life of non-belief. I spent each sleepless night, trembling beneath blankets, asking God for comfort, and signs. I couldn’t hear Him telling me that faith means believing in what you cannot see. I wanted to say the prayers asking Jesus to be my savior; in fact, I recited the words, but was sure I couldn’t feel them. I didn’t want to be a hypocrite. It was faith I lacked, and didn’t hear Him telling me “just ask and I will teach you all you need to know. Hear me, believe me, accept me, and you’ll receive all the help you need.”
I thought I needed to be perfect before I came to God. Perhaps out of total exhaustion, I took that giant leap of faith He had been requesting all along. On a long car ride home from work one evening, I spoke aloud to Him, confessing I could never be good enough on my own, I needed Him to shape me, set me on the right road. I thanked Jesus for all His sacrifice on my behalf, and asked Him to be my Savior. I continued talking out loud, not so He could hear my words, but so I could better hear them. I knew He was there in my car with me, knew then that He had always been there with me, waiting with astounding patience for me to merely come to Him and ask.
When I did receive Jesus as my Lord I wasted little time in proclaiming my salvation. I spent that Christmas with my new friends in Alberta and was baptized on Boxing Day.
That was about 14 years ago. When I opened the door to Jesus, His light flooded me, pushing into even the emptiest corners. The heart that I didn’t know was there has been swelling, expanding, and growing larger with each day.
The following spring, through divine design I met a man of His choosing and followed His leading to Dauphin, Manitoba. When we met and married we knew that God must always be the center of our relationship and our lives.
My hunger for God and desire to be molded by Him instead of this world has continued to grow ever stronger. My desire is to be surrendered and radically obedient to His calling no matter where that takes us.
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Karin’s Bio
Karin (HisFireFly) is a sold out disciple of Jesus Christ learning more each day what it means to abide in Him. She desires to walk in radical obedience to His voice and prays that her life brings glory to The Father, The Son and The Holy Spirit.
Karin and her beloved husband live in rural Manitoba with their dog Faith and often various barn cats on 21 beautiful acres the Lord has provided for them. They are currently in the process of seeking long term missions placement.
Stop by for a visit at Flickers of a Faithful FireFly http://hisfirefly.blogspot.com Karin’s personal blog about Jesus, love, prayer, and life in rural Canada.
Facebook: www.facebook.com/karin.fendick
Twitter: https://twitter.com/HisFireFly
Blog: http://hisfirefly.blogspot.com/
