Pam Padgett, member of the body of Christ
Psalm 18:30 As for God, HIS way is perfect: the word of the Lord is tried: HE is a buckler to all those that trust in HIM.
Recently a woman who says she is a Christian stopped by my house, and I was very grieved by her way of life. In the past the Holy Spirit has reminded me of things to share with her. I did share those things and believe she could have been helped by them. But she has obviously chosen to go her own way instead of in the way of God.
During her recent visit, I was given nothing at all to share with her. It was as if "it is over".
Later I was reminded of Titus 3:10-11 and think I was being shown the situation with this woman:
10 A man that is an heretick after the first and second admonition reject;
11 Knowing that he that is such is subverted, and sinneth, being condemned of himself.
After this woman left my house, I was so sad and troubled and cried out to God to please restore me. In the night I woke with what we're told in Psalm 119:63 I am a companion of all them that fear THEE (God), and of them that keep THY precepts.
A companion is someone we spend time with, share with, travel with. I cannot be a companion with this woman for I want to be led by God, to go in the way of God, and she is going in her own way.
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A couple days later, I went to get my hair cut at a new place. The woman who cut my hair, Tricia, commented about how much hair I have and said something like "You're not going to go bald any time soon." I told her I had been bald a few years ago. She asked "Cancer?" I replied "Yes." When she asked what kind, I told her about the bladder cancer, the recommended treatment of chemo with bladder removal, my asking God if I might be spared having my bladder removed, and how HE led me to chemo with radiation. She seemed interested in all of this and didn't try to change the subject.
We talked about various things as she cut my hair, mostly secular, but I wasn't troubled by anything she said.
As I was paying for the haircut, I noticed a small plaque near the desk with a paraphrase of 2 Corinthians 12:9 in which God told Paul that HIS strength is made perfect in weakness.
When I left I found myself thanking God, for I realized the sadness I had been feeling was gone, and I was again joyful.
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The following day, I saw a post on Next Door from a woman, Mary, who asked if anyone had recommendations for automatic litter box brands. (She is getting a new kitten.)
When I read this I remembered I had just seen 2 automatic litter boxes in my basement. My cats prefer non-automatic litter boxes. I decided to test them and they still work fine. At the time, I thought "I wish I knew someone who could use these". So I responded to Mary that I had an automatic litter box she was welcome to have for free and she could see if her kitten liked it. I told her the brand, which happened to be one recommended by others who responded to her post. She called and we had a pleasant short talk.
When she came to pickup the litter box, Mary said how much she appreciated getting this and insisted on giving me some money for it. I was happy to see this, not because I wanted the money but because I felt it showed a good heart in her, not the greed I have seen in others in the past who were offered something free.
After I helped her load the litter box into her car, she asked "Where do you go to church?" I told her I don't attend a church group but that I am a Christian! I was surprised when she replied "Yes", in a tone as though she already knew that. Although I don't recall having said anything that would have let her know this, somehow she recognized I am a Christian.
(Later I was reminded of a dream Joan Boney had received many years ago and shared. In this dream there was a war going on. Everyone on both sides
looked the same and we couldn't tell our "army" from the other "army." So God gave us a password. When we spoke that password we knew which people were in our army.)
Mary went on to say that she was looking for a church to attend but hadn't found one yet. That evening I felt led to send her a link to our blog and podcasts. Her reply sounded very happy to know about these. If she is of God, I feel sure she will enjoy and can benefit from reading the blog and hearing the podcasts.
Again, I found myself thanking God for the opportunity to meet this woman and to get to share something that might be helpful to her.
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These seemingly "chance" encounters have been enjoyable to me, and I think God has used them to help restore me.
Psalm 18:30 As for God, HIS way is perfect: the word of the Lord is tried: HE is a buckler to all those that trust in HIM.
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Another way I've been helped by God recently ...
In mid-August I started seeing blood in my urine. This continued happening every 4-5 days.
In 2022 I was diagnosed with a very high-grade, muscle-invasive bladder cancer and there was blood like this. Although the prescribed treatment for this cancer is chemotherapy followed by surgical removal of the bladder, I asked God if I might be spared having my bladder removed. HE led me to another treatment, chemotherapy with radiation therapy. Treatment was completed in January, 2023, and followup tests have been done every 6 months since, with no cancer found. (For a more complete account of what God did in this: Led by God and Delivered by God in dealing with cancer.)
Although I reminded myself that the urologist had told me that I might see blood at times because of radiation cystitis (a side effect of the radiation therapy), I was terribly shaken, for blood in urine was the only symptom I had when there had been serious cancer. Thoughts started coming, one after another, of things other than radiation cystitis that might cause blood (up to and including that maybe I was dying and needed to quickly get all my affairs in order!) I cried out to God for help.
HE gave me several scriptures, including:
Romans 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to HIS purpose.
Hebrews 13:5-6 ... for HE hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.
6 So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.
Isaiah 41:10, 13 Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of MY righteousness.
13 For I the Lord thy God will hold thy right hand, saying unto thee, Fear not; I will help thee.
Matthew 6:34 Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.
I typed them on my phone's NOTES so I could review them easily during the day and also recorded them on my phone and played the recordings through the night for several nights.
I was calmed tremendously by focusing on these scriptures.
The extent that I was helped was obvious on September 21 when I went for my 6-month follow-up CT scan and blood tests. When the results were available for me to see online, there was no fear to look at them. These tests are pretty comprehensive, checking for more than just bladder cancer, and there's usually a little concern that something else might be found, and I have often asked God for courage to look at the results.
But on September 21, inwardly I had a strong assurance that if something else was found, God was with me and would work it out according to HIS will. It is hard to express how solid this was in me, and I have no doubt it is because of the scriptures I had been given to meditate on.
Psalm 18:30 As for God, HIS way is perfect: the word of the Lord is tried: HE is a buckler (shield) to all those that trust in HIM.
No cancer or other serious problem was found by the tests. The urologist looked in my bladder the following week and said my bladder looks as expected for a person with radiation cystitis. He went over that some blood is "normal" with this condition and then told me what symptoms would indicate cause for concern going forward.
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