Christ_empowered
Member
Me again. My special, older, wiser, Pentecostal friend, Verna, seems to be "going through it," and all I can do is be there for her (over the phone...we're not even in the same state) and pray. And, of course, get y'all to pray, too, lol. 
Her grand-daughter is wayward and that will take A Miracle (note the caps) to correct. I can relate to a lot of it...psych drugs, family stuff, general immaturity, the bad influences of many colleges, etc. etc. etc. Doesn't make things easier for her, Verna, or the rest of the family. I pray for her daily, and I hope Jesus intervenes in a big, big way. Verna's big on people "making a decision for Christ" (did I mention that she's old school, southern Pentecostal?), so she thinks Leslie can turn her heart over to Christ like she did when she was a child. I dunno. My own salvation experience felt like I was being pulled towards The Lord, so...I dunno. I just pray that Jesus moves in this situation in a mighty way, that's all.
Verna's younger sister, Latrell, was hospitalized for heart surgery. The whole family was raised Pentecostal, from the old school, but some of them (there were a bunch of kids) strayed, and stayed away. When I hear Verna talk about her family, I see themes of sin, the world, redemption, suffering, etc. This friendship is a big deal to me. I grew up incredibly socially isolated (only child, no family around, my parents were upwardly mobile, well-educated, bohemian intellectuals who didn't "fit in" with most people around here...), so now that I'm saved and set free (God has been --quite-- good to me), I listen to Verna's stories and I absorb them, I think about them, I reflect upon them.
So...Latrell's probably still in the hospital. The surgery was a major one, so she may very well still be in ICU. The recovery period will be prolonged and painful. I do care about Latrell, too, but of course...Verna's my friend, so my perspective is primarily the effect all this has upon Verna and her life. Verna only recently lost her older sister, Jean. That was painful. Jean was more than ready to go, and she had been a Christian for decades, but...still: that's one more quality family member gone, never to be heard from again, this side of Heaven.
A big part of what I've learned (and am learning, hopefully will continue to learn...) from Verna is how to be a high quality Christian while still carrying on day-to-day life, whatever that may mean for each person. To be a Christian isn't to be isolated from the world or to be holier-than-thou, ripping all the mere mortals to shreds with select Bible verses. No, its about following The Lord while He has you here, doing what He has for you to do, as best you can (as unto The Lord, not unto man...).
OK. I've kinda rambled more than I'd intended. Happens. I ask that you keep Verna and her family up in prayer. I know Protestants don't --do-- canonization, saints, etc., but if Pentecostals were to suddenly change their mind and start declaring some of the faithful Saints, I think Verna would probably qualify. Just saying.
Thanks.
Her grand-daughter is wayward and that will take A Miracle (note the caps) to correct. I can relate to a lot of it...psych drugs, family stuff, general immaturity, the bad influences of many colleges, etc. etc. etc. Doesn't make things easier for her, Verna, or the rest of the family. I pray for her daily, and I hope Jesus intervenes in a big, big way. Verna's big on people "making a decision for Christ" (did I mention that she's old school, southern Pentecostal?), so she thinks Leslie can turn her heart over to Christ like she did when she was a child. I dunno. My own salvation experience felt like I was being pulled towards The Lord, so...I dunno. I just pray that Jesus moves in this situation in a mighty way, that's all.
Verna's younger sister, Latrell, was hospitalized for heart surgery. The whole family was raised Pentecostal, from the old school, but some of them (there were a bunch of kids) strayed, and stayed away. When I hear Verna talk about her family, I see themes of sin, the world, redemption, suffering, etc. This friendship is a big deal to me. I grew up incredibly socially isolated (only child, no family around, my parents were upwardly mobile, well-educated, bohemian intellectuals who didn't "fit in" with most people around here...), so now that I'm saved and set free (God has been --quite-- good to me), I listen to Verna's stories and I absorb them, I think about them, I reflect upon them.
So...Latrell's probably still in the hospital. The surgery was a major one, so she may very well still be in ICU. The recovery period will be prolonged and painful. I do care about Latrell, too, but of course...Verna's my friend, so my perspective is primarily the effect all this has upon Verna and her life. Verna only recently lost her older sister, Jean. That was painful. Jean was more than ready to go, and she had been a Christian for decades, but...still: that's one more quality family member gone, never to be heard from again, this side of Heaven.
A big part of what I've learned (and am learning, hopefully will continue to learn...) from Verna is how to be a high quality Christian while still carrying on day-to-day life, whatever that may mean for each person. To be a Christian isn't to be isolated from the world or to be holier-than-thou, ripping all the mere mortals to shreds with select Bible verses. No, its about following The Lord while He has you here, doing what He has for you to do, as best you can (as unto The Lord, not unto man...).
OK. I've kinda rambled more than I'd intended. Happens. I ask that you keep Verna and her family up in prayer. I know Protestants don't --do-- canonization, saints, etc., but if Pentecostals were to suddenly change their mind and start declaring some of the faithful Saints, I think Verna would probably qualify. Just saying.
Thanks.
