A God Story

If you are joining me here today from my devotion with Proverbs 31 Ministries on Encouragement for Today, Welcome!

I promised today I would share my all time favorite “God Stories”. If you would prefer that I tell you the story, just watch the video below. You can skip to the time 9:47 to get right to it! Otherwise, just skip past this screen….

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lZsnUFQcRbI?fs=1]

Greg and I first met at church in late spring when I was in sixth grade; he was in eighth. He called me and that was all it took. (There is just something about having someone like you first! Even more exciting was the fact that he was an older guy. Since we went to different schools and couldn’t drive, it quickly fizzled. The phone calls only came a couple of times and life returned back to normal. Or at least it did for Greg, but not for me. He was just not going to be one of those guys I got over. All through junior high I wrote his name all over my notebooks.

In ninth grade, my chance finally came. Our church was having a Valentine’s get together and Greg asked me. I was out of my mind! As a junior, he was a huge weight lifter (6’2”, 250 POUNDS!) and captain of the football team. His smile grabbed me. My parents let me go to the celebration, but since I wasn’t sixteen yet, I wasn’t allowed to “date”. Once again, the phone calls stopped.

Finally, I turned sixteen. I had decided to make a huge change in my life. Leaving the Christian school where I attended junior high, I transitioned to the high school two blocks from home. A couple of different motives came into play. Our youth pastor, PR, often encouraged us to share our faith with our non-Christian friends. Well I didn’t have any! So I decided it was time to get some. Motive number two was Greg.
It didn’t quite go as I had planned. Honestly, my sophomore year was my worst. Greg’s locker was on the same floor as mine, so I would pass it and see him at least once a day. Even worse, his new girlfriend’s locker was close by as well! Even though she was very nice, it was so hard not to be completely jealous of her! When she showed me a ring Greg had given her; my heart broke.

I didn’t do such a great job of controlling my thoughts; I let it all get to me. I remember sitting at home one weekend night, emo-type music pouring out of my speakers and crying my brains out. Why didn’t he like me?! What was wrong with me? The answer: nothing. It just wasn’t God’s plan for me to have a boyfriend at that time.

It took awhile, but I finally started to trust God. I quit trying to manipulate my relationships with guys and starting trusting him. When Greg was a junior in college, he decided that I was exactly what he was looking for. At that time, I was at Bible school. I shared with my counselor how the guy I had liked forever (seven years to be exact!) finally liked me. He had called me at school and said he was coming my way for spring break and was coming to see me. I could not have possibly been more excited. Then the bad news came: she reminded me I had made a commitment while I was at school I wouldn’t date. I had said I would give one hundred percent of my heart and attention to Jesus. Gently, she pointed out that it is impossible to give your all to two relationships at the same time (it wouldn’t be your all then, would it?). I knew she was right, but I did not want to hear that! I called Greg and told him that I couldn’t have a relationship with him. It was like ripping my heart out!

Seven months later, with school out; I went home to visit my parents. Guess who was at church? That’s right; Greg. We started dating and we were married a year later. I have been writing him verses ever since.

That history with God really built a foundation in my life; a stable start to knowing that He can be trusted each and every time in my life.

Do you have a young person who needs to learn to trust the Lord? My teaching CD “He is That Into You”might be a great thing to give them! I am giving away a copy today. Just click “comments” below to share how you are learning to trust God or just say “I’m in” and I’ll include you!

Lynn

40 Comments

  1. I am trying to trust God through our families intense struggles but I must, I do. I too am crying buckets of tears as two grieving families try to rebuild together with one teen who is totally rebelling against God and family. God is there, He knows what we need He will move this family forward. Through the pain and turmoil I sometimes just can't hear! What a beautiful story you shared thank you. Blessings

    kareng

  2. That is a beautiful testimony. It does show how God's hand is in our lifes from the very begining and how he wants to provide us with the desires of our hearts if we will just allow him to be master of our lifes!

    Jesus Loves You

  3. I am learning to trust God for the path in my life. When things go wrong in my life I ask him to show me how to handle the situation better or show me what I am doing wrong, rather than asking for something. If something doesn't happen as I would like it too, I trust that God has another plan for me.

  4. I too am having relationship problems at this time, but I have to trust GOD and his wisdom that He knows what's best for me!!!! Thank you for the article, it is a blessing!!!

  5. I have a prodigal son, who is now married. They have a young son. I continue to pray they will see how much they need Jesus! Having someone you love choose the world over Jesus hurts. God keeps his promises and I am trusting the one day, my son and his family will walk with the Lord.

  6. Anonymous says:

    I am trusting God for several unspoken issues right now. I am definitely in!!! Karen R.

  7. Trusting God for our finances after another job loss (we have had years & years of roller-coaster job & career changes!) So ready to give up but God has always been faithful to meet our needs. Would love the CD for my 10 year old daughter!

  8. I am so enjoying each of your stories and the stories of faithfulness God is in the process of writing. I have my own stories that I am praying for and looking forward to that day when they go from prayers to praise!
    Lynn

  9. God is moving in my life in a big way. I am a divorced mother of two and I am remarried and have two step children. My husband has recently been called by the Lord to start a Celebrate Recovery ministry in our church. He has even started going to a bible college to further his education for God. Satan has been attacking us since we stepped out in faith for our Lord. BUT..in the end, we know how wins! I know I am covered by the blood of Jesus Christ and the lesser one cannot change that!

  10. Wow. Ask God a question and sometimes he really does just grab someone up and plant them right there before you with an answer for you.

    I'm learning to trust God firt and foremost. With and concerning everything. I'm learning to trust in His promises instead of my perceptions. And He just confirmed for me that its my all that He needs right now. Nope, life isn't always what we want but I KNOW without a doubt that it's all exactly what I need.

  11. I'm In!!!!!
    How beautiful your story is. As a divorced woman now, it has been such a struggle over the last 3 years to put one foot in front of the other without knowing where it will land but i have done it. I'm still on the path and at times very uncertain where all this is leading me but I know there's got to be something ahead that will make it all clear to me. Even now, i'm beginning to see how through all this pain, strife, grief and hurt, there is light and life. And through God, i'm slowly learning that His path is far greater than on my own.

  12. I needed this today. My heart is broken for my seventeen year old daughter. She doesn't fall easily but she fell completely for a boy who told her she's the girl he wants to marry someday but he wants to know what it feels like to date other people. She is completely committed to her God but her heart is full of grief. I know that God's plan is perfect and I'm sure that His plan was for their protection. She is so young to feel this way but what she feels is very real and it has affected every area of her life. It was refreshing to be reminded of God's faithfulness whatever the end result is.

  13. I've been in this time with God where He is teaching me to trust him more and more. It's been 4 hard years, but I know the fruits of God's love will be more than anything I could have done on my own. I'm kind of at this "what now?" time. Just waiting patiently for God to tell what's the next step take. Thank you for sharing this devotion and post today. I was blessed 🙂

  14. Anonymous says:

    What an awesome example of waiting on the Lord….so glad he honored your faithfulness and gave you the desires of your heart.What an awesome God we serve!!!! I have a daughter that is struggling with dating and making good choices because the Christian boys are far and few between. I keep encouraging her to only choose the one God would approve of but she is really having a hard time. I plan on letting her read your blog. Thanks for sharing!!!!

  15. I have 5 young people who need to learn to trust the Lord. My five teenagers! Teens(and their parents) need all the encouragement they can put their hands on. Thank you for the awesome story.

  16. This devotion really spoke to me. God has really revealed to me lately just what a lack of trust I have in Him in some areas of my life. I am a classic Type A personality and have a need to control; therefore, it is difficult to give that control over fully to God. Thanks for sharing the devotion.

  17. Anonymous says:

    oh my.. this is awesome.. i have a 14 yr old daughter in highschool and need so much help.. praise God for what He has done in your life.. and what He is doing in hers.

    [email protected]

  18. Awesome!! I'm in, I have four beautiful daughter"s that need to know to seek God first in everything. Thank you for sharing.

    Alvesa B

  19. Anonymous says:

    Lynn, I have a grandson who so needs to have God in his life and learn to trust Him and rely on him as he tries to go out into the world and find a job. It's very difficult for him, as he has Aspergers syndrome, and was physically and emotionally abused in his childhood/early teen years. He's a good young man, has never been in any kind of trouble. He just needs to be shown how to trust God, how to go out and look for a job. (He finds it so hard to try, for fear he will fail, and is paralyzed by that fear. He needs so much to be helped, but his mother and step-father and I don't know where to start. If he could have a copy of the book you mentioned today, maybe it would be of help to him. He needs prayers on his behalf and guidance from Our Heavenly Father to help him out of his fear, get out and look for a job and gain self-confidence and learn to trust in God. Thank you.

  20. Dear Friends with teens,
    Please see if your children would be willing to watch the whole video of "His Revolutionary Love; Jesus' Radical Pursuit of You". I really think they would benefit so much! Here is the link:

    http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Lynn+Cowell&aq;=f

    I also have a book for teen girls under the same title coming out in April.

    Please stop back on Wednesdays where I discuss topics concerning teens every week or easier yet, you can subscribe so it comes right to your email box.

    Most of all, love on them, love on them, love on them!

    Lynn

  21. Dear friend with the grandson,
    Could you email me tomorrow at [email protected] and while I am in the P31 office, I will try to find a book that would be a perfect fit for your grandson.

    Jesus,
    You made this precious man to love him and for him to love you. Please provide wisdom and courage for the life that you have given him. Supernaturally intervene on his behalf Jesus so that you are glorified and your kingdom advance in his life.
    Amen

  22. Anonymous says:

    I don't get your story. How did this build your trust in God? I see it as years of heart ache. To me this did the opposite of building trust.

    dot

  23. Dot,
    My trust in Jesus was built by waiting for Him to bring about this relationship, or another relationship, at the right time in my life. If I had started dating Greg when I had my first crush at 13 years old, or had dated him in high school, the chances of us being able to stay pure and wait until we were old enough to get married are pretty slim.

    I had to choose to trust Jesus that at the right time He would open Greg's heart to me, He would bring along the right man for me (that wasn't Greg) or He would let me know that His purpose for my life was to be single and rest in that. Believe me, it was a HUGE walk of trust for me.

    Heartache…yes. But sometimes heartache is exactly what some of us need to run hard after Jesus!

    I hope this helps you to understand better!

    Lynn

    PS Please feel free to ask any questions you have (although I am leaving to go watch my daughter play softball so it will be a Blackberry free zone!)

  24. Anonymous says:

    Lynn,

    Pray for me. I am struggling to understand. Why did you just not say forget it after the second,third, etc. time? To me those were indicators it wasn't God's plan.

    Dot

  25. My son is a prodigal right now. Wow, talk about trusting God. I am learning to let go and let God deal with him. He is in a rebellious state right now. I know in my heart he will return to God. When fear rises up in me, I cry out to Jesus and my peace comes back. Thank you for your message today. God bless.

  26. Anonymous says:

    I'm in. Thank you for reminding me to put trust in God and faith in his plan. Bonnie

  27. I'm trusting God by holding on to the truth that He is faithful, and that He won't give me more than I can bear.
    I've felt as if my life has been a roller-coaster for the past several years, but I'm trusting God by making the conscious choice to believe that He knows every moment of my life. So even though I've endured many disappointments, heart aches and heavy trials, I continue to fight (though its often a struggle) to believe that God is able to carry me through victoriously.

  28. Anonymous says:

    This is a beautiful testimony. I am also on a rocky road of trust – holding the hands of my lovely children as we step by dim flashlight, one step at a time… Three years’ divorced, because of emotional abuse and unfortunately, sexual assault toward my teenage daughter, it’s been quite a mountain to climb, back to “normalcy”. As if stripping away the stigma of “rape victim” for my daughter, my young son “losing” his father without much true explanation, and having to send our family into hiding because of death threats has not been enough for the family to bear, late in 2008 I was diagnosed with my second brain tumor in 5 years. Since then, it has hemorrhaged into itself and wrapped itself around the internal carotid artery and pressing against the optic nerves, making removal very dicey. One step at a time I constantly remind my children, one step at a time! And just one week after accepting the position of preschool director at our church, I was informed of a deteriorating nerve in the base of my brain… Trust the Lord each and every step – there is a purpose for EVERYTHING! (When asked “WHY?!” I always tell people I must be doing something right, or else I wouldn’t be under such attack… :0) ~Ann

  29. I am trying to trust God and move away from worry. It is so hard to watch your child hurt and feel like you are helpless.

  30. What a great testimony to God's plan for our lives and your trust of Him. It's wonderful on so many levels. Thanks for sharing. I'm having trouble with trusting with my heart. My brain is telling me He loves me but my heart has always doubted it.

  31. What a great testimony to God's plan for our lives and your trust of Him. It's wonderful on so many levels. Thanks for sharing. I'm having trouble with trusting with my heart. My brain is telling me He loves me but my heart has always doubted it.

  32. I so loved this story,reading it at your former site – which had the added benefit of a previous post 'How far is too far?'where you said: There is a problem with that question. It's the wrong one. The real question should be, "How close can I get to Jesus so that all that is around me, all the temptations, fade?"
    That is a message which resonates me – just this week I have been challenged that everything I do should be a 'good' answer to the question: how can this bring me closer to God?
    Anyway, this devotion over at Proverbs 31 is also a challenging area for me – I am the original Mrs Worry (though better than I used to be). I'll ask my prayer partner to keep me reminding me 'just one more step' when I'm sharing the current load of anxieties! Thank you!

  33. Lynn – WOW what an awesomely awesome amazing message! This is such a great video, and your mession is wonderful. I am going to make my daughters sit down and watch it. Thank you for your heart for Jesus and for girls who need to hear about it! Lets get together soon! Let me know when you are going to be in the office again soon and I'll come over. Bye friend!

  34. Thank you so much for the information that you
    left for me on my blog. I can't wait to
    share it with my daughter. I read it late last
    night and was so humbled that you took the time
    to respond. I love the encouragement,"filling
    her heart with His love will bring healing".

    Vanda

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