I Surrender!

Background Story: One week before our State Convention last weekend, I turned in my paperwork to my Pastor to start the process for my Teacher's License. It took me a long time to accept that I was a "Called Teacher".


At the State Convention: On Saturday night, we had a healing line.

I entered one end of the healing line praying for my niece, my parents, my children, my husband's and my own physical problems....

And I popped out the other end of the healing line...stunned and confused...with the call to preach. I think God has pulled a "bate and switch" on me. :) :)

But seriously, I "saw" my future with God and preaching was in it....and I "saw" my life without God if I refused the call and it wasn't pretty.

I was so stunned, I almost fell off my heels ;) and I looked around trying to find a place to pray, but there was no room at the altars, etc...so I found a little corner of the second pew where no one would see me ;)...but some of my closest sisters found me and prayed for me. :)

I was concerned all day Sunday that it was the usual emotion of the moment convention thing....where we all want to leave excited and hand out a thousand tracts, visit a 100 people, etc....which emotion typically leaves in about uh...2 days.

I would tell God my fears, and I would have little flash backs to times in my life...and felt God tell me..."I've prepared you for that."

Although I enjoy a little "drama" occasionally...it all seemed too emotional and dramatic...so I decided to fast and pray to really make sure. I wasn't questioning the call really...just wanting a confirmation that this was going to last for the rest of my life after the emotion faded away....and I also needed a few things in my life to permenantly change. I was also praying for God to help me to be willing.

I did talk with my husband who completely supports me....and then emailed my parents and a few people to help me pray.

So, after fasting and praying...feeling no temptation whatsoever when my co-worker dumped a pile of Snickers on the countertop...(I personally believe that God created Snickers and M&M's just for me. hahahahahhahahahhahahahaha.....so I knew this was a "divine intervention!)....I went to church on Wednesday night.

Wednesday Night: We had a visiting minister from Anniston, Bro. Hansford, preach for VLB service last night.

If I had wanted confirmation that the "call" wasn't just a convention emotion :)....then God figuratively sent a big yellow bus with a flashing neon sign that said, "This one's for you Tammy"...then ran me over with it, put it in reverse and did it again.

Bro. Hanceford...who was completely clueless since locally only my hubby and our State Overseer knew the details.....not only asked all my fears out loud...he then answered them. I mean...he literally said, "When I was called to preach, I "insert fear here" and God told me "insert answer here". Yep, he covered them all...one by one.

The only thing Bro. Hanceford could have done differently if he knew about me...would have been to say, "This message is just for Sis. Tammy...the rest of ya'll can leave now." Bless his heart...he may have wondered why there was a crying woman on the 4th pew when he was only sharing personal anecdotes. Ha!

Even my husband thought that God took a figurative "two by four" and slapped me upside the head with it...so he's convinced. :p

So after service, I publically testified to being called to preach. I've asked for my Pastor to return my paperwork to make the necessary changes.

I Surrender!

Ya'll pray!