The Potter's Wheel - Sallie Presler

I love pottery. I love to make pottery, read pottery books, study about ancient pottery and teach pottery. Last fall I sold one of my kick wheels so that I might have space and money towards the purchase of an electric wheel. At my age, physical strength and limited funds, I was looking for a middle-of-the-road wheel.

 For many months, I would look each day both morning and evening on Craigslist, EBay, The Star and different pottery sites for a good used wheel. In that time, many have come up for sale. Each time I was too late, out bid, or for some other reason did not get it. Each time I would pray and say, "If this is not the wheel for me, Lord, please make it so." And each time I did not get the wheel, I would simply thank Him.

The last couple of years I have been feeling lost spiritually. I knew that God was there, that He loved me and cared for me, that He knew my name and had plans for me. But, where was He? I had been asking for light and direction. It seemed He was only giving me barely enough for the present moment. I wanted to see farther down the road. I have seemed always to be on edge, almost in a stall pattern. It has been easy to see that He was sustaining me, just as He did the Israelites in the wilderness, but like them I wanted more. I had begged and pleaded. Each time, I would just feel an overwhelming amount of His love and grace, but no direction at all. I wanted a map.

About three weeks ago, a Brent B wheel came up on Craigslist. It would be a perfect wheel for me. Brent is my favorite wheel maker and the "B" is the middle-of-the-road model. The price was right; the seller lived nearby, and it was not too old. But it was Sunday.

I have been trying to keep the Lord's Day holy. I know that we each look at that principle differently and I am not judging anyone for his or her interpretation of what it means to keep the Lord's Day holy. I know emergencies come up even on Sunday. Here, I reasoned, was an emergency for me. I knew this wheel would be gone tomorrow. So I called. Apparently, I was the second to call because she had already accepted a deposit on it. I would have to wait until Friday it see if the other person came up with the money for it. Each day I felt worse. I had rationalized calling on Sunday and now felt sorry about it. By the time Friday came, I had decided that there was no wheel out there that was worth this feeling. I did not get that wheel.

One day last week, as I was praying on the situation, I remembered a book I had read by Stormie Omartian. In it she tells of giving everything to God, then asking Him to sort through it and give back the things He wants for you. I pondered this for a while. I had given my heart, might, mind, will, husband, son, family, work, home, vehicle, health, wealth/or lack of it. What had I not turned over to Him? Then it hit me...my pottery.

So after much thought, I laid my love of pottery at His feet. I told Him I did not want anything in my life that would be a distraction from where He was trying to lead me. No pottery wheel was more important to me than He is. Even pottery itself was not as important to me as He is. "Lord, do you want me to give it up altogether to better follow You?" I prayed.

Then, this past Monday morning, I sat down at the computer and opened up Craigslist. And, you guessed it, there was another Brent wheel. This time it was a CXC. That is like the Cadillac of wheels. It is professional wheel, one that would successfully center a piece of pottery six or seven feet tall. My heart leapt.

Then I looked closely at the ad and realized it had been posted on the day before... Sunday. I knew that wheel; at that low price and young age was already gone. But, I stopped and prayed that if God wanted me to have it that it would be there. I called. It was still available. The seller asked if we could pick it up in the afternoon and pay with cash only. My husband, Aaron, and I were scheduled to take our son, Dane, to the airport that afternoon and I kept thinking is there a way to pick up the wheel and still get Dane to the airport? Finally, I left that in God's hands, too, and told the owner that it would be 9:00 pm before we could be there to pick it up.

Now I realized that we wouldn't even have time to go by a bank to get cash for the wheel and still have time to get Dane to the airport comfortably. A quick check with my relatives (mother, father, husband, brother and sister-in-law) and together we had exactly the amount needed... to the dollar!

On the way back from the airport, my husband asked if I had been anxious about the wheel, thinking that perhaps the wheel had been sold to someone else during our delay to pick it up. I told him honestly, it was almost every thought I had going to and from the airport! But, I also told Him that if I trusted that God really had provided this wheel for me, it would be in His hands waiting for me.

We picked up the wheel that evening.

God desires to bless us. He is a loving Heavenly Father. And, as our pastor's wife, Donna Billings, so often prays, God blessed me with that which was "better than best."

He didn't just give me a middle-of-the-road wheel. He gave me a CXC for virtually the same price as the Brent B wheel had been. He didn't just hint at my question of whether or not pottery was part of His plan for me, He answered it in such a way that there will never be any doubt in my mind.

How great is our God?

Wherefore, seek not the things of this world; but seek ye first to build up the kingdom of God, and to establish his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you.
Matthew 6:38

Walls of Prayer

Today's testimony was published in True Restoration Testimonies, by Clara Thomas (Red book, page 82). 

In Oklahoma, one of our pastors was stricken with a severe illness. He had a long period of recovery, allowing him time to pray diligently for his congregation. One night he was given a dream. In the dream he was taken by one of God's messengers into every home in his branch.

He saw that Satan was not allowed to enter the truly dedicated home. A beautiful wall of prayer was standing firm around every home which had regular family worship. Each day of family worship added another stone of strength to the wall of prayer which Satan could not penetrate.

In the homes where family worship was observed only occasionally, Satan could creep in with sin and sorrow. And in the homes where there was no family worship, Satan freely came and went as his evil heart desired.

This made the pastor realize the importance and great need for constant daily prayer, scripture study, and daily worship in our homes.

Calm in the Midst of the Storm - Laura Handy

In the summer of 1979, we were preparing for our home dedication service. The night before the service I was awakened in the middle of the night with an urgency that something was wrong. The Spirit told me to check the iron in the kitchen. When I got halfway down the hallway I could smell something “hot.”  I quickly went to the laundry closet and saw that the iron was face down on some clothes, and they were smoldering. I unplugged the iron and ran water on the shirt that was almost on fire.

 

I thanked the Lord for waking me in time to avoid a fire. As soon as I was done with my prayer of thanks, there arose a tempest of rushing wind out side. It sounded like a thousand voices speaking at once. I can’t describe the way it sounded, but it was like a roaring. It rattled all the windows and beat at the doors. I realized that we were under attack. The adversary was trying to instill fear and doubt. I rebuked the evil in the name of Jesus, and calm regained control.

The next day we were told by the Spirit that our home would be a place of safety, a refuge in the storm. We would be protected with a cloud by day and a pillar of fire at night. We were also told that we would never be lacking in basket or store. Over the years there have been many people who have come to stay with us….some for a short time…some longer.

The Lord has greatly blessed us. We have weathered many a storm, and by His grace have always had our needs met. He is my daily bread!

 

 

Psalms 107:28-31

28) Then they cry unto the Lord in their trouble, and he bringeth them out of their distresses.

29) He maketh the storm a calm, so that the waves thereof are still.

30) Then are they glad because they be quiet; so he bringeth them unto their desired haven.

31) Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!

An Angels' Handywork - by Barbie Jones

Last fall my husband, Jim, went to Arizona on a missionary trip. He was going to be gone for over a week. In preparation for his leaving, I prayed that my needs would be taken care of while he was gone. Not having my handyman around was a real step out in faith for me.

While he was gone, I had been reading a book about angels. It pointed out the many times they appeared in the scriptures and how they are on duty 24/7 for the Lord’s command to go on a mission. It was such an enlightening book and I really enjoyed it.

As I got ready for bed one night, I went to flush the stool, but to my surprise, the handle didn’t work. Instantly I said, “Oh no, Lord, not while Jim is gone.” I’ve been trying to remember and work on the scripture Philippians 2:14 Do all things without murmurings and disputing. So instead I said, “This is probably a testimony to help me appreciate my handyman husband.” I tried to see what I could do by looking into the top. Sometimes the chain just gets tangled or comes off, but that was not the case. The tank was not even full of water; the valve just was not working. It would be almost a week to go before Jim would be home, so I prayed, “With your help, Lord, I can handle this problem.” (This meant flushing it manually with a bucket of water.)

That night as I said my prayers, I remembered about the angels on duty 24/7 so I just prayed, almost half jokingly, “If there would just happen to be one of those angels around in the neighborhood and is not too busy, could you have one of them fix my stool?” I then went to bed.

The next morning while getting ready for work, I just realized that the stool had not worked the previous night. As I went to flush it again, I paused and remembered my prayer, so I said, “Lord, if this will work I will tell this testimony.” I have to admit that I laughed as I said it, because I really did not think it would work. However, to my great surprise, it worked! I was so grateful and thanked the Lord over and over, and asked for forgiveness of my lack of faith.

So, here I am sharing my testimony, as embarrassing as it is, but I promised the Lord I would. God is so good and He hears and answers our prayers.

32) ... Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin.
33) And yet I say unto you, that even Solomon, in all his glory, was not arrayed like one of these.
34) Therefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to-day is, and tom-morrow is cast into the over, how much more will he not provide for you, if ye are not of little faith.
Matt. 6:32-34