Six years ago, on September 2, 2018, God gave me a powerful story, deeply intertwined with my family and His heart for His people. This story has become even more personal with my move to Winnipeg. In essence, it reflects my separation from my family for six years and mirrors Godโs longing for His people, who have been separated from Him for thousands of years.
I am here in Winnipeg to help many of Godโs family come and see Jesus, experience their stories being rewritten, and find restoration in Godโs family. My deepest prayer is for God to restore my family to me in the process. I trust that God wouldnโt ask me to do something for Him that He isnโt willing to do for me.
This journey has made my ministry deeply personal. The pain that keeps me awake at night over my family is just a small glimpse of the anguish God feels over the separation from His people. God is teaching me what it means to have my heart break for what breaks His. This newfound empathy has given me a deeper understanding of those who have lost everything, whether fleeing from Africa or losing their families. It drives me to offer whatever is needed because, ultimately, our stories are not so different, except perhaps in the reasons we are here.
This journey and hope are beautifully captured in 2 Corinthians 1:3-4:
โBlessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction so that we will be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.โ
๐ฅ๐ฒ๐ณ๐น๐ฒ๐ฐ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป๐ ๐ณ๐ฟ๐ผ๐บ ๐ ๐ ๐๐ผ๐๐ฟ๐ป๐ฎ๐น - ๐ฆ๐ฒ๐ฝ๐๐ฒ๐บ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐ฎ, ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ญ๐ด
On September 2, 2018, I had a profound encounter with God during communion. It felt as though God reached down from Heaven and spoke directly to me:
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๐ ๐ค๐ช๐ง๐ฃ๐๐ก ๐๐ฃ๐ฉ๐ง๐ฎ: ๐๐๐ฅ๐ฉ๐๐ข๐๐๐ง 2, 2018
Wow, communion really hit me this morning. It felt like God reached down from Heaven and said, "Now you know what real communion is about, donโt you?" I said, "Yes, Lord, all I want right now is to break bread with my family, to pour Godโs love into my family and drink it all in!"
This understanding of communion went beyond merely remembering Christโs death and resurrection, which had always felt somewhat hollow to me. He said, "SON, communion is all about reminding YOU that I want to commune with YOU. I want to break bread with YOU. I want to give you My living water and the joy and peace that only I can."
And more painfully, He said, "SON, you have been separated from your family for four days; I have been separated from my family for generations upon generations. How much more do you think I long to break bread with MY family? You are MY SON."
WOW.
Even more humbling, He also said, "SON, you are one of five. Donโt you know that I would leave the 99 to find YOU? Donโt you think Nicole is a Proverbs 31 wife?" And I said, "Yes, Lord, you know I do. I always have!" Then He said, "Then, my SON, let her get the family sorted and be that Proverbs 31 mother. Let Me heal all your hearts, souls, and minds, and she will come find you."
WOW, thereโs an anchor.
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๐ ๐๐ฎ๐น๐น ๐๐ผ ๐ฃ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ
Please join me in prayer. Beyond whatever God is doing in our hearts, pray that Jesus may rewrite our family story, that we may be an encouragement to so many more people and families in Winnipeg.
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In sharing this story, I am reminded of Godโs enduring love and the hope for restoration. It is a journey of faith, empathy, and the profound realization that our deepest desires for communion reflect Godโs own heart for His people.
โ๐๐ผ๐บ๐ฒ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ฆ๐ฒ๐ฒโ what Jesus can do in your life and in your family.
ใณใกใณใ