the women prophets in my life

proph·et·ess (prf-ts)

n.

1. A woman who speaks by divine inspiration or as the interpreter through whom the will of a god is expressed.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition copyright ©2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.




I have been blessed in my life, through two friends who have spoken into my life, that which they received through visions.  Actually, I have had three friends who had this God-given gift, although one is in Heaven now.
 
At one time I would have "thought" that this could have happened in Bible times.  I believed it was a "gift" but had never had friends who spoke God's words into my life.  Thing is - at the time I was also fairly naive as to what power the Holy Spirit poured into the life of a Christ-follower.  I had not experienced the audible voice of God yet.  That however changed in the very early 90's. And, once I came into ministry as a pastor at McIvor Ave. M.B. Church, I had the joy of meeting these three women who in turn "shared" with me.  All three friends, who I believe are prophetesses (sp?) were not always comfortable with sharing what God gave them . It is rather unnerving at times to say the least - when one has such a gift, and also is given the responsibility to share it as God directs.  The other thing about these women - is that they pray! 
 
Years ago ~ June 2003 to be exact, the second Tuesday of the Month ... and then the following Thursday, 2 of these women (Betty and Ellie) separately shared something.  It is Betty D's vision that I wish to recall here again:  (you will also find this on the blog at www.womenrefreshed.wordpress.com)
 
(I wrote) Shortly after that, one of the women from our church Council took me aside. At the time I didn’t know Betty’s gifting was prophetic. She asked me if I had applied for the job. I told her yes, that I had, but I had not told anyone. Then she told me that she needed to share something with me. It was a recurring dream that she had been given and God wanted her to share it with me. I also asked her to write it down. Email from Betty, sent June 17, 2003 ~ Subject: Women at the Well dream


“I can’t even begin to tell you how honored I feel that my dream meant something to you. I will attempt to describe it for you: You were wearing a blue robe with long sleeves. It had a tie at the waist, but tied to the back like a dress. You didn’t speak, but your expression was calm and searching, and you were very focused on seeking need and meeting it.

You went to the well (which had a few other women around it too, but they didn’t interact with you) and dipped in your dipper. You then proceeded to seek out a woman who needed a drink and you went to her with your dipper. I wondered why you didn’t use a bucket, as this would be more efficient. It came to me that you were meeting people’s needs individually, and that what one person may require from the well is very different than what the next person would need. You were indeed honoring people by quenching their thirst on an individual basis rather than being efficient and thereby risking missing needs. This use of the dipper also ensured frequent trips to the well for yourself. It also seemed that the women you were ministering to couldn’t quite make it to the well themselves, and required you to intercede on their behalf. Perhaps that is why you didn’t interact with the women who were already at the well (actually, it was not that you didn’t wish to interact with them, but I had a sense that they were already engaged amongst themselves and it would have been an interruption if someone had approached them). You seemed focused on going where the need was, rather than where a need was already being met.


This dream struck me as quite significant, and I experienced an ongoing “nudging: that I needed to share it with you.”

The night that Betty told me in person, once she was done I asked Betty if she knew anything about my story, to which she said she did not. I told her what God had entrusted me with ~ His Vision for women! Women Refreshed at the Well! Her eyes filled up with tears, and I felt like the hair was standing up on my arm. To this day, as I recall that story, I still get that feeling!


For me, this vision that she shared with me - was so significant - and I knew God was at work.  However, it was not until today, when I bumped into these two women (Betty & Sara) that Betty told me that she "left something out" when she told me that night, 8 years ago.  (hard to believe it was so long ago).

You see, as I sat today, in my unexpected meeting at Mountain Bean (I walked in to get a coffee and there they were - complete with big hugs!).  So we sat and talked for about 45 minutes.  They had both been past the build... and Alvin had shown them around and as well - they had taken time to pray as they were there.  However, Betty felt that she would like to come again, and felt the need to pray even more throughout the house!  I was sharing with them what God was doing in my life.  I shared how he is making "beauty from ashes" and that I believed that it was when we lost our little Jay that God really began to say "Get the ball rolling" louder and louder.  I shared with them that I firmly believe that God is going to use our experience and journey in/amongst our incredible sorrow ~ to speak into the lives of other moms/grandmothers/aunties.  But I said, if someone had told me 10 years ago that there was going to be a branch off this ministry - to help women going through loss of children/grandchildren ... I would not have believed it fit together.  But God knew and knows it all.

It was at this point that Betty looked at me and said there was part of the vision that she did not share with me that day.  She said that she didn't share it "because it was not the right time" to share that part.  She said that in the vision, my face showed deep deep grief and sorrow.  I had this feeling run through me ... only God brings this all together to redeem our broken hearts. 

Deep grief and sorrow.  It is still there.  It will always be there.  Months and years will pass, and the journey will look different years from now, but it is OUR journey and has been incredibly hard but I can say that I do believe that God does and will make beauty from ashes.

I left Mountain Bean (only because I had to get to work) but promised to connect with these women soon.  They are so thrilled by the house - and by what they saw.  They are an integral part of this vision as well - and I see how God is using them and have a sense He is going to do something very special.

I also believe that there is a branch to this ministry that back in 2000-01, God had not revealed this part.  I believe that (and actually Sara had a vision she shared with me that also affirmed what I believe) that God is going to use the ministry to bring healing into the lives of those who have suffered deep loss/grief. 

One of the rooms, I have told Josh and Leah that they could "design" it because I want it to be a room in remembrance of our little Jay Benjamin.  I think this room will have its own unique ministry!  I am not sure what we will call this room - but I figure I need to get praying about that.

God is at work, knitting the pieces together.  Healing is happening.  The journey goes forward, and sometimes feels like I go a few steps back. None the less ... it is my journey.  It is "our" journey together as a family.  And God - is giving us the strength.  Sometimes I look backward and see how intricately it is all woven together.  Sometimes just that, makes me stand in awe.  God is at work.  He is bringing His vision for the women to pass.  How terribly exciting.  

And with that - dear ones - I am saying good-nite.  My husband, the worker bee, has been fast asleep and well - I need to hit the hay too!  Night.  Thanks for letting me share!