God WINS! : The SANDY FActor....

Sandy is a lady that taught me something.

The FIRST SANDY is my mom...she is going to get a separate blog VERY soon - with Mother's Day a coming. She has taught me MANY things...from how to sew on a button to how to darn a sock. YeS....I can darn a sock! And My MOM is probably the BEST cheerleader I have -- but as I said, I will share more later -- next blog post. -- MOM, if you are reading this -please just wait! LOL.

The SANDY FACTOR refers to another Sandy. Sandy #2.

Her name is Sandy Alford and she is from Indiana. Today - she is in need of some mighty prayers again - as she faces some back surgery.

Let me explain. In my pain and pathetic state almost four years ago, I would drag my butt to church and each Sunday walk up for prayer, cry, break down, and believe THAT God was going to heal and restore my family. It became a regular thing. I was pathetic....I grabbed at the people who were showing me hope. Some Sundays I just could not walk back to my pew and stayed sitting there on the first row - sobbing. I just did not want to look backwards at anyone. One Sunday, in January, just after Christmas, the Enemy really lied. That morning he continued to tell me that I did not need to go forward...nothing was changing... I could pray from my pew.. people were sick of me walking up there, crying and looking all pathetic. And I believed the Enemy. I did.

I sat in my pew, head down, tears falling out of my eyes and just asked God again, .....why?.......

Sandy is in Red and her husband is right behind her!

After only a few moments, a beautiful lady came up to me, put her arm around me and said, "Your name is Michelle right?". And I looked up at her through my blurry eyes, and shook my head yes. I had no words. And she said, "you don't know me, but I know you. I have been praying for you for months, my name is Sandy and I am here to tell you that God loves you and HE is going to heal your marriage". I just melted. She was mom, grandma, and best friend all wrapped into one and she had such a belief that it could happen. She ENCOURAGED me. She helped me hold on, one more day. She spoke LIFE into my weary heart.

The next weekend came and again, I sat in my pew and she joined me and prayed. The next---I went forward but would not actually go up for prayer and she came to me. Again... The Sandy Factor. Everytime I saw her, she just held me and prayed and believed that my husband was a good man and that God was dealing with him and that he would be the man I needed him to be. Her hope, her hopefullness was contagious. The Sandy Factor. That particular winter, she and her husband stayed almost 4 months and I know...that was just GOD being sweet to me.

She continued to pray, she'd call me and then I began to meet with her at a cell group each Tuedsay. We prayed often, I cried when she went back 'home' later in that spring season and I looked forward to her winter visit again. She never met my husband, then, but had prayed for him for over a year... can you believe that? That is a human...being Jesus to me. That was God.

(She continues to pray for him.) She returned that next winter and 'stuff' was changing within my household as we had moved and we met for prayer often but she did not meet my husband that winter. She met him the next.... and WOW was it a cool thing. This past winter, because she had some back surgery - she could only come to Florida for a month. I got to pray with her a few times -- but I WATCHED my Pastor call her up forward and pray with another lady one Sunday and I knew...she was ENCOURAGING another woman with a wayward son.

I had coined it ...'the SANDY Factor'... When Sandy was here just this last winter, I introduced her to my 'SANDY FACTORites'....those whom I was BOLDLY claiming victory for.

I want to be a SANDY to others... In the past year, God has given me several opportunities to SPEAK life into other women and be SANDY to them.

And today....as I prayed with a sweet sister in Christ, I reminded her that ONE day...she and HER HUSBAND would be doing the EXACT thing to another couple...that THAT is what God does.

HE allows such a crisis, HE trusts us enough to pull through stronger and so in LOVE with HIM, that HE can use us...not necessarily 'rehash' the pain...but to ENCOURAGE!

The Past is the past, praise God. Another friend said to me today, "when I see you and your family ..the yuck DOES not even register...it is like it NEVER happened". Wow - that touched me.

That is what HIS people see in others that serve Him...we SEE the new creations...we don't SEE the past. God - that was SUCH healing today. ( And God used a dear sweet pal that also spoke life into me ...and still does. )

Lord, bless the original Sandy right now, thank you for her love for you and her new friends. Bless her Lord, - as she is my mom and she GAVE me LIFE with YOU..and she speaks life into many ...the 9 children with their spouses and then the 20+ grands...Lord, I pray right now that the Sandy #1 would realize and understand the love to WHICH -- the path that YOU are....THAT you are indeed God, Savior and Holy Spirit...Lord, I thank you for my mom...And God I pray for Sandy #2 - right now Lord, prepare the hospital...the doctors..and her muscles and body systems, that she would NOT need a blood transfusion, that THIS surgery will take and that, she will return this next winter - walking and full of life...to bless others. She is far too YOUNG to be bed-ridden yet. And God, I pray for the people I KNOW she is speaking LIFE to in Indiana.

God I thank you for using her - to teach me HOW to speak life into others..how to be that encourager...and Lord, I have to say -- I have said and done a few PRETTY crazy things...like believe and tell another to 'hold off on divorce papers' when it certainly SEEMS like it won't work....but yet...it does..and it did again and I will publically thank YOU Lord for the eyes that have been opened in the M/ R couple. -- GOD - THAT Could ONLY be you...She ( M ) gets a kick out of quoting me Lord -- but THAT is YOUR doing - all you - take me OUT of it Lord...as there is MUCH more restoration and healing to occur but..I know that I know that as she continues to allow YOU to be first...You will reward the rest... and he too will be that godly man and she will introduce him to Sandy #2 when she visits this next winter !

Lord, bring others to my path, I want to be 'sandy' to them. I thank you for the blessing it is, to pray with another and SEE it answered -- God that JOY ...it is unsinkable...

I love you Lord, Thanks.

humbled, MIchelle