In her new non-fticion release, IT'S JUST YOU AND ME, LORD, Marion will inspire and uplift women (and I'm sure men too) in prayer. A woman who has spent a lot of time on the mission field and as a guest speaker in various countries, Marion has put her many experiences and insights into her work. This week, Marion shares with us a prayer excerpt from the her new release, plus a story. So, cuddle up with your cat, pup, a warm mug of cider and enjoy!
There’s a lot to be said about women and their relationships, responsibilities, and concerns. It’s Just You and Me, Lord addresses many of these everyday issues and challenges through practical prayers that inspire and encourage women of all ages. Discover how you can draw closer to God, have heartfelt talks with Him, and build and maintain an honest, genuine prayer life. A perfect gift to share with the women in your life.
Marion is graciously offering one copy of IT'S JUST YOU AND ME, LORD to one randomly chosen commenter. The winner will be announced on October 5th between 4-5 EST.
Something Beautiful for God by Marion Stroud
What if
… I obey God’s prompting, and step out in faith, but nothing seems to happen as
a result? I saw a beautiful example of the kind of dogged determination that ‘keeps
on keeping on and gives up giving up’ when I was in Bulgaria last year. It
moved me so much that I wrote about it in the form of a prayer for my new book ‘It’s
just You and Me God’ published by Discovery House in a few weeks time.
Huddled
against the early April chill
she sat
there in the doorway of that little church
muffled in
gloves and scarf,
her shabby
winter coat was barely thick enough
to keep
her warm.
And yet
she sat there in the early morning chill
pulling
the rope that reached the bell tower,
so that
the single bell tolled out its message,
‘The
church is here
God is
waiting
Come and
worship’.
The
building has survived dear Lord
throughout
the years
that
aetheistic forces ruled the land.
But now
perhaps God seems quite unfamiliar
and
church attendance,
is deemed
both dull and out of date,
to
those who’d never known you.
For though
I watched her for at least an hour,
as far as
I could tell from where I sat ….,
no one
came.
 |
| The Bulgarian church that inspired Marion
Did her
arms ache, dear Lord
and was
her heart discouraged?
Feeling
perhaps
that
it was hardly worth enduring
the cold,
the early rising,
the
tuneless clanging
of that
solitary bell,
when no
one came?
For Lord
you couldn’t say it was a lovely sound.
Unlike the
joyous peals that thunder out
from
churches and cathedrals,
created by
a team of eager ‘campanologists’,
a thing of
beauty in and of itself,
Especially
when in this small village
no
one came.
And little
seemed to happen
to reward
her work.
And yet
Lord
when you
whispered to my heart
“You don’t
see what is going on
within
the hearts of those who hear”
I realised
that at
the very least
she had an
audience
of two.
You, Lord,
who saw her sacrifice of love
and
treasured it.
And me,
to whom
you spoke so clearly.
So thank
you Lord
for all
the hidden people,
who
faithfully rise early
and labour
late,
doing the
little things you’ve called them to,
in spite
of difficulties and disappointments.
‘Tolling’
their particular bell,
so that
the people all around them,
whether
they seem to listen and respond
or not,
can know
that God is here.
They
faithfully repeat the news
He loves
and values them
And waits
with arms outstretched
For them
to find their way back home,
To
worship.
|
What If … God speaks to Individuals today? by Marion Stroud
Some
people would say that ‘voices in your mind’ require prompt medical attention!
Others would call it wishful thinking or an overly vivid imagination. But I had
been arguing with God about what He seemed
to have said to me, all summer long.
It was
Ethel’s fault. A young mum, who had expected to go to Africa as a missionary
nurse, she was frustrated by life in suburbia with three under fives.
She had
suggested that we hold a coffee morning for our friends who would never go to
church. We could have a talk about something of interest, but the speaker would
be speaking from a Christian worldview. Initially I thought it was a good idea.
Then Ethel dropped her bombshell. “We could have it at your house,” she
suggested. “You have a sitting room and a room we could use for a crèche”
Now
that was entirely different. My neighbours knew that I went to church but a
coffee morning with a speaker … that was rather too public a step of faith.
With three children under five, lots of church activities and the beginning of
a writing career to nurture, I had plenty to do. “We’d have to wait till the
autumn “I said looking at my 3 month old daughter cooing happily in her pram. I hoped that Ethel would have forgotten
by then, and she may have done so. But God did not…
“Who would come Father?” I prayed. “Most
people think that God-talk belongs in church.
“What
did Jesus do?” God whispered
I
thought about that. Jesus often taught in homes , and had one of his most life
changing encounters with a woman while he was just sitting by a well when his
disciples went shopping. We don’t have any wells where I live but there are supermarkets
where women gather. I shuddered. A coffee morning sounded easier.
“But
Father,” I said. “Who would I ask? And what would I say?”
“Trust
Me. I’ll point you to the people and give you the words.”
“But
Father, we have 6 children under 5 years old between us. What if they get sick?
We’d have to cancel.”
“Trust
Me.”
The
summer slipped by and I kept pushing all thoughts of coffee mornings to the
back of my mind. Then, one Sunday morning, the sermon was on the call of Moses.
As I listened to Moses’ reasons for not confronting Pharaoh, I heard my own
voice. I squirmed as Moses pleaded ‘Lord please! Send anyone else!’
“Ok! I
get the message,” I prayed rather ungraciously. “But You’ll have to do it Lord,
because I can’t see how it will work.”
And so
the adventure with God began. For two years we jogged along happily, meeting
fortnightly during term time. But nothing obvious HAPPENED spiritually until
Doreen came to speak to us. She had come to faith eight years after she was
married and her husband was not happy. She told us about the ways this had
impacted her marriage, and her audience bombarded her with questions afterwards.
“What do you do about the children?”
asked one.
“I’d love to have a faith but I’m afraid of
what it would do to my marriage!” said another.
“What do you do about going to church when he
wants to go out for the day?”
On and
on the questions flowed, until finally I asked the assembled company "Isn’t
there a book that looks at marriage from this perspective?’
“Oh no!”
they assured me. “All the books on marriage we’ve seen, assume that you share
your faith.”
“You write a book for these women,” God
whispered.
“How
can I?” I protested, not really believing what I was hearing. “Gordon and I
were both Christians when we got married. What do I know about such a
challenging situation? Anyway I write fiction for children, not adult
non-fiction.”
“Step
out in faith and I will help you.”
It was
another ‘I am sending you to Pharaoh’ moment. I wriggled and struggled but this
time I wasn’t quite so slow to respond, and wrote a book that changed the
course of my life!
Author Bio:
Marion is married to Gordon, a retired dentist. They have five adult children and sixteen grandchildren, ranging in age from 19 to 2 years old. One of the joys of living in a town that many races call home, is the sheer variety of cultures and lifestyles that they see every day. Marion enjoys entertaining, walking, going to concerts and the theatre, reading and travel. With her husband, they lead a small group from church, where together they learn more about applying their faith to every day life.
Marion, who has also lived
in the Far East as a child, is a cross-cultural trainer for Media Associates
Int.
Marion is married to Gordon, a retired dentist. They have five adult children and sixteen grandchildren, ranging in age from 19 to 2 years old. One of the joys of living in a town that many races call home, is the sheer variety of cultures and lifestyles that they see every day. Marion enjoys entertaining, walking, going to concerts and the theatre, reading and travel. With her husband, they lead a small group from church, where together they learn more about applying their faith to every day life.
You can find Marion on the web at:
