Like Those Who Dream: Chapter 17, Central Mexico

Like Those Who Dream: Chapter 17, Central Mexico
-Roy Lessin, Meeting in the Meadow

 

In our journey of faith with the Lord we discover, many times over, that our plans must be His plans, our goals must be His goals, and our schedule must be His schedule. We don’t decide what we are to do or when we are to do it. Once we hear from God, it is our responsibility to follow, not to lead; to listen, not to debate; to trust, not to reason. God is not impressed with our efforts to try and help him out or give Him council.  When He says “Go” He knows what is ahead and is never taken by surprise. If He didn’t know what would be ahead or what He would do beforehand, He would never send us or tell us to follow Him.

 

After our time with Don and Bev in Baja, the four of us briefly returned to the Los Angeles area to make final plans to leave for Central Mexico. When all was ready and God had given us the “green light”, we once again climbed into the front cab of our pickup truck and headed east. Our plan was to visit friends and family in South Dakota and Minnesota before turning Southward toward Mexico. Our destination in Mexico was a city called Matehuala, in the state of San Luis Potosi. We had no idea how much money was needed to take our trip and fulfill all our goals, but when we sensed it was God’s time to leave, we stepped with the resources available to us at the time.

 

Our drive east was uneventful, although beautiful. Climbing and winding our way through the Rocky Mountains was exhilarating and the views breathtaking. We eventually found our way to the home of our friends, a pastor and his wife who worked in a small church in rural South Dakota. We pulled into their driveway on our last tank of gas and our financial resources depleted.

 

We had a great visit, shared stories, enjoyed dinner together, and were invited to spend the night in their home. In the morning we had breakfast together, packed up our things, loaded the back of the truck with our suitcases, and settled back into the cab of the pickup, not knowing how far down the road our last tank of gas would take us.

As we were about to turn the key to start up the engine and pull out of the driveway, our pastor friend walked up to the cab, leaned his head into the driver’s side window and said, “I’ve had some “hot tithe money” that I’ve been keeping for awhile. I’ve been wondering who the Lord wanted me to give it to and now I know.” He then reached into his pocket, pulled out some cash, and handed it to us. The money turned out to be the exact amount we needed to get us to Minneapolis, the next stop on our journey.

*

During our brief visit to Minneapolis we were all invited to a fellowship group that met in someone’s home. The person who invited us asked if we would share our story and how God was leading us. The home was warm and friendly and the room was full. After prayer and some worship, Don and I gave our testimonies and told the group about our plans to go into Mexico. We also told the story about the gift of our pickup truck.

After we finished a stranger in the room spoke up, “I am really excited to hear these testimonies and the details of their story. Over the past few weeks God has been speaking to me during my prayer time to intercede for some people I didn’t know. All I knew was to pray for Don and Roy, a pickup truck, and Mexico. It wasn’t until tonight that I understood what those prayers were all about and who they were for.” His words amazed us all! It gave us a special insight into how God uses the Body of Christ, sometimes in unseen and unknown ways, to meet the needs of His people.

After our time in Minneapolis we turned the pickup south and continued our journey toward Mexico. With the offering we received from the home meeting and a cash gift from a friend we had enough money to make it into Mexico and arrive at our destination in Matehuala. We even had enough left over to rent a small apartment in the city.

Matehuala was a sleepy city nestled between the mountains in Central Mexico. It was located in the high desert with very little vegetation or irrigation (it was quite a contrast from Minnesota, the land of 10,000 lakes.) The landscape was dotted with cactus and Mesquite trees. Off the main road were scores of dirt trails that led into the back country and the many villages (small towns) that populated the area.  The villagers were poor people who lived in adobe brick houses with dirt floors and simple furnishings.

Once we got settled in Matehuala we often took trips to the villages in the back country with other missionaries and Mexican believers in the city. Our trips included visiting with people in their homes, and inviting those in the village to a Gospel meeting that would be held in the early evening. Through these visits relationships were established, new believers began to follow Christ, and small groups of believers began to meet together in homes. In some of the larger villages, where the work had been established, adobe church buildings became a part of the village community. 

On one of our trips we visited a village that was just beginning to open up to the Gospel. When we first arrived we went from house to house greeting and inviting people to a meeting we would be having in the village that evening. As a result, a small group of people attended. Many in the village were still very cautious and we saw little response to our message. Afterwards, Don and I were walking to our truck when a woman came up to us with an urgent request…

“Can you come to our house? Our son has been sick for several days. He hasn’t eaten and is burning with fever. Can you please come and pray for him?”

Don and I followed her to a tiny adobe house in the center of the village. As we entered the front door we noticed several other family members standing about. The soft flicker of candlelight cast dancing shadows upon the wall and dimly lit the room. In the corner of the room was a small bed.  The young boy was stretched out on top of a sheet with his head resting on the pillow. As we approached the motionless child I wondered what would happen. All eyes in the room were upon us as we stood over the child. Don began to pray in Spanish and we both extended our hands, placing them upon the child. My hand was directly on the child’s forehead. I instantly felt the heat from the fever. As Don continued praying I began to feel the forehead of the child cooling. By the end of the prayer the fever had vanished. As I removed my hand from the child’s forehead he instantly sat up, started crying, and called out to his mother, “I’m hungry.” The people in the room began celebrating as the mother immediately brought the child some food and drink. The incident impacted the entire village and opened the door for the Gospel to be preached and received into the hearts of many.

*

During our time in Mexico there were many new lessons of faith to learn. Our income during that time was very limited. We averaged about $75 a month of promised support, and lived on a total income of less than $1000 for the entire year. Before going into Mexico we assumed we would have plenty of financial support, however, to our surprise, most of the support we received came from people who had small incomes of their own—a grandmother on social security, a retired missionary, or an occasional money gift from someone who gave sacrificially were the norm.

On one occasion we received a somewhat apologetic letter from a young missionary candidate who enclosed a $1 bill. “I’m sorry this couldn’t be more, but it is all I have at the moment. I’m sending it because I believe the Lord told me that you need it.” Her $1 bill came on a day when we had no food. Her “little gift” turned out to be God’s big provision for our food that day. It was all a part of God’s way of teaching us to look to Him for our needs and not to people. The timing of God and the ways He uses to meet our needs always affirms His love and care for us.

*

One of the foundation pieces that Char and I agreed upon when we got married was not to get into debt, but rather to trust the Lord to meet our needs through answered prayer. Sometimes our lessons of faith meant learning to live without many things and being content with what we had. With a very limited income I valued every dollar we received. Learning to trust God each day was building my faith in what God could do. One day, however, God drew attention to something in my life that was to test my faith on a whole new level. Here is what I sensed the Lord saying, “You have been looking to Me to provide your needs, but you have not been giving to others. I want you to start giving.”

This was something new for me to consider. I thought I was doing great just living from dollar to dollar, but now the Lord was asking me to give to others a portion of the money I was receiving. I was reluctant to do this at first, thinking I needed every penny to survive. It was a great victory for me when I was finally able to release a portion of my income and start giving to others. I had no idea of the blessings that would come to us as a result.

As the Scripture says, “Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again. Luke 6:38

*

After we had been in Mexico for several months I joined two other missionaries on an exploratory trip to Oaxaca.  Our purpose was to see if there were any missionaries in the city and what type of ministry work they were doing. It was a long, difficult trip through high mountain ranges over narrow mountain roads. We were halfway through the mountains when we heard a loud explosion. The truck jerked to the right and we immediately knew we had a tire blowout. The driver quickly slowed the truck  and parked as close as he could to the side of the mountain. After setting the emergency brake the three of us got out to inspect the damage.

“The tire is completely ruined,” said Jerry, the one who was doing the driving, “I cannot repair it and I have no spare. There’s nothing I can do.”

We stood there, at peace but completely puzzled. We let down the tailgate of the truck and used it for a bench. Together we prayed, asking God for help. No sooner had we said “Amen” when an oversized van came around the bend of the road and pulled up behind us. Out stepped a tall American. He introduced himself and asked if he could be of any help. After telling him our story he smiled and said, “I think I have an extra tire in the back of my van that is the same size as yours. Let me check.” A few moments later he returned rolling a tire. It was the exact size we needed!

He stayed with us while we changed tires. As we talked we discovered he was a missionary who lived in Oaxaca. He had been in the States for about six weeks and was returning to the city. He invited us to come to his home when we arrived in Oaxaca…

this stranger became the friend the Lord used to fulfill the purpose of our journey in every detail. 

*

Our time in Mexico was short-lived. We were there for less than two years. Although there was no question about Don and Bev’s call to Mexico, it became clear to Char and me that God had other things in mind for us.

When we first entered Mexico we thought we were going to help change the lives of others. In reality, we were the ones in need of change. Going into a foreign country didn’t make us any more spiritual or change who we were. Our time in Mexico was a testing and training time to learn more about God’s ways in order to prepare us for what He had ahead. 

...

(Join us next week as we continue this journey of Roy's memoir, Like Those Who Dream. The book is available through DaySpring and Christian retailers everywhere.)

#likethosewhodream #roylessin #memoir #meetinginthemeadow #dayspring 

©2022 DaySpring, Roy Lessin, Meeting in the Meadow. Used with permission, all rights reserved.

Never Forgotten...Always Loved: The Mind of God Toward You

The Mind of God Toward You
-Roy Lessin, Meeting in the Meadow

 

...The LORD doesn’t see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart (1 Samuel 16:7 NLT).

I see the things no else can see...
I see your dreams and all you long to be...
I see your faith—I’ve seen it from the start...
I see the love you carry in your heart.

#faith #love #mindofGod #roylessin #meetinginthemeadow #neverforgotten

©2022 Roy Lessin, Meeting in the Meadow. Photo by Marina Bromley, used with permission. All rights reserved.

My Morning Prayer: Jesus Calls You

My Morning Prayer: Jesus Calls You
-Roy Lessin and Marina Bromley, Meeting in the Meadow

 

Jesus Calls You
-Roy Lessin

Look! I stand at the door and knock. If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal together as friends (Revelation 3:20 NLT).

 

Don’t be foolish or slow of heart, I will not pass you by.
Sit with Me.

 

I am your healer, the restorer of your soul, and the One who forgives.
Turn to Me.

 

I will lead you to still waters and quiet resting places.
Walk with Me.

 

Let My words be as a flame of love that burns deep within you.
Sup with Me.

 

Why are you troubled and why do doubts arise so easily?
Look to Me.

My Morning Prayer
-Marina Bromley

Father, I come to You in my brokenness. Help me to see You, to recognize your invitation to sit with You, to rest in You, and to walk with You. Diminish my doubts and troubles in the light of your glory. Let me focus on your face as I rest in the places that You lead me to and as You provide for my every need. May your Word reach deep within me to burn brightly, and allow it to spread to others, that I may love them as You love them. Teach me your ways, and equip me to do your will. Thank You for not leaving me alone, for not abandoning me. Thank You for taking time to instruct me, to accompany me, to equip me. Thank You for your love that never ends, and has no conditions or strings attached. I want to abide with You here. Amen.

#mymondayprayer #prayer #devotion #roylessin #dayspring #meetinginthemeadow #Jesuscallsyou

©2022 Roy Lessin, Meeting in the Meadow. Photo by Marina Bromley, used with permission. All rights reserved.

Like Those Who Dream: Chapter 16, Baja

Like Those Who Dream: Chapter 16, Baja
-Roy Lessin, Meeting in the Meadow

 

I wait on God to bring to pass
All He has promised me;
And as I wait, I rest in faith
For what I cannot see.
For in His way He will provide
At just the perfect time,
Everything that’s good and right
To bless this life of mine.

 .

After we left Bethany, Char and I heard many reports of what God was doing in the country of Mexico. It created a desire in us to go into the country to experience things first-hand. We knew my brother Don and his wife Bev had been called to serve the Lord in Mexico, and we decided to link up with them and go there together. To help us prepare, we accepted an offer to “house sit” a home of a friend of ours who lived in Southern California. We stayed there for a few months and got temporary jobs at World Vision.

One of the big needs on our prayer list was the provision of a pickup truck. Based on our research, we felt it was the best type of vehicle to take into Mexico. Since Don and Bev were the ones who were called to Mexico, we assumed they would be the ones the Lord would bless with a pickup. It turned out to be Char and me instead. Char’s grandparents, who were also living in Southern California, knew about our need for a truck. They weren’t wealthy, but they had a heart for missions, and were generous givers. They felt it on their hearts to purchase a blue GMC pickup truck and give it to us as a gift. Once the truck arrived we started making our plans to move south.

Since Char and I knew no Spanish, and Don and Bev were a little rusty with their Spanish, we decided to move to Ensenada, a city in Baja, south of San Diego. We had heard about Ensenada from someone at World Vision who ran an orphanage just outside the city. Our plan included renting a house and having Don and Bev tutor us in the Spanish language for three months. Living there would also allow us to help in the orphanage when possible.

We bought a camper shell for the back of the pickup, loaded up our necessary belongings, including a month’s supply of canned goods, and drove down to Ensenada, the four of us riding in the front seat of the truck. We had saved enough money from our jobs at World Vision to rent a place and hopefully take care of our basic expenses during our stay.

Ensenada was a beautiful city located on the Pacific Coast. It had everything we needed including a nice market place, good shopping, and a wonderful fish market right on the beach. Here we could buy fresh fish right off the fishing boats that went out daily. Halibut filets soon became our favorite meal.

We found an ideal place to rent—a two bedroom, fully furnished house, located a few yards from the beach. Within a few days we had set up our study schedule and started hitting the books. Our classes were very intense and Don and Bev did a great job helping us to dig into the language. These studies also helped them become more fluent with their Spanish.

One morning, at about the one-month-mark, the food supply we brought from California was just about gone. After breakfast, Char and Bev announced that lunch would be our last meal. Every canned good, every box of cereal, every cracker was gone. Our money supply ran out at the same time. We had no idea what we would do for our evening meal. To make matters even worse, we ran out of toilet paper that afternoon. We had no financial reserves, no money in the bank, and after a trip into town to check the post office box we had rented, we knew we wouldn’t be getting any money through the mail that day. We went back to our beach house that afternoon wondering if we would be eating an evening meal.

We were all sitting in the living room in the early evening when we heard a knock at our front door. We weren’t expecting any visitors and wondered who it could be. Char went to the front door. There stood the couple from World Vision who helped supervise the orphanage in Ensenada. In their arms were several large grocery bags filled with food. Sticking out the top of one of the bags was a package of toilet paper. “We thought you might be able to use these,” one of them said. “We decided to make an unscheduled trip to the orphanage this weekend and we picked up these groceries for you on the way.” We invited them in and shared a joyous meal together.

*

By the second month in Ensenada, Char and I were starting to feel a little more comfortable with our Spanish. Our vocabulary was expanding and we were able to use what we knew with merchants and some local residents.

We were enjoying our schedule and doing well. Enough money had come in through the mail to meet all our expenses—that is until the day we woke up to a few unexpected surprises. While attempting to use one of our kitchen appliances we blew out our two main electric fuses located in the fuse box attached to the wall next to the kitchen sink. That morning we also ran out of bottled drinking water.

Between the four of us we didn’t have a single centavo. We had a fuse blow out before and knew they were 10 cents each. The five gallon bottle of drinking water we used for drinking, cooking, and brushing out teeth cost 20 cents to replace. We hoped some money to cover our expenses would arrive in the mail that day. Around 11:00 AM Don and I drove into town to see if any money had arrived at office box. There was a letter inside, but no money. When we got back home we gave the news to our wives. No one knew what to do.

“I think I’ll take a walk on the beach and pray,” Don said as he walked toward the front door…

Don had a route he routinely followed when he walked and prayed on the beach. On this day, he was so absorbed in his thoughts that he walked much further down the beach than usual. When he realized where he was he stopped and turned back toward our house. As he did, he noticed something sticking out of the sand in front of him. Out of curiosity, he walked over to the object, bent down and picked it up. The item was small and tightly folded. As he unfolded it, he discovered he was holding a 5 peso Mexican bill! At that time a peso was worth 8 cents in American money, the exact amount we needed. 

When he returned to our beach house, he walked in holding the bill up in the air between his fingers. “Look what the Lord provided for us,” he said.

“What is it?” I asked as I tried to focus in on the object he was holding. Don went on to tell us his story as we all stood in awe of God’s provision and timing.

*

Toward the end of our stay in Ensenada we had some friends come down from Los Angeles to visit us. When they arrived we all went for a ride in our pickup truck to give them a tour of the city. The guys rode in the back of the pickup and the girls rode in the front cab. As we bounced along on one of the side roads my friend asked me a direct question about our finances…

“You guys don’t have any promised support and you don’t belong to a mission organization. How do you plan on living once you go into Central Mexico as missionaries?”

I didn’t have a prepared answer, but out of my mouth came this reply, “Consider the lilies of the field.”

I don’t know if that answer ever satisfied my friend, but it satisfied me. I believed in that moment that God was speaking through me the words that He wanted me to hear. Those simple words, originating in the heart of God, became one of the foundation stones Char and I built our lives upon. 

...

(Join us next week as we continue this journey of Roy's memoir, Like Those Who Dream. The book is available through DaySpring and Christian retailers everywhere.)

#likethosewhodream #roylessin #memoir #meetinginthemeadow #dayspring 

©2022 DaySpring, Roy Lessin, Meeting in the Meadow. Used with permission, all rights reserved.

The Heart of God Toward You

The Heart of God Toward You
-Roy Lessin, Meeting in the Meadow

 

By day the LORD directs his love, at night his song is with me—a prayer to the God of my life (Psalm 42:8).

 

A stranger may walk behind you, but I am your friend and walk beside you. A stranger may be unfamiliar with your ways, but I am your friend and know your heart. A stranger may not know how you feel, but I am your friend and share your joy and your pain. A stranger may keep things from you, but I am your friend and freely give you My love.

#theheartofGod #meetinginthemeadow #roylessin #psalm42

©2022 Roy Lessin, Meeting in the Meadow. Photo by Marina Bromley, used with permission. All rights reserved.

My Morning Prayer: Enough

My Morning Prayer: Enough
-Roy Lessin and Marina Bromley

Enough
-Roy Lessin, Meeting in the Meadow

Are we enough? Are our resources enough? Are our good deeds enough? 

The truth is…no one is enough, has enough, or does enough. We all come up short! Our minds aren’t smart enough to know everything; Our wisdom isn’t complete enough to solve everything; Our strength isn’t enduring enough to do everything. 

Loneliness tells us we are not enough for ourselves. 

Discontentment reveals we don’t possess enough to be fulfilled. 

Frustration reveals that we can’t do enough to reach perfection. 

On a deeper level, none of us has enough of anything to enrich ourselves spiritually. 

We all come up empty. If we had a spiritual bank account our balance would be zero. 

One of the most encouraging words Jesus ever spoke were these, “Without me you can do NOTHING!” Be encouraged today struggling one, Jesus’ life is enough! God’s presence is enough. The Holy Spirit’s power is enough.

Daily, let your heart be wholly His, as He daily says to you, “My love is wholly yours. It will never fail to be enough, for I am your all, in all, with all, through all of your days.”

For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily; and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power (Colossians 2:9-10 NKJV).

 

My Morning Prayer
-Marina Bromley

Thank You Lord, that I can do nothing on my own, and that You can do everything. You never intended me to do anything alone. Your promises are enough to carry me through the difficult days, the times I struggle, and I can cling to Your presence and trust the Holy Spirit’s power to accomplish all that I cannot. I’m so grateful that all along Your plan was for me to not be enough. Your plan was to be in me, to work through me, to accomplish more than I could ever hope or imagine. Be at work dear God, in me, through me, around me. Change in me what needs to be changed. Remove my addictions, my weaknesses, my unhealthy desires, my pride. Teach me to pray hard prayers like “break me” and “send me” and “use me.” Accomplish through me what I cannot imagine. Fulfill Your will, and let Your Kingdom rule, on earth as it is in Heaven. Bring all things under Your command, and teach me to rest knowing that You are bringing things to pass as You desire. In Jesus’ name, amen.

...

#mymondayprayer #prayer #meetinginthemeadow #roylessin #marinabromley #meetmeinthemeadow #dayspring

©2022 Roy Lessin, Meeting in the Meadow. Photo by Marina Bromley, used with permission. All rights reserved.

Like Those Who Dream: Chapter 15, Mercy Abounds

Like Those Who Dream: Chapter 15, Mercy Abounds
-Roy Lessin, Meeting in the Meadow
 

I believe in God’s mercies. The Bible tells us His mercies are new every morning. Each of our lives are testimonies to the mercy of God. Before I yielded my life to Jesus Christ at the age of 19, it was the mercy of God that spared my life on three separate occasions. On each of these occasions my brother Don was close by…

I was born in the Bronx, New York, home of Yankee Stadium and the Bronx Zoo. It was a great place for an active boy to grow up. I spent the first six years of my life riding my tricycle on the sidewalk or at the city park, going to watch an occasional ballgame at the Stadium, or spending hours with the baby animals at the petting zoo. In the summers, my mother would take my brother and me out of the city to Newtown, Connecticut, to live on a farm owned by one of our relatives. It was an adventurous place to be during the summer months.

There were trees to climb, bullfrogs to capture, night crawlers to find in the ground, and fish to catch in the nearby creek. The farm did have its dangers, however. By the side of the farmhouse, my aunt kept a large rain barrel to catch the rainwater. As a two-year-old, I walked past it one morning. It looked like something I should explore. The barrel was taller than I, so I decided to pull myself up and have a look inside. The barrel was full of water at the time and I had no concept of the danger I was facing.  As I strained to look inside I fell in, head first. There was nothing I could do to escape. I could not yell or scream and I was completely out of anyone’s sight that might be passing by. I had only seconds to live.

At the very moment I fell into the barrel my brother Don was standing on the back porch of the farmhouse. He saw the whole thing happen. Don, aged seven, made a decision that saved my life. Instead of running into the house to find help, he immediately ran to the barrel, grabbed me by the legs, and pulled me out. 

*

The next life-threatening incident happened several years after our family moved from New York to Los Angeles in 1949. We were staying with my grandparents temporarily until my parents could find a house to rent. One Saturday morning, Don and I decided to go outside and play catch. There wasn’t enough room in the backyard to throw the baseball very far, so we went out front and played in the street.  

Things were going great until Don made a hard, low throw that bounced through my legs. The ball rolled down the street and across a busy intersection. I chased after it without thinking about the danger. No cars were present at that moment and I made it safely across and picked up the ball.

In the meantime, Don ran to the end of the street and yelled out to me across the busy intersection, “Don’t come back across until I tell you it is okay.” I stood there, between two parked cars, waiting for him to give me the okay to cross.

“Now!” he yelled. I took off. His view must have been blocked, because I only took a couple of steps when, to my right, I saw the front headlights of a car coming right at me. Don watched in horror as the car hit me head on. I did two flips in the air and landed on my back. I sat up bewildered and started to cry. Don ran home and told my mom what had happened. She panicked. An ambulance was called. The driver who hit me was scared and worried about my condition. When the ambulance arrived I was taken to the hospital for x-rays. I had a concussion and some bruises on my back, but nothing else was wrong and I was released.

*

The third incident occurred when I was in high school. My brother and I were members of a social club called the Shantels. In the fall we would often get some the guys together and play football. One weekend we played on a field that was located at a nearby schoolyard. The end-zone on one end of the field was right next to a basketball court. It wasn’t the best set up, but it would have to do.

The team I was on wanted me to play a wide receiver. I loved going out for passes, making the catch, and running for a lot of yardage. As the game progressed, a pass play was called. It was going to be a deep pass and I was told to run into the end-zone. I ran as fast as I could. A defender closely followed me down the field. When I got into the end-zone the ball was in the air. It was a perfectly thrown pass and I ran toward the back of the end-zone to make the catch. Going at full speed, the ball landed safely in my arms. I took two more strides and ran headfirst into the steel pole that was holding up the basketball hoop. I don’t remember what happened after that, but when I woke up I was stretched out on a school bench. Don was standing near me. “I thought you were dead,” he said, “When you hit the pole I couldn’t believe how loud the noise was. You instantly feel to the ground. You didn’t move. I can’t believe you are still alive.”

The mercies of God also spared my brother from death. About a year before he gave his life to Jesus Christ, he was attending a party at one of the beach towns in Southern California. He was with two of his buddies from the Shantels. They had all been drinking heavily when they left the party late that night. Don was driving. As he turned the car onto US Highway 101 he picked up speed. There was a light rain falling and the streets were slick. As he came over a hill, Don saw a car coming at them. Both cars were going over 60 miles-per-hour. They hit head-on. Car glass and bodies flew everywhere. Don’s friend, who was in the front seat, went through the windshield, slicing up his forehead. The friend in the backseat flew out of the car and landed on his feet running. He was unhurt. Don was also thrown from the car and walked away untouched. The life of the driver in the other car was also spared.

A few weeks after his accident, Don had a visit with my dad. During the visit, Don, in a rather cocky tone, told my dad about the wreck on 101 and ended his comments by saying, “Well, I guess I’m just lucky.”

My dad looked at Don intently and said, “No, you’re not lucky…God just didn’t want you to die yet.”

I am so thankful for the mercies of God that were extended to Don and me in our youth. It was because of His mercies that we were able to spend over 45 years as brothers in Christ. Even though we spent many of those years serving the Lord in different places, God tied us together with deep cords of love. Don was my faithful friend, mentor, encourager, and co-laborer in God’s Kingdom.  

...

(Join us next week as we continue this journey of Roy's memoir, Like Those Who Dream. The book is available through DaySpring and Christian retailers everywhere.)

#likethosewhodream #roylessin #memoir #meetinginthemeadow #dayspring 

©2022 DaySpring, Roy Lessin, Meeting in the Meadow. Used with permission, all rights reserved.

Going to Your Father

Going to Your Father
-Roy Lessin, Meeting in the Meadow

 

“I will arise and go to my father” Luke 15:18

When facing evil, to whom can you run?
When facing a need, where can you turn?
When facing heartache, where can you go?

The prodigal son made two important decisions. The first moved him away from his father; the second brought him home to his father. Every decision that moves us away from our Father is a bad decision. Every decision that moves us toward our Father is a good decision.

There are times, however, when going to our Father can be difficult. It’s not because the way to Him is hard, or the path is steep. It is because we can encounter roadblocks that have been erected to hinder us from going to the Father for the help we need.

We discover these roadblocks in our thoughts. 

They are placed there by the enemy. God, our Father, does not set up roadblocks to stop His children from coming to Him. He does not say to you, “Stop! Who goes there? You are not permitted to pass. The way is closed. Turn around and go back.” 

The enemy’s roadblocks come from false accusations or false condemnation. These roadblocks can become hindrances to your faith, to prayer, to trust, and to fellowship. 

You may be told you are unworthy to go to God for help because you’ve sinned, you aren’t good enough, loving enough, haven’t done enough, prayed enough, or sacrificed enough. You may also hear accusations about God not caring for you, forgetting about you, or rejecting you. 

God will not withdraw His compassion from you, and will never forget to be gracious to you.

From everlasting to everlasting He is God. He is eternally gracious and compassionate. His mercies ARE new every morning.

Max Reich once talked to a woman who was on her death bed. The woman had lived a life of great darkness and sin. After he shared the gospel and the hope of heaven with her, the woman replied, “No, not me! I’m not good enough. My goodness can’t get me in.” 

Max Reich responded, “If your goodness can’t get you in, your badness can’t keep you out.” 

Upon hearing these words, God’s compassion and graciousness came to her heart, and the woman received God’s free gift of salvation through Jesus Christ.

Your entrance and access into the Father’s presence will always be open to you. Let nothing hinder you from coming. It is Jesus’ victory upon the cross, His shed blood, and the power of His resurrection that removes every roadblock the enemy may try to put in your way. You are invited to come to your Father anytime, anywhere. He will welcome you into His presence.

Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus…Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need (Hebrews 10:19, Hebrews 4:16 NKJV).

...

#meetinginthemeadow #goingtoyourfather #devotional #roylessin #dayspring

©2022 Roy Lessin, Meeting in the Meadow. All rights reserved. Photo by Erin Story, used with permission. 

My Morning Prayer: Important!

 My Morning Prayer: Important!
-Roy Lessin and Marina Bromley, Meeting in the Meadow

Important
-Roy Lessin

“You were made for another world” -C.S. Lewis

You are important-
God knows you and He wants you to know Him.
Your heart is a home where He wants to dwell.
You were formed by God as His unique creation.
You are not a surprise or an accident. Your arrival into this world was not an act of fate. God brought you here for His glory, with His plan, and to fulfill His purpose for your life.

Who you are in Christ is important-
When you received God’s Son you entered into God’s greatest joy. You are now God’s child, heir of the King, adopted and chosen by Him. You are God’s somebody. You are salt. Light. Christ’s ambassador. A servant in His kingdom. You are a witness and a testimony. You are a blessing and will be blessed. So many lives are enriched because you are Christ's and Christ is yours.

Christ’s life in you is important-
Your hands extend His blessing, your heart gives forth His love, your words speak comfort and hope.
Your countenance draws others to God’s light. 
You bring bread and carry living water to those who hunger and thirst. When
you are reduced it brings increase. Bending low, lifts you up. You pray and God listens. You refresh others and you are refreshed. You are His vessel, pouring forth the riches of His grace through Christ who lives in you. 

Having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved (Ephesians 1:5,6 NKJV).

My Morning Prayer
-Marina Bromley

Thank You, Lord, for choosing me long before I knew You. Thank You for creating me with a purpose and equipping me as You see fit. Be at work in me today, and continue to let me see Your hands and feet at work around me as I pursue Your will. May You be glorified in this humble life I live on earth. I look forward to spending eternity in Your presence. In Jesus’ name, amen.

...

#mymondayprayer #meetinginthemeadow #important #devotional #prayer #roylessin

©2022 Roy Lessin, Meeting in the Meadow. Photo by Marina Bromley, used with permission. All rights reserved.

Like Those Who Dream: Chapter 14, Comings and Goings

Like Those Who Dream: Chapter 14, Comings and Goings
-Roy Lessin, Meeting in the Meadow

 

Leave Jesus? Where would we go?
We could never have a richer life;
We could never know a deeper love;
We could never see a greater glory;
We could never belong to a surer kingdom;
We could never possess a nobler purpose;
We could never receive a fuller joy;
We could never hear a higher call;
We could never walk with a truer Friend!

 .

During my years at Bethany there were many comings and goings, including visits from people in Los Angeles to Bethany, and my vacation trips from Bethany to Los Angeles. Char and I also made two return trips to Bethany after our marriage—on our first return I took some make-up courses in order to complete my diploma. This was a result of starting my freshman year at mid-semester. The second time we returned was for a brief orientation before going out with Bethany Missions to Puerto Rico. There were some important lessons to learn during those comings and goings.

On one of my brother’s trips from Los Angeles to Bethany to visit me, he drove alone in his 1958 Chevy Impala. As he worked his way East on Route 66, he drove through a sleepy little town in the Arizona desert. Feeling tired and ready for a good night’s rest he decided to pull into a roadside motel and get a room. He drove up to the main office and registered. After getting his room key, he drove to the parking spot in front of his motel room, got out his suitcase, and walked into his room. It was a little early to go to bed and since the sun had not yet set, he decided to stretch his legs and walk around the grounds of the motel. 

As he stepped outside he looked across the parking lot and noticed a neon sign flashing the word “Bar”. The front of the bar faced the main highway, but from his view he could see the side entrance. The door of the side entrance was propped open, apparently to let in the cooling night air. Through the entrance, in plain view, Don could see the bar and barstools. He noticed a few people sitting inside and then his eye focused on a girl sitting alone. In that moment, the tempter of his soul began to interpret the scene for Don.

“Wouldn’t it be nice to be in there right now? You’re tired and thirsty…and alone. You remember how it used to be, don’t you?”

The temptation was alluring, the pull was strong. The thought came again, “Remember how it used to be?”

Don wrestled for a few more moments with the thought and then turned his gaze away from the bar. He returned to his room, locked the door, and went to bed.

The next morning Don got up at a decent hour, had some breakfast and headed back on the road. He drove for a couple of hours and pulled into a gas station to fill up and stretch his legs. As he stood outside his car, a dirty pickup truck pulled up to the opposite side of the gas pump. Out stepped a young man in his early twenties. Don knew the look of someone with a hangover, and this young man had it written all over him. When Don heard the man groan, it took him back to his drinking days and the deep emptiness Don always felt the “morning after”.

It was at that moment that the voice of the Holy Spirit spoke to Don’s heart, “Do you remember how it really was?” Don knew in his heart that he never wanted to go back to those days in his old life again!

                                                            **********

After my freshman year I went back to Los Angeles for two weeks vacation before starting my summer work program at Bethany. While visiting my dad I discovered that my little sister, Joy, was having a problem with her eye (my dad had five children through his second marriage—Leeba, Joy, Sarah, Andy, and Hannah, in that order. Joy was around three years old during this visit.)

When I inquired about Joy’s eye problem I found out there was a growth behind her eyelid. The growth had roots that were moving toward the back of her eye, threatening her vision. In order to save her sight in that eye she would need surgery. Before committing her for surgery, my dad wanted to have special prayer for her healing. He had heard about some evangelistic meetings in the area that included prayer for the sick and was planning to take Joy. I gladly responded with a “Yes” when he asked me if I would like to go along.

I had never been to a meeting quite like the one we attended. It was held in a large auditorium that was packed with people. Somehow, the three of us found empty seats near the front. We quickly got settled in and enjoyed a powerful and uplifting service. At the end of the message, the speaker spoke to the audience, “If there is anyone who would like to come forward to receive prayer for healing, please come now.” At that moment I had a strong desire to go forward and bring Joy with me. She was sitting on my dad’s lap. I turned and took her in my arms and walked to the front of the platform. Many others were already there, standing in front of me. I assumed the speaker was going to pray for each person that came for healing and that I would be standing there a long time. The speaker, however, did something completely different.

“Do you believe God can heal you?” he asked.

My heart said, “Yes.”

“If you do,” he continued, “I want you, in faith, to place your hand upon the area of your body that needs healing.”

I placed my hand directly upon Joy’s eyelid.

“I want you to pray a prayer of faith and ask God to bring healing to that place on your body.”

My prayer was short and very simple, “Lord, I ask you to heal Joy’s eye and to dry up, by the roots, the growth that is in her eye.”

After I finished praying I returned to my seat and placed Joy back on my dad’s lap. “I believe God has healed Joy,” I said to my dad after sitting down. He was in agreement and we both rejoiced.

Several weeks later, after returning to Bethany, I checked my mail slot in the Administration Office and found a letter from my dad. It contained some news about home and a brief comment about Joy. It read, “Yesterday we took Joy to the hospital and had the growth behind her eye removed. Everything went well and she is doing fine.” I was crushed when I read those words. I was glad she was doing well, but I could not understand why she needed surgery. I was so confident that God had healed her the night I prayed for her. My faith took a nosedive as I struggled with her need for surgery.

I carried the struggle with me for the entire year. It wasn’t until the following summer, when I was home once again for vacation, that the matter got resolved. It happened during a casual conversation I was having with my dad. One thing led to another and we eventually got on the subject of faith.

“Now that we’re on this subject, I’d like to share something that has been a real problem for me,” I said.

“What is it?” my dad asked.

“Last year, when we took Joy to the evangelistic meeting for prayer, I was confident God had healed her eye when I asked Him to dry up the growth by its roots. When I got your letter a few weeks later telling me about her surgery, I was really disappointed.”

As I finished my comment my dad smiled, “I guess I left out an important detail,” he said, “After you prayed for her, we took her back to the eye doctor to have her checked again. The doctor ran some tests and discovered, to his surprise, that the growth had been completely dried up from the roots. He said we only needed to bring her in for a very minor incision to remove what remained of the growth. When we took her to the hospital, the doctor made a small incision above her eyelid and the growth popped right out.”

                                                       **********

When Char and I returned to Bethany we lived in the building that housed married couples. It was a vast improvement from life in the boy’s dorm. One of the amenities was a lounge area that included a sink, cabinets and a refrigerator. The refrigerator was shared by all the couples that lived on our floor. It was very common to open the refrigerator and see jars, cans, juice cartons and a dozen other items marked with a pen that bore the name of the owner. The name on the item meant hands off to any “visitor” looking in the refrigerator for a snack. Even though most items were marked, it didn’t mean that someone else wouldn’t help themselves in a moment of weakness.

Whenever Char and I got a little extra money together we would love to snack on ice cream. The ultimate treat for me was to be able to pour a heaping amount of Hershey's chocolate syrup over a big bowl of vanilla ice cream. The chocolate syrup was hard to come by. When we had money enough to buy some ice cream we usually didn’t have enough to buy the syrup. One day we hit a bonanza, we had gotten a money gift that gave us enough extra cash to go out and buy some vanilla ice cream and a can of Hershey's chocolate syrup. I smiled from ear to ear as I watched the syrup flowing over the scoops of ice cream that sat in my dish after our purchase.

When I finished my delightful snack there was still plenty of syrup left in the can, enough for several more servings. The thought of my Hershey’s syrup sitting in the refrigerator for every greedy eye to see and any lustful hand to grab, caused me to think about another place to store it.

 “I must find a spot no one would think of looking.” I thought.

I knew there was no safe hiding place in the refrigerator. I opened some of the cupboard doors above the sink, but couldn’t find a hiding place that satisfied me. Finally, after much seeking, I opened the doors that were below the sink. It was perfect! For one thing it was dark down there; for another thing you had to bend down to see anything; for a third thing there were other objects, such as cleaning supplies, that blocked the view to the back; for a forth thing there were pipes down there that helped block the view even further. After my discovery I returned to my room, secured the precious can of syrup, and walked quietly down the hall to the lounge area. After checking to make sure no one was coming, I got on my knees, opened the door under the sink and carefully placed the can of syrup in a dark corner behind some pipes. I left confident that no one would ever discover my hidden treasure.

Several weeks passed before Char and I had enough money to buy more ice cream. That evening, in full anticipation of a glorious treat, I got our ice cream out of the refrigerator and dished it up. I could visualize the chocolate syrup pouring from the can as I bent down to retrieve the Hershey’s syrup from under the sink.

“I hope no one has discovered my hiding place,” I thought as I reached my hand back into the dark corner behind the pipes.

I smiled as my hand made contact with the can of syrup. My smile was quickly erased when I got the can to eye level. Green mold covered the top of the can. My syrup was ruined. I was heart broken. As I stood there in my sadness a new meaning to a well-known Scripture came to mind…

“Whosoever will save his chocolate syrup shall lose it; and whosoever will lose his chocolate syrup for My sake shall find it.”

                                                            **********

One Sunday evening, Char and I were in our room writing letters. When we finished, I gathered the letters together to mail them. I looked in our desk drawer and realized we didn’t have any postage stamps.

“We don’t have any stamps,” I announced, “Do we have enough money on hand to buy a couple?”

She looked in her purse and found a few pennies. We needed a total of ten cents to mail both letters. Postage was five cents for a first class stamp. We kept digging through drawers and looking through pant’s pockets and came up with a grand total of nine cents. The other penny was nowhere to be found.

“I know what I’ll do,” I reasoned, “I’ll go down the hall and borrow a penny from one of my friends. It should be pretty easy to borrow a penny.”

I confidently walked down the hall and came to the door of a friend’s room. As I was about to knock I sensed the Lord say these words to my heart, “Do not borrow the penny. Trust Me for it.”

I kept my hand by my side. Instead of knocking on my friend’s door I turned around and went back to our room. I told Char what had happened. We agreed we would trust the Lord for the other penny. My plan was to take five cents and mail one of the letters, then hold on to the other letter until the needed penny was provided.

It was around 9:00 that same evening when I left our room to visit someone down the hall. When I stepped into the hallway I met a friend who was returning to his room.

“Hi Dennis,” I said, “What’s going on?”

“Oh, I just got back from a trip to Minneapolis.”

I asked him about his trip and we talked back and forth for several minutes.

The entire time I talked with him he was playing with something he held between his fingers. As our conversation came to an end, my curiosity led me to ask him a question, “Dennis, the whole time we’ve been talking I’ve noticed you’ve been playing with something between your fingers. What is it?”

“This?” he replied, “It’s just a penny…here!” At that moment he flipped the penny in the air in my direction. I stuck out my hand and caught it.

I stood there in awe. I walked back to our room, opened the door and stood there with a big smile on my face…I held up the penny between my fingers and exclaimed,

“Look what the Lord just gave us!”

We both stood amazed realizing that God cared enough about us to provide us with a penny.

                                                            **********

Our last visit to Bethany was for a brief time of internship as missionary candidates. We were considering joining Bethany Missions and going to Puerto Rico to co-labor with some other Bethany graduates in a Christian bookstore in San Juan. During our internship I was given a temporary work assignment in the shipping department of Bethany House, a publishing division of Bethany Fellowship.

The shipping department was inside a warehouse with no windows. It was a dreary place and the work was not very challenging. Sometimes it was hard to find things to do. To amuse myself I would often take a handheld labeling machine, make up little sayings and stick them on various items around the shipping area. No storage shelf, typewriter, office machine, or counter top could escape my sticky-tape quips.  The only challenge I found in this job was seeing how snugly I could pack a box of books.

One afternoon, as I was packing up a book order, I sensed God was asking me a question that required an answer.

“If I asked you to,” I sensed the Lord say, “would you be willing to work here, shipping books for the rest of your life?”

 “No.” I answered without hesitation.

A few days later the same question to mind,

“If I asked you to would you be willing to work here, shipping books for the rest of your life?”

My answer was the same.

This time, however, I heard the Lord ask me a different question. “Tell me why?”

I knew the Lord was getting at something deeper within me. I had carried a self-centered ambition to be a great missionary. I wanted to do something for God that was noteworthy and would give me recognition. I wanted people to say, “There goes Roy, the greatest missionary that has ever served.”

I knew that shipping books in a warehouse conflicted with my goals. My struggle lasted for several days. Then, one day at work, the burden I was carrying to be “a celebrated great servant of God” fell from my shoulders. “Lord,” I said, “If your death on the Cross for me, if your resurrection and ascension, if your sending forth of the Holy Spirit, if all my Bible training has been for the purpose of me serving you here in this shipping department, then I say “Yes!” That day Roy Lessin died to his big plans to “be somebody important for Jesus.” I left work with a deep peace in my soul and contentment in my heart. I was a free man!

...

(Join us next week as we continue this journey of Roy's memoir, Like Those Who Dream. The book is available through DaySpring and Christian retailers everywhere.)

#likethosewhodream #roylessin #memoir #meetinginthemeadow #dayspring 

©2022 DaySpring, Roy Lessin, Meeting in the Meadow. Used with permission, all rights reserved.