God Moments

What are God moments? The secular world talks about “coincidences” or “happenstance,” but as Christians, we recognize and experience the presence of the Living God breaking into our “ordinary” lives. 

This can take many forms, but in such instances we know without a doubt that the God of the Universe has revealed Himself, often when we least expected it. Some examples include when God blesses, heals, sustains or protects us; gives us inner peace or a way out; directs our path; makes us stronger through adversity; changes our mind or perspective; or causes us to realize that we've grown.

Whether they are the equivalent of moving mountains or speaking with a still small voice—through Scripture, music, nature or another person—God moments can be so amazing that we feel compelled to share them with others. This page gives you the opportunity to testify to God's awesome power, love and faithfulness. Send an e-mail with a “moment” you would like to have posted to ajordan@oeumc.org.

 

A FUNNY THING HAPPENED ON THE WAY TO FLORIDA 
      My wife Susan and I have had plans for several weeks to go to Tampa, Florida, this coming weekend to attend a wedding. I don’t have to tell you how the economy has put the squeeze on everyone lately. With the price of food, gas and everything else, it has put the pinch on us to the point that this trip’s timing was less than desirable. We had been praying about it, though, and I was very happy when we were surprised by some of God’s goodness.
      First, we were almost shocked by Kevin’s sermon a couple of weeks ago when he mentioned Matthew 6:25-34. “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat and drink.” We felt that God was reminding us that He had control and we are not to worry. The second thing was I told Susan that I had a funny feeling that we were coming into a windfall of some kind. Hours later, my brother called out of the blue with some money he owed me. It was a God moment for me for sure. 
—Tim Anderson  5/4/08
 

FLIGHTS OF ANGELS...

      A couple years ago, my mom went down to Florida to look after my 87-year-old grandmother so my aunt and uncle, who lived nearby, could take a much-needed break as her caregivers in the end stages of chronic leukemia. One evening around 7:30, Mom called me to say she hadn’t gotten any sleep the previous night and was completely exhausted. Although she didn’t ask me to come help, I knew that’s what I had to do and was on a plane at BWI 90 minutes later.

      I arrived at Grandma’s apartment just after midnight, talked briefly with Mom, and then tried going to sleep. It was difficult because Grandma was “talking” nonstop—not coherently but rather a constant babbling—which had been going on for at least 24 hours. A hospice worker had told my mom than dying people sometimes replay scenes and conversations from their lives. Eventaully, though, we nodded off. Around 5 a.m., Mom went to check on Grandma and couldn’t find her! I went into her bedroom and discovered that she had rolled onto the floor in the narrow space between the bed and the wall.

      While my mother went to call for assistance, I somehow wedged myself on the floor next to Grandma and took her hand. Suddenly, she spoke clearly:

      “Angels.”

      “What about angels?” I asked.

      “See angels,” she replied

      “You see angels?”

      “Talking to me.”

      “Angels are talking to you?”

      “Beautiful.”

      Those were her last words, but what an incredible gift! At that moment, I went from believing there is a God, to knowing there is a God. It makes all the difference.

      —Anne Jordan  4/23/08

 

 

GOD WALKED IN                                                                              

      I wanted to share with all of you that God appeared at Oakdale Emory last week. I arrived at the Chapel last Thursday evening for the Celebrate Recovery leadership meeting, and the group was going to meet in the Chapel area but the heat had been turned off and it was 48 degrees. So we decided to move to The Refuge—a lot warmer. The meeting began and some of the discussion became quit tense and several leaders were not sure they wanted to continue with CR if others outside of Celebrate Recovery could not give their recovery testimonies. 

      Knowing the fundamental background of the Celebrate Recovery program and not having any other recovery program experience which all of these members did—I was at a loss for words to help them through this but I needed to speak. So I said a little prayer to God to give me the words to pray with this group. At that moment, we had an interruption at the side door that was locked. One member got up and let a woman in (I assumed that she was lost). No, she said, she had come to pray! We assumed she needed prayers, a refuge or a safe place, so we invited her to stay as we were going to pray before breaking up for small groups. The rest of the testimony discussion was calm, reflective and respectful and ended on a very positive note. 

      Then Marta shared her story: She had gone to her church for choir practice and when she had gotten there she found out that they weren’t having it so she turned around and headed home, but not in the direction she had come as she needed milk and envelopes. As she drove by Oakdale, she felt compelled to stop and pray—something was pulling her in—to find a group or a person that needed prayers. She had fasted all day and was feeling that God needed her to speak. She had worked her way around from the front of the Chapel to The Refuge door (all doors locked). She knew nothing about Celebrate Recovery, she knew nothing about Oakdale—but she prayed for the awakening of our church, she prayed for the leaders, she prayed for our community and the children.  There was not one dry eye left in the room and the power of God was so real, I am still shaking from that moment, as I know the rest of the group is as well. What a blessing God sent to us that night! God had placed us in The Refuge!

      “When I said ‘My foot is slipping,’ your love, O Lord, supported me. When anxiety was great within me, your love brought joy to my soul.” Psalm 94:18-19 

      —Leslie Myers  2/28/08