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Just Breathe
Posted by
Amy Roedding
,
04 May 2015
·
1387 views
In chapel last week at the National Office - I had a special guest with me - an 83 year old second cousin to my husband whose name is Marilyn Knapp. She is probably the main reason my husband's family are believers. She prayed many years for them and God answered and they became believers in a C&MA Church in Indiana!! Marilyn is one of the those people who after they come to visit you feel encouraged in faith.
The amazing thing about her is that she attended Wheaton College and went on to be a teacher in the Wheaton area and in Michigan for several years. Now in her later years she cleans and organizes homes for some wealthy people in the mid-west. But her real heart is her passion for missions and so she began going on missions trips year after year. She goes on 3 missions trips a year where she really serves! She has been with every mission group out there but has really connected with GEM and Bibles for the World. Her latest trip she went with an organization to Tajikistan! In Northern Tajikistan she was the only member of the team who was taken in to a woman's prison where she could speak to them and talk to them from the Bible. Now she has a real burden for that area of the world.
However, as we were sitting in the second row in chapel last Thursday - she heard John speak to us about not using adrenalin to push through ministry and specifically council this year but to rely upon the Spirit and to take time to breath. After the talk - Marilyn visited my office and she told me how much she resonated with what John had said. I was surprised!! But then she told me that two years ago God had given her three things to guide her each day and they were similar to what John had spoken to us about. She said the themes that have been driving her are Slow Down, Focus and Just Breathe. (And all of this I might add are done in the posture of prayer!) This is an 83 year old saint telling me this! It was a timely message for me and I think for all of us - if you are running full speed ahead you will burn out as John noted in his talk. This reminder to Slow Down, Focus and Just Breathe are good coaching points on how to do this. She says when she breathes - she calls out things like "Father - you are with me,...guide me,.... thank you."
I pray this will be an encouragement to you as it was to me and may you learn to Slow Down, Focus and Just Breathe.
The amazing thing about her is that she attended Wheaton College and went on to be a teacher in the Wheaton area and in Michigan for several years. Now in her later years she cleans and organizes homes for some wealthy people in the mid-west. But her real heart is her passion for missions and so she began going on missions trips year after year. She goes on 3 missions trips a year where she really serves! She has been with every mission group out there but has really connected with GEM and Bibles for the World. Her latest trip she went with an organization to Tajikistan! In Northern Tajikistan she was the only member of the team who was taken in to a woman's prison where she could speak to them and talk to them from the Bible. Now she has a real burden for that area of the world.
However, as we were sitting in the second row in chapel last Thursday - she heard John speak to us about not using adrenalin to push through ministry and specifically council this year but to rely upon the Spirit and to take time to breath. After the talk - Marilyn visited my office and she told me how much she resonated with what John had said. I was surprised!! But then she told me that two years ago God had given her three things to guide her each day and they were similar to what John had spoken to us about. She said the themes that have been driving her are Slow Down, Focus and Just Breathe. (And all of this I might add are done in the posture of prayer!) This is an 83 year old saint telling me this! It was a timely message for me and I think for all of us - if you are running full speed ahead you will burn out as John noted in his talk. This reminder to Slow Down, Focus and Just Breathe are good coaching points on how to do this. She says when she breathes - she calls out things like "Father - you are with me,...guide me,.... thank you."
I pray this will be an encouragement to you as it was to me and may you learn to Slow Down, Focus and Just Breathe.
