May 18, 2006

• I love it when I discover a used book that has hidden treasures of knowledge inside. I found a book called Miss Annie: God sent a 3cent stamp and more…., by Annie Goertz. It is her autobiography. She was born in Canada, and ended up being a missionary in India and touching many lives. When I opened up the cover I found out it was autographed by her as well.

  
  

  I have been reading about her childhood in Canada, her parents were German speaking Mennonites, and she had 7 brothers and 6 sisters. Life seemed to be hard for her, but her family was God fearing and they were very happy. She seemed very concerned that after confessing her sins and asking Jesus to be her savior that she didn’t feel saved, so she kept silent and kept praying, wanting some sort of strong sense of salvation. While attending a Bible camp she saw that it wasn’t feelings that meant salvation:

  
  

  Page 31-33 “I know she (her mom) prayed hard. Lo and behold, the morning that Dad was going to take them all to camp in our truck I decided I would go too. It was the Holy Spirit for sure. It did not take me many minutes to put some clothes in a bag and off we went. If I remember correctly the camp was to last a week. Rev. Edwin Erickson was the main speaker again. I attended all the meetings but nothing seemed to touch my heart, no conviction as I had experienced before. But on July 27, 1940 I sat between two of my sisters during the final meeting on the last day of camp and it was different.
       Rev. Erickson announced his text was Exodus chapter 12 and read it. Then he proceeded to imagine that we were all going to Egypt that night to visit some of the homes of the Israelites just prior to their sitting down to the Passover meal. “Let’s see how they feel,” he said. So we knocked at the first door and they swung the door wide open and said to come and join them.  They were singing they told us. When we inquired why, they told us how happy they were for the provision God had made. It was the blood on the doorpost. The Death Angel would see it and pass over their home. Their firstborn would not die. After a bit we left.
       We knocked at the second home once, twice, thrice and the door opened a few inches. A mother was at the door wiping her tears with the corner of her apron. We asked what was wrong. She wondered how come we did not know what was happening that night for it was so terrible. Yes, we had heard but why was she crying. Have you not put the blood on the doorpost and is the whole family inside? She assured us of both but with fresh sobs she said, ‘but what if the Death Angel does not see it in the dark?’
       Then he left the conversation there and asked us a question. ‘Which house do you think was the safest, the happy one or where the Mother was crying?’ I knew for sure the first one was but I was too shy to raise my hand. Then after a show of hands he shocked me by telling us that both were safe. I was puzzled for a bit. Then suddenly light flooded my mind and soul. It was not their feelings but the blood that mattered.
       I saw it! I saw it! I had pled the blood of Jesus hundreds of times to wash away my sins. I had prayed, cried and fasted, always hoping for the assurance to come through my feelings. Now through the illustration of visiting the homes I realized I had done exactly what the crying mother had. Then, I realized, Jesus must have forgiven my sins the first time I asked Him and I AM SAVED! At once I turned to my sister Martha who was sitting on my right and whispered almost out loud, “I am saved.” She was so happy she cried. Isaac was sitting behind me and I turned around and told him I was saved. He was happy”……… “Now I would like to invite anyone reading my story that is not saved to do as I did. Confess your sin, turn from it to Jesus and ask Him to forgive you. Turn your tangled life over to Him. Believe that He will do what you ask Him to do on the authority of God’s Word. For He says, “He that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.” John 6:37. And Romans 10:33 says, “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” No matter what, do not trust your feelings. I tried it for years, they change too often. God’s Word does not change. I have tested it too. He can be trusted to be with us in any and all circumstances. He does exactly what He says He will do. Then confess Him before your loved ones and friends.
       That last sentence reminds me of a chorus we sang a lot at camp. It goes like this:
                               Romans ten and nine, is a favorite verse of mine
                        Confessing Christ as Lord, I am saved by grace divine
                        For there the words of promise, in golden letters shine
                                                           Romans ten and nine!”
  

  
  

      I am so looking forward to reading more of this book and I loved the illustration of Exodus, hadn’t visualized it from that point of view (those who take Beth Moore Bible studies could see that it might be a way she would look at the scripture). Boy can I sure relate. I remember how many times on my own I said the sinner’s prayer to TV but did not FEEL saved. Yet, once I was finally convicted of the depth of my sins, and my need for a savior I said the Sinner’s prayer, did not really “feel” anything, but was told by Pastor Don to trust that I was saved, that it was God’s true Word, not my feelings that mattered.  And in retrospect, the footprints of God are so apparent in my life since that heart-felt prayer for salvation, when I was so broken, that now I know how true His words are. I still have to keep reminding myself that feelings are not facts. I find it so refreshing to find out that someone in the 1940′s also had those same sorts of doubts and fears about salvation. I think God is so awesome that He brings such encouragement by so many different paths.

  
  

  I hope you have a blessed day. I want to sit down and do my Beth Moore homework, and may come back on and share some more from this autobiography. To think that so many times I visited the used book store, had my hands on this gem, put it back on the shelf, and finally on impulse purchased it. God surely knows what I need.

  
  

  Thank you for coming to visit my site. I have been able to get around to yours these past few days. Sometimes I choose to visit your sites rather than make a new entry. I count myself so blessed to have my Xanga friends, and I learn so much from you.

  
  

  Heather

  • 7:49 pm
  • 6 Comments