DID I IMAGINE THAT?

I have commented, I'm sure, on our hard financial days and the resulting strain on the other areas of our lives. It is impossible to tell my life story without speaking often of those days because it was the turmoil of those days that taught me to recognize God's personal involvement in my walk with Him.

In the midst of these years of burdensome financial woes, something amazing took place in my life. It happened several times, but I'm just going to tell about one particular period during these hard days. You know, I'm sure, that when there is trouble in one area of life, it almost always follows that it will affect other areas.

We kept going. On the outside, there was not much to indicate that we were in pain. Inwardly, we were weighed down, together and separately. Our differences of opinion on some major parts of the money struggles kept us from talking things through. My heart was SO heavy a lot of the time.

The song "Great Is Thy Faithfulness" had been our family song for a very long time. At every gathering, we would sing it together in beautiful four-part harmony. Even when the kids were very young, we would surprise our guests with such harmonic singing before our meals. So, the song had a special place in my heart.

But, in the midst of the tumultuous waves of life, I began to notice that almost every time I got in the car and turned on the radio, it would be playing. Ken reminded me that it is a popular song on Moody and not too surprising that I would hear it so often. But, the jury was still out, as far as I was concerned. It was just plain crazy.

Then, it started to show up in other places. I actually fought off any thoughts that perhaps God was behind it all because, in truth, this hymn is a great favorite of the church. Those were the days of worship videos on television and when I could not sleep (which was often), I'd get up, turn on that station, and get a blessing from the songs and the verses.

Then it was that it seemed that every night, as soon as I turned on the program, "Great Is Thy Faithfulness" would be playing with some beautiful scenery as a backdrop. The first couple of times, it caught my attention a little. Then, I could help but chuckle at how many times that would be the song playing when I turned the television on or the very next song.

Mind you, I was in the throes, not only of current money woes, but also of impending debt of great magnitude. Ken and I were at opposite ends on how to handle the situation. We often did not like each other a whole lot. I was afraid. Each time I heard the song...with words or without...I was reminded of the faithfulness of God and of strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow.

So, once, when I settled into the recliner in the living room in the middle of the night, I decided not to turn the television on for a while. It was my strange way of finding out if God was behind this or if I was imagining it. For a good while, perhaps a half an hour or more, I sat curled up just waiting. Finally, click, I turned on the set. Ah, ha! It was not "Great Is Thy Faithfulness" that was playing! I pushed back in the recliner. When that song was done, and I'll never forget this as long as I live, a brand new arrangement of my song began to play with a beautiful ocean scene on the screen. There was an immediate response in my heart. God was behind these reminders of His faithfulness and I would not doubt it any longer.

This was the beginning of a highly personal walk with Him. I lived in anticipation of His kind shows of intimacy in the life of Sharon Heldman. A hundred times...no, a thousand times since, He has done cool things for me to impress upon me the fact of His presence and His interest. You would think I am crazy if I were to tell you of some of them; but I don't care...I've seen enough to erase all doubt!

"Great Is Thy Faithfulness" continued to surprise me everywhere I went until God started using another song..."Where There Is Faith" by 4Him. Same thing. I'd get in the car at 2:00 in the morning after a late night at work, and that's what I would hear.

I have an incredible imagination, a professor once told me...but not when it comes to Almighty God showing Himself to little old me!