shoe fits – Musings by Yvonne. Selah!

A Word from Yvonne:

Isn’t it exciting that the Prince of Peace has chosen YOU! All you have to do is accept His Peace. Believe me, it WILL fit!

A few months after my husband and I were married we attended a church convention where I was reunited with friends I hadn’t seen in a while. I was eager to “show off” my handsome husband. My hair was no longer red, but blond–in response to my husband’s request. (Doesn’t the Bible say the wife should seek to please her husband? See Eph 5:22: Wives, be submissive and adapt yourselves to your own husbands as a service to the Lord.) Although I had not seen him for four or five years, a pastor, whom I had known most of my life and was very dear to me, was standing in the distance. I took my husband’s arm and rushed toward him expecting the pastor to throw out his arms and receive me with joy. Instead, I was stopped cold. He saw me. He stared at me. He asked whether I was me or my sister and when I gave him MY name, he spit on the ground in front of me and turned away from me. He asked me no questions. He gave me no opportunity to introduce my husband. I was too stunned to pursue him and attempt conversation. That was the last time I ever saw him. His problem? He had judged me to be an outcast from the church because I had changed my hair color. It was more than he could handle. Did it hurt me? Of course. Did I forgive him? Yes and yes again! Scriptural truths must of necessity be followed; however, man’s opinions often separate even good friends. I realized the problem and knew that my loyalty relative to man’s opinions had to be to my husband and not to another man. Peace came….and stayed in my MIND and my heart!

Many, many people have written songs, stories, poems, and books about being chosen by our Lord Jesus. What a special privilege to have the Prince of Peace invite you to wear His shoes! It’s THE Kingdom of Peace–and it’s within you!

ON COURAGE

“So you think I’m courageous?” she asked

“Yes, I do.

Perhaps I am. But that’s because I’ve had some inspiring teachers. I’ll tell you about one of them. Many years ago, when I worked as a volunteer at Stanford Hospital, I got to know a little girl named Liza who was suffering from a rare and serious disease. Her only chance of recovery appeared to be a blood transfusion from her five-year-old brother who had miraculously survived the same disease and had developed the antibodies needed to combat the illness. The doctor explained the situation to her little brother, and asked the boy if he would be willing to give his blood to his sister. I saw him hesitate for only a moment before taking a deep breath and saying, “Yes, I’ll do it if it will save Liza.”

As the transfusion progressed, he lay in a bed next to his sister and smiled, as we all did, seeing the color returning to her cheeks. Then his face grew pale and his smile faded. He looked up at the doctor and asked with a trembling voice, “Will I start to die right away?” Being young, the boy had misunderstood the doctor; he thought he was going to have to give her all his blood.

“Yes, I’ve learned courage,” she added, “because I’ve had good teachers.”

CONSIDER THE PREPARATION OF PEACE IN THE WORDS AND STORY BEHIND THE FOLLOWING HYMN:

“I BELONG TO THE KING”

1) I belong to the King, I’m a child of His love,
I shall dwell in His palace so fair;
For He tells of its bliss in yon heaven above,
And His children in splendor shall share.

Chorus:
I belong to the King, I’m a child of His love,
And he never forsaketh His own;
He will call me some day to His palace above,
I shall dwell by His glorified throne.

2) I belong to the King, and He loves me I know,
For His mercy and kindness, so free,
Are unceasingly mine wheresoever I go,
And my refuge unfailing is He. (Chorus)

3) I belong to the King, and His promise is sure,
That we all shall be gathered at last
In His kingdom above, by life’s waters so pure,
When this life with its trials is past. (Chorus)

(Words by Ida L. Reed. Music by Maurice A Clifton)

THE STORY BEHIND THE HYMN

“I Belong to the King” was literally beaten out of a humble life by the flail of burdensome trials and afflictions. Ida L. Reed, author of the hymn, rightly deserved to sing “I belong to the King.” She was born and reared in the mountains of West Virginia. Her life was one long, continuous burden-bearing journey. For many years she was compelled to do heavy and arduous work [common] to farm life. This she did in support of an invalid and widowed mother.

Broken at last by the strenuous toil and privations, she was sorely afflicted and bed-ridden for years. Even then, in her hours of pain, she wrote poems for publishers to eke out a meager living. She was removed to a hospital in Washington, D. C., as a last resort, in the hope of prolonging her pain-wracked, yet beautiful life. From her hospital bed of pain, she wrote the words of this poem which came to be a hymn of the church.

“I Belong to the King” is a golden nugget from the mine of character of one of God’s most humble children. For, as often the most beautiful flowers grow in inconspicuous places, so from the inner garden of one of the least of the children of the Lord there comes this flower of thought…

(Taken from Forty Gospel Hymn Stories by George W. Sanville, 1943, p. 56.)

“She hath done what she could…” [Mark 14:8]

HE CHOSE ME

There were so many others that He might have chosen To follow Him;
Others with learning and greater distinction To follow Him;
Men with authority and forceful ability
Who know how to speak and be heard.
I don’t know exactly why I’m here at all,
But today I follow my Lord.

It was bus’ness as usual for me ‘til I heard Him say, “Follow me.”
I left all behind me that day when Jesus said, “Follow Me.”
I emptied myself of my old life completely
With no thought that this could be wrong
And as long as I follow the steps of the Master,
I know I’m where I belong.

For He chose me.
He chose me;
I could not say no when He said,
“Follow me and you’ll be a fisher of men.”
And from now on … From now on
I will not look back on the things left behind;
He chose me to follow Him.

No, I will not look back on the things left behind;
He chose me to follow Him.

(-Author and composer unknown. If any reader knows the author and composer please contact The Alabaster Box so we can give proper credit Thank you.)

______________________________

yvonnekarl@gmail.com

IF THE SHOE FITS – MFC CONFERENCE – 2000

The article above and all three parts below are from the Maranatha Fellowship Women’s Conference in 2000. All are on this website: http://yvonnekarl.com or you can click on the link following each part:

Part 1 – There is a Shoe that Fits (c) Yvonne Karl – https://yvonnekarl.com/2019/06/28/there-is-a-shoe-that-fits/

Part 2 – Does the Shoe fit? (c) Virginia Wright; UBP – https://yvonnekarl.com/2019/06/28/does-the-shoe-fit/

Part 3 – If the Shoe Fits – (c) Yvonne Karl – https://yvonnekarl.com/2019/06/28/if-the-shoe-fits/