My sister (left) and I, (right ) at the Family Reunion at my Aunt’s House - 1986
Facebook just resurrected this post from 2022, reminding me about the story, which shares great stuff about the wonders of being spirit filled, plus it recommends a fantastic book by one of the greatest healer/evangelists of the 20th Century, so I’m reposting it here.
BACKGROUND:
I came from a very large family.. 5 siblings.. tons of cousins.. Our family get togethers were enormous. Then it all went away. None of my siblings married, save one, and he’s no longer married.. None had children, my cousins all disappeared.. aunts uncles.. disappeared.. grandparents long gone.. parents gone. Everyone GONE. Just like that!
In 1985, a cousin and I endeavored to host a reunion of sorts at her mom’s house. That’s me (photo above) and my sister (the redhead) at that reunion. That turned out to be pretty much the last time I saw my relatives, AND my own siblings.
What it took years to come to grips with, was that I had no Christians in my family. Not one.. so, there was a sort of ‘wall’ in between us. Because the ‘non Christians- were sort of militant non Christian, meaning they couldn’t stand to have me around.
Long story.. won’t tell it here. Cept to say, I was the only one who came to Christ that I ever found out about anyway, and it succeeded in keeping me ‘isolated’. My son’s grandparents had passed, and in his 24 years, none of his aunts and uncles ever called him, visited him, reached out to him. Unfortunately, on top of that, he’s an only child, so he never experienced the massive family gatherings that I had known. Growing up, the 2 of us have had some Thanksgiving dinners alone - just the 2 of us..
Speaking of Thanksgivings, I had one aunt, my father’s brother’s wife - that was always very happy, and always kind. I didn’t get to see her except for Thanksgivings., Every year, she’d have all the families converge on her and my uncles house for that holiday. Until that stopped too.
But her kindness was legend. I never forgot it. (In my youth, I didn’t connect her to Christ yet, since I myself was not yet a Christian. I was just aware of her constant smile,.. and unlike others, she always expressed such pleasure to see me!)
Fast forward 36 years..
Over the years, I’d spoken to my aunt on the phone a handful of times. Her children (my cousins) were grown and married and doing fine, her husband (my uncle) had passed away.. She was still in their old house.
Then, in late November of 2022, the day BEFORE Thanksgiving, THE LORD SHOWED ME that this would be “MY AUNT’S LAST THANKSGIVING!”
So I made up my mind to make the 6 hour drive to her house the next day, to see her and my cousins, who were sure to be there with their own children. My son agreed to go with me, to help me drive the 12 hour round trip. That night, I packed gifts for my aunt, my cousins and their children, and went off to bed..
Here’s where the story picks up from Facebook - AFTER the trip:
“I WAS JUST REMINDED OF ONE MORE WONDERFUL DETAIL FROM THE TRIP TO SEE MY AUNT YESTERDAY!.. This will bless you.
A week ago, I pulled Norvel Hayes book 'How to Live and Not Die', off my shelf to re-read it. He said he wrote the book to help people minister to the 'terminally ill'. But you don't have to be terminally ill, or want to minister to someone who is, to read this book. GET THIS BOOK! I can’t recommend it enough!
(In this book, the author, one of this worlds greatest evangelists and healers of our day and time, Norvel Hayes, teaches the principles of the power of God - that work in ALL of us who BELIEVE in the name of Jesus Christ.) Recently I’d taken the book out, as I was looking to refresh those points of authority in my mind, for many reasons.
Well, LAST NIGHT I got my chance to use them!
On Wednesday I had made up my mind to go to Long Island for Thanksgiving - to see my aunt. I told this to my son and asked him to please go with me. He agreed.
Well, in between Wednesday, and Thanksgiving, was one ROUGH night. The enemy apparently, did not want me to go and see my aunt. I had a terrible sleep. Here's what happened..
In the middle of the night I heard a KNOCK on my bedroom door. I woke with a jolt and said out loud (thinking it was my son) '?WHAT'!? No answer at all. I went back to sleep.
IN MY DREAMS - TWICE - I heard knocking on my door.
When this sort of thing happens, its demonic. I was INCENSED that any devil from the pit of hell thought he could get away with being IN my house and disturbing my rest. I sat up in bed, FRESH from having read Brother Hayes’ tremendous book - and commanded the house to be dipped into the fire of ‘The GOD of Elijah’, cleansed by the blood of the lamb, and that anything and everything foul and unclean had to GET OUT in the name of the KING JESUS CHRIST." (unquote) Then I fell asleep.
Morning came, and I woke up feeling like a wet dish rag. I had not slept well. The visitations had stopped, but the episodes had cost me sleep. I really did feel physically bad and began to wonder if I could make the long trip to the Island, and if I SHOULD make the trip. What if I WAS SICK and gave something to my aging aunt?
Those were the inevitable thoughts the enemy proposed after the night of affliction.
Norvel Hayes' powerful book was on my kitchen table from that week of reading it. I got a hold of the book while drinking my coffee, holding my head in my hands.. and the book got A HOLD of me.
Hayes powerful words SO restored my heart - I got up and DECLARED MYSELF FREE FROM AFFLICTION; I REBUKED THE DEVOURER, AND WASHED MYSELF IN THE BLOOD.
(Hey! →This is Jesus’s words in ‘LUKE 10:19’ for all of us disciples!
Then I went into the living room and put an Alan Jackson song on the stereo player,.. 'THERE IS POWER POWER WONDER-WORKING POWER IN THE BLOOOOOD... OF THE LAMB...' (link here)
Then I played -
'I Could Sing About Heaven', by ‘A Few Good Men Ministry’.. (LOVE this song) and I sang along.. PRAISING GOD FOR MY WHOLENESS! (link here)
It took no time at all to feel GREAT! I felt so good, I was dancing to the songs. DANCING AND LEAPING AND PRAISING GOD! YES.. This’s how it's done. :>)
By the time Nick woke up I was feeling terrific., had the car packed with gifts for my cousins, their kids, grandkids, (who I expected to see) and for my aunt!
AND THAT'S NOT ALL!!
We drove 5.5 hours from 12 noon, getting there in the dark at 5:30 pm, stayed till 9:30 pm- and then got back on the road to go home! GUESS WHO DROVE HOME? My son slept in the back seat and I drove 5.5 hours all the way home to UPSTATE NEW YORK - FEELING GREAT!
THAT WAS GOD
(This is the gal who for a long while had been suffering chronic exhaustion (I beat that with Chlorine Dioxide in 2021).
YOU HAVE AUTHORITY. It’s LIKE A BANK CHECK WITH A FULL ACCOUNT. FILL IT OUT AND USE IT. OPEN THY MOUTH WIDE AND HE WILL FILL IT!
If you don't know how to, remember, get to the book 'How to Live and Not Die'. It’s full of the ‘how’ to walk in holy spirit power.
EPILOGUE
When we got to my aunts house that night, Thanksgiving 2022, the house was dark. I was shocked. There was no crowd of kids and grandkids, no cousins.. I rang the bell and looked in the window. An unfamiliar gal with long white hair came to the door. It was my cousin, Chris, that with me in 1986, had organized that last reunion.
I was as surprised to see her as she was to see me. Her mom was there, laying down on the sofa. They had already had Thanksgiving with all their family last Saturday. The 2 of them were now just getting ready to eat dinner. Her mom had a hospice helper, but my cousin would come over most nights to have dinner with her mom.
When I came into the house, her mom' beamed at me! That old fashioned JOY was still in her face. Her eyes glistened. She couldn’t get up, but she more than expressed her joy to see me!
It was that night, that I perceived that my aunt was a Christian - a sister in Christ - that I’d know for eternity!
I believe the Lord wanted to me to KNOW that someone in my family knew him too.
My aunt was thrilled to see me, and to meet my son, and loved our simple gifts. My cousin put out 2 more dinner plates and we all sat down to eat, my aunt seated (wobbly) right next to me. She talked to me non stop. Her former golden lilting voice -was grating now, like guitar strings near to breaking. Her eyes were teary, so they were sparkling.
When dinner was over, I asked her if I could pray for her. She put her hands in mine, and smiled her instant agreement. My cousin jumped up abruptly and left the table - not one to participate in a prayer. I prayed, and my aunt cried tears of joy.
I drove home that night - my son asleep in the back - reflecting on everything.
2 weeks later, my cousin Chris, didn’t call me - but sent word through my oldest sister, (the one in the photo above) to tell me that her mom, my aunt, had passed away.
After making the announcement, my sister made some snide remarks in the email to me to the effect that “Chris told me about your impromptu visit’,.. ‘Pretty rude if you ask me’.
All that mattered though, was that I obeyed the Lord and got to see my aunt. The devil had well nigh talked me out of going - I’d have never seen her again in this world. But a good book and a bit of Godly music, took care of that! ( :>} )
On Thanksgiving I got to find out that my dear aunt was saved. That all those years of my youth when she was so kind.. it had been the spirit of Christ inside her.
Jesus Christ wanted me to know this, and I’m sitting here smiling - to think of seeing her again. Pretty soon if you ask me..
