Esta es la historia de la desaparicion de mi perrita y como yo fui guiada para encontrarla. Esta es una historia de rescate. Pero como yo, usted se sorprendera de ver que, al igual que mi perrita, yo tambien necesitaba ser rescatada.
DIA 1
El 21 de Abril del 2011 a las 4pm, sin yo darme cuenta; mi linda y preciosa perra Narnia, se salio de mi carro que estaba en el parqueadero del supermecado Seabra, localizado en la calle Lafayette en Newark. En ese jueves santo justo antes del domingo de Resurreccion, empezó un viaje que nunca olvidaré. Nosotros estábamos desesperados, lloramos mucho. Hicimos lo que pudimos humanamente hablando, ante la situación. Dejamos el resto en las manos de Dios y le pedimos que interviniera y nos diera una solucion, sin saber que El estaba detras de todo esto permitiendo que pasara con un propósito para mi vida y la de otros incluyendo aquellos que serian parte de la historia y los que la escucharian despues.
Ese mismo Jueves, mi esposo puso aproximadamente 250 pampletes en las calles de la region de Ironbound en Newark. También hablamos con la policia, la Sociedad Humana,etc. Pero no habia ningun rastro de nuestra perrita. Pensamos: “Oremos a Dios por un milagro”. Porque solo un milagro podria traerla de vuelta. El viernes la buscamos por las calles de Newark sin nungun resultado. Necesitabamos tener fé. Tratamos de descansar en esa fé confiando que Dios la traeria de regreso, y decidimos agarrar la ruta hacia la casa de mis suegros para celebracion del dia de Resureccion. Pero continuamos orando constantemente. Mis ojos me dolian de todo lo que habia llorado. Mi “bebe” estaba perdida. Cada minuto que pasamos juntas por dies años pasaba por mi mente. Pero muy dentro de mi, sentía que Dios me decia: “Ella está bien.” Entonces yo segui orando y orando. En cierto momento durante mis oraciones, le pedí a Dios que me consolara, que me diera una palabra. Entonces abrí mi Biblia en Mateo 25:35 “Porque tuve hambre, y ustedes me dieron de comer; tuve sed, y me dieron de beber; fui forastero, y me dieron alojamiento;36 necesite ropa, y me vistieron; estuve enfermo, y me atendieron; estuve en la carcel, y me visitaron.” Al principio, no entendí muy bien la escritura Biblica, pero luego un pensamiento vino a mi mente: Acaso Dios quiere decir que alguien de “dio alojamiento”? Que ese alguien que le dio refugio, tambien le esta dando algo de comer y beber? Descansé, pero al mismo tiempo el dolor y la desesparacion parecian estar constantes mientras yo seguia batallando en contra de mi misma; en medio de mis dudas y las palabras de verdad en la Biblia.
DIA 2
El viernes, mas llanto, mas dolor, mas tristeza. Oré a Dios y le rogué por un milagro. Y en medio de la situacion, El trajo a mi memoria todos los mensajes que habia escuchado ese mes en la Iglesia, en los estudios Biblicos y esta por el internet. Y me di cuenta que todos esos mensajes eran basados en fé y ser cambiados por Dios, aun atraves del sufrimiento. En ese momento pense: “Dios, necesito creer esto. Necesito tener fe. Hay un propósito en todo esto. Ayúdame. Tú eres el Dios de lo imposible. Yo lo sé. He visto tus milagros. Tengo que creer.” Practicamente me la pase de rodillas y orando ese viernes. Al final del dia, pensé: “nadie llamó…oh Señor, deseaba tanto que alguien llamara para decir algo…” Despues de eso, el cellular empezó a timbrar. Llamada tras llamada con gente diciendo que habian visto un perrito blanco en la calle, pero nadie podia agarrarlo. Se veia asustado y siempre estaba corriendo. Ahi fue cuando me perdí en desesperación; solo de imaginarme mi dulce princesa en las calles…asustada, hambrienta, con sed, tan desesperada al punto de huir de la gente…eso quebranto mi alma. Cada llamada me quebrantaba aun más. Y yo nisiquiera estaba cerca de Newark par air a los lugares donde la gente parecia haberla visto. Empece a llamar a todos mis amigos en Newark para que fueran a esos lugares. Empece a llamar personas para que oraran por mi y conmigo. Ahi fue cuando llamé a mi pastor en Brasil y despues de orar ella dijo: “no te preocupes, alguien recogera tu perro, lo cuidará y lo traerá a tus brazos de regreso.” Cuando la tengas en tus brazos, llámame.” Ella habló con tanta certeza y autoridad, que yo supe que ese mensaje era de Dios, y en ese momento mi corazón se llenó de esperanza una vez mas. Y decidi estar a los pies del Señor y pedirle por Palabras, guianza y Consuelo.
Cuando empece a cambiar mi oración de mera desesperación a guianza, Dios trajo a mi memoria el hecho de que yo habia estado ayunando por casi 21 dias, pidiéndole a Dios que cambiara mi fé. Porque básicamente me sentía como Cristiano en una montaña rusa: cuando estaba arriba, estaba arriba, y cuando estaba abajo, bien abajo me sentía. Y yo queria ser una Cristiana firme que tiene gozo y paz aún en los problemas mas difíciles; sin ser desanimada. Me sentِía como Pedro: Me saldré del barco en cualquier momento, me atrevería de caminar en el agua si escuchara a mi Jesus llamándome, pero cuando sentía los vientos de adversidad, me ahogaba en tristeza y depresión. Y no quería vivir asi. Yo quería caminar en la seguridad de la victoria y protección de mi Dios sin importar las circunstancias. Entonces el 4 de Abril del 2011 empece a orar y ayunar para que Dios cambiara eso en mi. Y ahi fue cuando pense: toda esta situación puede ser una manera que Dios ha encontrado para traer ese cambio en mi y en mi fé. Y esperanza lleno mas mi corazón! Podia sentir a Dios hablando de que habia un proposito en todo esto, y yo me empezaba a calmar hasta que las llamadas llegaban otra vez porque yo estaba muy lejos para hacer algo en busqueda de Narnia. Esa misma noche, regresamos a Newark. A la media noche, manejamos atravez del area llamándola por su nombre, pero no habia señales de mi pequeña.
DIA 3
En medio de la noche del viernes a sábado, me levanté y fui a hablar con Dios. Realmente necesitabamos un milagro. Le pedí darme mensajes en la Biblia. Le pedí dirigir mis ojos en los lugares correctos en la Biblia a fin de leer algo que Él queria hablar en mi corazón. Y durante esos momentos del oracion, Él comenzó a mostrarme que Él había permitido que todo esto pasara a fin de cambiarme. De repente todo lo que había oído hablar o leído en el mes pasado llegó corriendo a través de mi mente y pude ver de que todos los mensajes de la iglesia, devocionales, estudios bíblicos, etc. tenían un mensaje común de dejar que Dios le molde, tener una fe que mueve montañas, confiando en Dios con sus problemas, etc... Entonces vi, Dios había estado preparándome para este momento por el cual yo pasaba todo el mes sin yo saberlo. Y allí en medio de la noche, Dios me mostraba que Él era más real de lo que yo pensaba y que Él veía todo, y Él era consciente de mi dolor. Esa noche, abrí la Biblia en diferentes lugares pidiendo a Dios que me hablara y estos fueron los pasajes:
Isaias 38: 5 Ve y dile a Ezequías: “Jehová, Dios de tu padre David, dice así: ‘He oído tu oración y he visto tus lágrimas.” (El me estaba haciendo saber que El era real,estaba presente y sabia todo)
Salmo 38: 8-10 8 Estoy debilitado y molido en gran manera; ¡gimo a causa de la conmoción de mi corazón! 9 Señor, delante de ti están todos mis deseos y mi suspiro no te es oculto. 10 Mi corazón está acongojado, me ha dejado mi vigor, y aun la luz de mis ojos me falta ya. (Él me mostró que Él sabía lo que yo me sentía, y él fue reafirmando su primera declaración en el pasage de Isaías. El quería que yo supiera que que estos versículos de la Biblia no se abrieron por coincidencia o de mera casualidad.)
Salmo 37:34 34 “Pero tú, confía en Dios y cumple su voluntad. Él te pondrá muy en alto y te dará la tierra prometida.”
Juan 14:14 14 “Si algo pidiereis en mi nombre, yo lo hare.”
1Cronicas 28:9-10 “…Si buscas, te permitira que lo encuentres… Asi que Animate y pon manos a la obra!”
Después de todas estas palabras, no pude negar o cuestionar que Dios estaba en todo esto y en control de todo. Realmente vi que Dios es real. Real en todo el sentido de la palabra. Permitame recordarle que no soy una nueva cristiana. He creído en Jesús como mi Salvador durante 16 años. Y he creído porque he sentido y experimentado en cierta medida de Su realidad. De lo contrario, sería una mera fe ritualista vacía. Pero yo nunca había atravesado por una situación tan dolorosa y desesperada en la que no pude ver el final del túnel para probar realmente la realidad de Dios (y amor) más allá de cualquier duda. En estos versículos, él me estaba mostrando que estaba a mi lado diciendome: “ hija mia, yo lo veo todo. Veo tu gemido interior. Ten fe, cree en mí. Hay un gran proposito detras de todo esto. Estoy trabajando en ti através de esta situación para darte la fe inquebrantable que me has estado pidiendo. Mi miedo comenzó a desvanecerse. Me sentí fuerte y le agradeci por ello. Noté que ya eran las 6 de la mañana. Entonces fui a las calles de Newark para buscarla otra vez. Yo estaba tratando de ser fuerte y hacer lo que yo que podía con esperanza y fe en vez de miedo. Conduje hasta las 7 de la mañana y luego recogí la niñera y regrese a casa. Mi marido y yo volvimos al ironbound en Newark para reunirnos con nuestros amigos que también eran cristianos. Fue tan agradable reunirnos con ellos y ver su fe en acción al llevar una lata de comida para perro en caso de que encontraramos a Narnia. Esto me animo mucho. Los cuatro caminamos a través de muchas calles en Newark bajo una lluvia torrencial, llamando el nombre de Narnia. Al mediodia, tuvimos que ir a casa y cambiarnos de ropa porque estábamos todos mojados. Más tarde, volvimos con el esposo de mi amiga y la hija de mi vecino. Caminamos las calles que no tuvimos oportunidad de visitar por la mañana. Y conducimos a través de las que habíamos ido por la mañana y la tarde, pero no había ninguna señal de nuestro perrito. Aun asi, habia una gran esperanza. Las palabras de Dios eran claras de que la encontrariamos, claro que no sabiamos donde buscarla.
Al final del dia, ya sin fuerza fisica ni emocional empece a sentir una tristeza. En ese momento estaba manejando y pase por el lado de una joven. Y algo me hizo regresar. Pare y le pregunte si habia visto el perro del panfleto que tenia conmigo. Dijo que no, pero guardo mi numero de telefono en caso de verla. Después de una hora de haber conocido a la joven, nada que encontrabamos a Narnia. Por lo que decidimos parar la busqueda de ese día. Les dije a todos y a mí misma con mucha tristeza y sereno al mismo tiempo: “todo está en manos de Dios. Necesitamos realmente es un milagro”. Luego decidimos ir almorzar despues de un largo dia. Cuando nos sentamos, la joven que tomo mi numero estaba alli. Pense que era una gran coincidencia. Como una de esas “coincidencias” que vienen de Dios. Atraves de mi caminar con Dios, he compartido acerca de El a otras personas. Entonces empece a compartile a la joven. Le contamos de la desaparición de Narnia con detalles. Le dije que necesitabamos de un milagro, pero que Dios me habia dicho que El escuchaba mis oraciones y veia mis lagrimas. Asi que yo simplemente estaba esperando en El. Aunque yo le dije a ella que me parecía raro verla en ese restaurante, el cual quedaba lejos del sitio donde nos habiamos visto la primera vez. Entonces le dije: “tal vez Dios esta tratando de decirle algo atraves de todo esto”. Y para mi sorpresa, ella dijo: “Si, es Dios quien la puso en mi camino, y yo se el por que”. Ella me dijo que tenian planeado ir a otro restaurante pero que cambiaron de parecer. Me quede con la boca abierta. Y fe corrió a través de mí inundando y remendiando mi corazón roto. La alegría del Señor era como fuegos artificiales en mí. Yo estaba muy feliz al oir las palabras de la joven, quien se habia alejado de Dios, y que necesitaba y quería regresar a Cristo. Vi, senti, y creí que sin duda alguna, que Dios estaba haciendo algo poderoso y hermoso atreves de esa situación. Yo estaba tan feliz, que después de esa larga caminata, conducción, buscando en toda la ironbound con ningún resultado de encontrar Narnia, yo de repente podría ver que no era todo en vano. Había un propósito para todo yo hacía y un propósito para cada uno que yo encontraba en esta situación. Cuando entendí, me hizo tan feliz que era capaz de ir a la casa libremente y encima de ello, cantando y alabando a Dios. Dormí realmente bien esta noche. Dios me dio palabras en la Biblia al final del día:
1 Samuel 23:20 “Por tanto, rey, desciende ahora pronto, conforme a tu deseo, y nosotros lo entregaremos en manos del rey.”
Salmos 19:14 “¡Sean gratos los dichos de mi boca y la meditación de mi corazón delante de ti, Jehová, roca mía (Yo estaba pidiendo para una fe firme como una roca) y redentor mío (rescatador de mi perrito)!”
DIA 4
Domingo de resurección! Dia de milagros. Dia en el cual lo impossible puede pasar. Dia en el cual nadie creia que Jesus hiba a resucitar. Era el día que yo estaba esperando, porque yo estaba segura de que iba a encontrar a mi perrita Narnia ese dia. Pero en ese momento, you estaba tan entregada al plan de Dios, que you estaba bien con cualquier plan que Dios con respecto a cuando hiba a encontrar a Narnia. De todas maneras, la esperanza de encontrar a Narnia este día de Domingo de resurección estaba en mi mente por parte del día. Mi esposo regresó a Newark temprano en la mañana para poner 300 aviadores en las calles. Esta vez, los aviadores estaban en hojas de plástico, porque habiamos visto que la lluvia del Jueves habia dañado los aviadores. Yo le estaba llamando cada hora para saber si es que él habia sabido algunas noticias. Yo estaba anciosa. Pero no habian noticias nuevas. Ahi es que pensé: Hoy día es un día para regocijarme y celebrar a mi Salvador. Es un día para alabar a mi Dios por lo que hizo por mi en la cruz. Es un día de vida, un día que nos recuerda el gran amor de Dios para nosotros, para mi. Y yo estaba poniendome trizte? “NO”. Decidí celebrar y decirles a mis pequeñas hijas el significado verdadero de las pascuas y de lo que Dios hizo por todos nosotros. Atravez de canciones, canticos y metáforas, para que entiendad el significado ... a veces pensaba en Narnia, y lloraba lagrimas calladas, porque estaba calmada y tenía fé. Simplemente era difícil cuando pensaba en ella. Es aquí cuando una de mis hijas dijo: Mami, no llores, Jesus va a traer a Narnia de vuelta. Esas palabras fueron otro consuela de Dios para mi alma. Eran una prueba más de lo que Jesus dice en la Bible: que nuestra fé debería ser como la fé de niños. “De cierto os digo que si no os volvéis y os hacéis como niños, no entraréis en el reino de los cielos” (Mateo 18:3).
Al final de la tarde, my esposo regresó a la casa. Todos esabamos calmados y con un sentido de ‘mission cumplida’. Habiamos echo todo lo posible para encontrarla. En este momento, la situación estaba en manos de Dios, literalmente. Luego, nos alistamos y fuimos a la Iglesia para alabar a nuestro Dios y salvador, rescatador y redentor. Alli, en la iglesia, recordamos lo que Dios ha echo por nostros. Que no hay nada imposible para Dios. Salimos del culto tan livianos, tan contentos, con la asseguranza de un Dios que esta vivo y mira y controla todo lo que pasa. Un Dios que permitió que su único hijo muriera una muerte horrible, pero quien sabía que hiba a ser resucitado para que tengamos una oportunidad para estar para siempre con El. El tiene el control de todo. Después, en la autopista en camino de regreso a nuestra casa, recibimos dos llamadas. Dos gente cristianas con mas noticias, posoblemente de Narnia. Una de ellas era una mujer que habia rescatado que había rescatado un perro que había visto en la calle. Despues, ella había visto nuestros aviadores y decidió llamarnos. Hablámos por mucho tiempo y ella decidió madarme una foto del perro. En la foto, el perro estaba sucio y maltratado, por eso no pude reconocer si es que era Narnia o no. Simplemente se parecía. De todas maneras estaba contenta de saber que hay gente cariñosa que podría haber rescatado a Narnia, y habrian estado cuidandola y amandola. Yo estaba llenandome de esperanza... inclusive si es que no era Narnia. Mi corazón realmente estaba cambiando. Le dije a la persona que hiba a visitarla el día siguiente, Lunes en la mañana. En la noche, estas son las palabra que Dios me dió:
1 Reyes 2:39-40 “Pero pasados tres años, aconteció que dos siervos de Simei huyeron junto a Aquis hijo de Maaca, rey de Gat. Alguien dio aviso a Simei diciendo: “Tus siervos están en Gat. Entonces Simei se levantó, ensilló su asno y fue adonde estaba Aquis, en Gat, para buscar a sus siervos. Fue, pues, Simei, y trajo sus siervos de Gat”.
Esta palabra y la llamada de la persona me dieron aun mas confidencia que Dios me estaba diciendo:”Narnia corrio a una casa de una persona, la cual te va a llamar. Tu vas a manejar el carro, visitarla y traela develta a tu casa.”
DIA 5
Temprano en la próxima mañana, llamé a la señora para ver cuando yo podría ir a su casa en Newark para ver el perro. Cuando llegué allí, su marido me llevó al patio donde vi un perro que era muy sucio. No podía creer la señora le había dado ya un baño la noche antes. La suciedad era tan malo que me dio nausea. Su condición era tan mala, que ella debe haber sido en las calles durante probablemente un mes. No era Narnia. Esto es como imaginé que Narnia era ya después de toda la lluvia y cuatro días en la calle. Fue una Shitzu hembra.
Yo había traído una manta para recoger y consolar el perro, si fuera Narnia o no. La familia no podía guardarla, entonces yo podría llevarla al refugio de la sociedad humana. Me senté cerca de ella. Le di un poco de comida de Narnia y convites. Ella olió pero no lo comió. Me sentí tan mal por ella. La tomé en mis brazos y imaginé su dolor, el dolor de aquellos que la perdieron. Lloré por ella, me puse a llorar por mi Narnia, simplemente imaginar que ella podría estar en la calle en la misma situación. Cuando la abracé, el Señor habló a mí diciendo: ¿ves este perrito? Esto es lo que siento cuando me rescatar a uno de mis perdido hijos y hijas de la sucio lodo de la vida. La manera en que usted siente no es ni siquiera cerca de lo que siento cuando uno de mis hijos se pierde. De camino gritaban el nombre de Narnia en todas partes de las calles. No están hasta cerca de como grito los nombres de mis niños por las calles de la vida. Grito sus nombres por las calles, esperándolos oír mi voz y salir de su escondrijo que ellos han encontrado a soporte las tormentas de miedo y opresión que vienen su camino. Llamo sus nombres, esperándolos venir a mí, a mis brazos, para rescatarlos. Ningún mano humana y ningún esfuerzo humano puede llevarse y limpiar la suciedad que se pone atado a ellos por las calles de la vida. Ningún baño puede llevarse la suciedad. Solo mi sangre que he derramado en la cruz puede purificar, restaurar salvar y limpiar a la gente de la suciedad del pecado y ese fue el momento cuando yo llore aun mas, porque yo podía sentir un poquito de ese dolor y era tan difícil para mi que yo no podía imaginar lo que Dios siente. Entonces yo comprendi que lo que yo estaba atravesando era aun mas profundo de lo que yo pensaba. Yo estaba en una misión para Dios. Una misión de rescate para vidas y no solo para mi perro. Y que mi perro vendría de regreso cuando yo hubiese hecho todo lo que Dios quisiese que yo hiciera a través de esta situación. Cosas que solo pudiese realizar si uno atraviesa una situación como esta. Si no fuera por esto, yo nunca hubiera estado en contacto con mucha gente que ahora conozco. Entonces me levante y abraze la familia, tome la mano de la señora y comenze a orar por ella, su familia y su casa.
Cuando yo dije amen, el celular sono. Era un hombre hispano diciendo que crea haber visto a Narnia en la casa de un vecino y el pregunto cuanto daría por recompensa. Como era un hombre no me sentí comoda con el tono de la conversación. Yo le pedi al esposo de esa familia que viniera conmigo a conocer a ese hombre. El me acompano. El Shitzu vino también. El hombre solo estaba a pocos bloques. Nos metimos al auto y fuimos donde el hombre nos indico a ir. Cuando llegamos tuvimos que esperar a que el terminara un trabajo pues habíamos ido a su trabajo. Asi que esperamos. Esperamos por casi una hora. Asi que aquí estaba yo con perfecto extraño a mi lado y con un perro que pesaba doce libras en mis piernas. Yo pensé, Dios tiene todo en control. Hablemos de El! Aun en ese tiempo de espera me di cuenta que Dios lo había designado para que yo le hablara del amor de Dios hacia al corazón de ese esposo. De todas maneras, yo le había dicho la historia de Narnia y como ahora yo veía que El (Dios) estaba cuidando de todo. No solo cuidando pero también guiándome hacia lugares y gente para hablar de su amor y de cómo Narnia regresaría a mi. Entonces también le conte acerca de otras experiencias que había tenido con Dios y otros milagros que el había hecho en mi vida, de otras situaciones difíciles en las cuales el me había dado la victoria al final. Le dije que había un propósito para todo y que si uno le daba la vida a Dios para que el la dirigiera. A medida que le decía todas estas cosas a el, mi corazón se llenaba mas de esperanza. Esperanza sobre esperanza. Fue muy bueno compartir esas historias con el. De repente yo ya podía ver que mi vida era una vida llena de milagros. Que yo podía escribir muchos muchos papeles de cómo Dios había hecho cosas en mi vida y como el había permitido cosas en mi vida que al principio yo no entendía pero que después el había resuelto de una manera que solamente el puede hacerlo sin ninguna confusión. Fue tan bueno el recordar todo esos eventos. Eso me hizo sentir mas calma y certeza. Entre mas hablaba mas segura estaba que Narnia estará bien y que regresaría a mi. Yo solo necesitaba descansar en Dios y en su tiempo perfecto.
Cuando el hombre termino su trabajo el nos llevo a donde su vecino. Ella era una persona que peinaba perro es y el perro blanco que el había visto era el perro de ella. Ah bueno, no era Narna, pero yo les dije a todas esas personas involucradas que Dios tenia un propósito para todo eso y que regresaría para contarles la historia. Despues de toda mañana llena de eventos, conociendo gente por la primera vez y todas esas emociones, el esposo regreso a su hogar. El perro shitzu fue llevado a la sociedad humana y yo me fui a mi casa con una visión mas clara de Dios con respecto a esta situación que había acontecido en mi vida. Yo ya tenia una misión clara. Yo esperaría para que el Senor trajera mi perro de regreso, pero yo iva a esperar con mucho gozo en mi corazón e iva a hacer lo que Dios me pidiera mientras tanto. Cuando todo tuvo sentido, Dios me recordó lo que sin creer ya había olvidado. El me recordó que el dia después que yo había comenzado un ayuno para que Dios cambiase mi fe, el 5 de abril a mi me toco iniciar el estudio bíblico. La palabra estaba basada en la siguiente pregunta: Que haces cuando los problemas difíciles se levantan contra ti? Que haces cuando el mundo se cae alrededor de ti? Wow! Yo no lo podía creer. Aquí estaba de nuevo Dios hablándome. El propósito de esa situación en mi vida había iniciado en el dia que me propuse buscar a Dios con toda diligencia, intensidad y compromiso. Wow! Podía ver como Dios me estaba preparando para el momento en que Narnia se extraviara. Yo estaba tan impresionada de la realidad de Dios y de cómo todo tenia sentido. Entonces, comencé a leer las notas que había escrito para ese estudio bíblico y se me vino a la memoria todos los pensamientos que inundaban mi mente acerca de lo que diría con respecto a esa pregunta asi como expandía en el estudio bíblico. Tambien recuerdo no poder dormir (lo que es muy inusual) pero recuerdo que escribi mucho y pensé que no me quedaría suficiente tiempo para decirlo todo oh mi Dios! Esto solo es el inicio no la palabra principal! Mas ahora podía ver lo que Dios había hcho. El me había estado llenando con sus palabras para que yo las recibiese en esta circunstancia! Oh y cuanto consuelo me traian! El sabe todo aun antes que las cosas ocurran. Esa era otra aseguranza de que El sabia como todo esto iba a terminar y que yo no necesitaba preocuparme. Uno de los pensamientos que el me dio para que compartiese en ese estudio bíblico fue el siguiente: cuando tenemos un problema, nosotros de inmediato buscamos a alguien para contarlo.Escuchamos tantas voces de muchas personas y muchas cosas pero olvidamos hablar y escuchar al que tiene la verdadera respuesta. Al que tiene la solución de nuestro problema que es Dios! Yo estaba atónita y muy llena de fe que a ese momento ( el milagro por el cual había ayunado estaba ocurriendo: mi fe se estaba aumentando y cambiando!) Me había enamorado de este maravilloso e increíble Dios. De curiosidad decidi leer mis devocionales, mi diarios, las notas de las predicaciones y notas escritas que leo en Facebook y todos esos mensajes de una u otra forma me habían preparado para la perdida de Narnia. Sabia que había un propósito para esa experiencia y entre los mensajes que había encontrado lei temas como:
1. Hay una cruz a cargar, tomala y sígueme… y haslo con alegría. Ten gozo pues he vencido al mundo (Jesus lo dice en la biblia) era como que si Dios me dijese que vendrían los problemas pero que viviera con gozo. Que cabalgara con gozo pues el había vencido ya mayores problemas y el ciertamente vencería los mios aun cuando no lo viese esas victorias.
2. Somos como barro en las manos del alfarero. Permita que Dios te quebrante y te forme de nuevo. Deje que Dios tome las piedras del barro y te ponga en el centro de la rueda del alfarero (el centro de su voluntad) y haga de ti una vasija nuevo. Un vaso sin quebraduras para que nada se salga de lo que tiene por dentro . una vasija que pueda ser usada para algo bueno. Una vasija de honor.
3. La Esperanza viene a través de las tormentas.
4. Senor has conmigo como te plasca.
5. Si tuvieras la fe como un grano de mostaza moverías las montanas ( y los problemas, addiciones, malos habitos, etc) El respondió “porque ustedes tienen tan poca fe. Les digo verdaderamente, si tienes la fe como un grano de mostaza le dirias a esta montana muévete y ella se movería de aquí a alla. Pues nada es imposible para ti” Mateo 17:20
Todos los días de mi ayuno, Dios me estaba moldeando y preparándome. Despues que yo lei todo esto que había experimentado por 21 dias, Dios me dijo a mi: Tu querías una fe inmovible. Una fe que no se hace pedasos ante los vientos de adversidad. Yo te la entrego. En ese momento yo pensé: pero Dios yo nole estoy contando a todo el mundo mi problema y el dijo: no no le ests haciendo pero estas escuchando a las voces que vienen a ti en cada llamada que recibes con lo que aparenta ser noticias de Narnia. Tu les crees y después te caes en pedasos de desesperación. Tu deves creerme cuando te dgo que Narnia esta bien y que ella regresara. Esto no es todo acerca de ella sino acerca de tu fe y todos. Les hare conocer de mi a través de esta historia. Wow! Eso era tan cierto y eso era lo que estqba ocurriendo. Si yo escuchaba muchas voces excepto la de Dios. Escuche las voces de adversidad en ves de la de Dios a pesar que me hablaba tan claramente y a través de tantos versículos bíblicos. Wow! Fue allí donde obtuve mi victoria. Lo entendí todo. Lo comprendi Senor, Gloria a tu nombre.
Al final de ese dia recibi otra llamada con respecto a otro perro blanco en la calle. Esa llamada no me conmovió pero pensé dejare que Dios haga su voluntad en lo que la situación traiga. Que se haga lo que el quiera hacer, si este es Narnia bueno, si no también! Ire donde Dios quiera que valla y hare lo que diga hasta que aparesca Narnia lo cual será como la crema del pastel. Asi que mi esposo y yo fuimos y encontramos al perro y luego a su dueño y hacíamos lo que podíamos sin desesperarnos y sin tristeza haciendo solo lo que Dios quería que hiciésemos y nos encontrábamos en una misión, sabiendo que mostraríamos a la gente que Dios esta vivo que El es real y que El puede hacer lo imposible para nosotros si le permitimos.
DIA 6
Martes. La palabra Dios me dio cuando fui a orar en medio de la noche fue Jeremías 1:17 “Tú, pues, ciñe tu cintura, levántate y háblales todo cuanto te mande. No te amedrentes delante de ellos, para que yo no te amedrente en su presencia.” Esta escritura me ayudó a entender que mientras yo esperaba Narnia a volver, yo debía hablar a la gente sobre el amor de Dios y sobre lo que Él estaba haciendo en mi vida. Dios estaba diciendo que algunas personas podrían “lucha contra mí” o resistir lo que Él me Estaba diciendo, resistir el mensaje de Dios, pero Dios tenía el control y que iba a protéjame. Cuán maravilloso es de servir a Dios con un propósito! Es todo lo yo quería para mi vida en estos 16 años de aceptarlo como mi salvador: Hacer su trabajo, y saber que es porque Él le asignó a mí; que Él tenga un objetivo. Yo me sentía fortalecida todoel dia. Solo estranaba m pequeña nina Narnia.
Asi que durante el dia yo oraba y le pedia fortaleza en mi dolor pero quería estar pensando en Dios y en su obra en estas circunstancias. Mas tarde esa noche fui al estudio bíblico que es los martes e hice todo lo contrario de lo que suelo hacer cuando tengo un problema grande. En vez de estar triste y abatida en mi cama me vesti con una blusa rosada me puse maquillaje y perfume y fui a adorar al señor y escuchar su palabra en el estudio bblico. Yo sabia que me tocaria hablar esa noche y estaba curiosa de que palabras El nos daría. Yo ya me lo imaginaba. Como los demás martes el mensaje fue muy relevante para mi vida donde El hablo otra vez. Ese mensaje fue: Si tu solo creyeras la victoria es vuestra. Dios te regresara todo lo que ha sido tomado de ti. No es esto sorprendente? No es El Real? El resto del mensaje hablo de cómo Dios nos acompaña en el fuego (dificultades) para protegernos del mal y que como a veces el permite ciertas cosas que ocurran en nuestra vida para que el nos de la victoria y el permite que las personas alrededor de nosotros puedan ver que el es Real Wow! Yo estaba tan atónita! Esa noche comencé a envicionar todas las vidas que podrían ser cambiadas a través de esta historia comenzando por la mia. Yo no solo les contaba a las personas pero también lo ponía en el Facebook lo cual confirmaba la palabra que el me había dado en Jeremias 1:17, 19 que se refería a que yo debía decirle a la gente lo que Dios estaba haciendo. Dios es maravilloso! Yo le entrege todo, todo a los pies de Jesus ese dia!
DIA 7
Ahh, cuanto Dios hablo ese dia! Esa era la palabra que escuche en mi tiempo de oración. Era como que si Dios estuviera narrando lo que había ocurrido durante esos 7 dias. Acts 27:18-25 “Pero siendo combatidos por una furiosa tempestad al siguiente da empezaron a alijar, y al tercer dia con nuestras propias manos arrojamos los aparejos de la nave...” (después de todo, el sufrimiento, decidí entregar todo a Dios y deshacerse de toda la carga) “...y no apareciendo n sol n estrellas por muchos días y acosados por una tempestad no pequeña ya habíamos perdido toda esperanza de salvarnos...” (sin la devolución de la perrita durante tantos días, momentáneamente perdemos a esperanza de rescate) “... Pero ahora os exhorto a tener buen animo, pues no habrá ninguna perdida de vida entre vosotros sino solamente de la nave.” (ser de buen ánimo, ella no se quedará perdida; sólo su incredulidad y la vacilante fe de que se lanza como si fuera un barco en una tormenta, serán destruidos). “...Porque esta noche ha estado conmigo el Angel del Dios de quien soy y a quien sirvo (Jesus) diciendo Pablo, no temas : es necesario que comparezcas ante Cesar: y he aqui Dios te ha concedido todos los que navegan contigo.” (No tenga miedo, Anna, porque esto es necesario para usted para pasar por esto, porque las vidas de muchos alrededor de usted serán tocadas por esto.) Por lo tanto, mantenga su valentía, hombres que tengo fe en Dios que será así como me dijo.” (Por lo tanto, estar de buen rollo, porque todo va a pasar como le dijo a usted por la boca del pastor desde Brasil que habló con usted: alguien ha recogido su perro, es cuidar de ella, y que la devolverán en sus brazos!)
Otra palabra Dios me mostró en la Biblia era un estudio en que dice que mientras que Pablo estaba en la cárcel, él utilizó todo el tiempo que no podía hacer nada para servir a Dios de todos modos, hablando de Dios a todos aquellos que vinieron a verlo y a escribir cartas a todas las iglesias que había fundado a lo largo de su camino con Jesús. Y estas letras son hoy en día la mayoría del Nuevo Testamento y cambio y afectar vidas hasta este día. Así que pensé “que es lo que tengo que hacer...mientras que yo no puedo hacer nada... mientras todo lo que puedo hacer es depender de la voluntad de Dios y el calendario, Va diciendo a la gente de todas las maravillas que Él ha mostrado y enseñarme a través de todo esto. Y sólo para confirmar, esta es la palabra que Dios dio después que pensé esto:
Hechos 28:23 “Habiéndole señalado un día, vinieron a él muchos a la posada, a los cuales les declaraba y les testificaba el reino de Dios desde la mañana hasta la tarde, persuadiéndolos acerca de Jesús, tanto por la Ley de Moisés como por los Profetas.”
Fue un hermoso día. Lleno de las promesas de Dios. Fijé todo en FaceBook. Y la gente escribiría para animarme. Y ya que leí todo, Yo pondría todo en mi corazón y pensaría: llevo mi cruz con ¡alegría! ¿Qué loco es esto? Aún no puedo creerlo. Estoy atravesando uno de lo más difícil dolores nunca en mi vida, pero tengo alegría? Wow! Sólo Dios puede hacer este milagro. ¿Dónde está todas las quejas, depresión, ansiedad?! Miro dentro de mí y sólo alegría estaba allí. WOW! Increíble. Entonces abrí mi cuenta de Facebook y hubo un devocional sobre Peter caminando sobre la agua con Jesús. Y esto dijo: si usted sólo cree (las mismas palabras de la Biblia ¡estudie la noche antes!) usted hará lo que hago, dijo Jesús! No tenga miedo. No se hunden. No caen debido a los vientos de problema!) WOW! Luego fui a mi devocional regular. Ahora tenía curiosidad por ver lo que sería la palabra allí porque sabía que por ahora iba a complementar lo que había leído previamente. Y la palabra de Pastor David WIlkerson la Iglesia de Times Square en su diaria devocional fue:
CUANDO TODOS LOS RECURSOS FALLAN
by David Wilkerson | April 27, 2011
“Creer cuando todos los recursos fracasan complace sumamente a Dios y es altamente aceptado por él. Jesús dijo a Tomás: ‘Has creído porque has visto, pero bienaventurados los que creen y no han visto’ (Juan 20:29).
Bienaventurados los que creen cuando no hay evidencia de una respuesta a su oración. Bienaventurados aquéllos quienes confían más allá de la esperanza cuando todos los medios han fracasado.
Es en este momento cuando los bastiones de Satanás se dirigen a atacar su mente con miedo, ira y preguntas abrumadoras como: ‘¿Dónde está tu Dios? Usted oró hasta que no le quedaron lágrimas, ayunó, permaneció en las promesas y confió’. Pensamientos blasfemos se inyectan en su mente: ‘¿Dónde está tu Dios? Usted oró hasta que no le quedaron lágrimas, ayunó, permaneció en las promesas y confió’. Pensamientos blasfemos se inyectan en su mente: ‘La oración falló, la fe falló. No voy a abandonar a Dios pero no confiaré en él nunca más. ¡No vale la pena!’
Inclusive preguntas sobre la existencia de Dios vienen a su mente.
Todo esto ha sido el dispositivo que Satanás ha empleado durante siglos. Algunos de los hombres y mujeres mas piadosos de todos los tiempos vivieron tales ataques demoníacos.
Para aquellos que pasan por el valle de sombra de muerte, oigan esta palabra: El llanto durará algunas oscuras y terribles noches, pero en medio de esa oscuridad pronto oirá el susurro del Padre: ‘Yo estoy contigo. En este momento no puedo decirte por qué, pero un día todo tendrá sentido. Verás que todo era parte de mi plan. No fue un accidente. No ha sido un fracaso de tu parte. Agárrate fuerte. Deja que te abrace en esta hora de dolor’. Amado, Dios nunca ha dejado de actuar en bondad y amor. Cuando todos los recursos fallan, su amor prevalece. Aférrese a su fe. Permanezca firme en su Palabra. No hay otra esperanza en este mundo.”
De hecho, después de leer esto, tengo aún más curiosa y emocionada, porque ahora no había duda Dios era realmente hablando y en control de todo. Así que fui a chequear los devocionales del Pastor Dave que yo había estado leyendo todos estos días y notó que desde el 18 de abril, Dios decía algo a mí por ellos, y había estado preparándome, sin mí sabiendo(conociendo) para lo que yo iba a pasar con Narnia. Increíble! Usted puede chequear ellos: http://www.worldchallenge.org/es/node/13159
Recordé todo lo que Dios me había mostrado todos aquellos días y pensé: Narnia está de vacaciones en la casa de alguien. Cuando esta persona me llama, no dirán creo que tengo tu perro... dirán, tengo su perro, sin ninguna duda... porque Dios no es un Dios de confusión. Cuando Él hace algo, es perfecto y hay paz. Más tarde ese día, el 27 de abril, 2011, a las 4:30 pm, (exactamente 7 días a la hora que Narnia había desaparecido), recibe una llamada de una señora hispana que me dijo estas palabras exactas: “Tenemos su perro, venga y consígala”. Sin duda en su voz, me dijo que tenía Narnia. Incluso pregunté, ‘ ¿Crees que usted la tiene? ¿Estás segura?’ Ella respondió, “Sé que la tenemos. Acabamos de ver su foto en un aviador en la calle.” Yo estaba asombrada y impresionada nuevamente. Y llegó a pasar tal como Dios me había dicho que iba a suceder: alguien devolvió mi Narnia en mis brazos. Y justo completar la alegría y confirmar todo Dios había estado hablando en mi corazón para todo aquellos días, cuando me puse a la dirección la señora me dio para recoger Narnia, fuimos dados la bienvenida por una familia de 4 niños y un adolescente con quien mi bebé, Narnia, había sido, realmente, de vacaciones. Estaba comiendo golosinas y jugando mucho. Ella ni siquiera se preocupó cuando aparecí. Ella no tiene su grito de angustia de separación cuando ella me vio. Realmente, ella no me miró. Ja ja ja! Ellos le habían dado hasta un baño. Ella era feliz, limpia, y aún más fornida... ¡Ay! Tan buena para ver qué tan fiel es Dios. Él se interesa tanto por nosotros y lo que nos pertenece a nosotros. Porque Él cuida de nosotros con excelencia. Él tuvo cuidado de Narnia con el mejor. Ah, estaba tan bien verlo. ¡Él es fiel! Más que podemos imaginar. ¡Vale para servir y adorar un Dios tan bueno! Para todo lo que aprendí en esta semana, vale la pena. Para todo le vi hacer y hablar. Ver que Él se preocupa por los detalles más pequeños de nuestras vidas... Valió la pena. Hasta lo valió si Narnia no fuera encontrada. Por todo lo que aprendí y todos los que conocí, sólo por esto hubiera merecido la pena. Me acerqué a Dios que nunca en 16 años. ¡INCREIBLE! Verdaderamente, Él va más allá de cualquier cosa que podamos imaginar. ¡Increible!
Luego para traer más alegría, después de que llegamos a casa tomé Narnia a pasear, y ya que yo me acercaba a mi casa, uno de mis vecinos llegaba del trabajo y con la alegría él dijo: ¡Dios es bueno! (Habíamos hablado sobre la Narnia historia con él el día anterior y diciendo que Dios es bueno y él le devolverá cuando quiere). Luego otra familia vecina desde el otro lado de la calle llegó al mismo tiempo. Todavía estaba teniendo a mi otro vecino. Y un tercer vecino, que iba en su coche, se paró también. Todos ellos parecía que estaban viendo un fantasma. Porque era una locura creer que esto había sucedido. Ellos veían una imposibilidad realizarse. Un verdadero milagro, porque Newark es una ciudad grande. Para narnia de estar de regreso era sencillamente increíble. Y allí, en ese momento, ver todos mis vecinos en mi jardín, Dios habló a mí: ¿te acuerdas que ha estado orando para sus vecinos así como durante el ayuno? Hice todo esto también porque lo amo. Esto era para ellos también. Para que puedan ver y creer. Para que ellos pueden venir más cerca a mí. Para que puedan creer en mí y tener una vida nueva”. ¡Wow! Yo era otra vez asombrado de esto y todo que pasaba. Si yo hubiera organizado todo lo que estaba ocurriendo con mis vecinos, no habría sido más sincronizada. Y estábamos hablando de Dios sin paredes, sin caminar sobre cáscaras de huevo, sólo claridad, sólo ser real acerca de nuestro viaje con Dios o sin Dios. ¡Fue hermoso!
Después, fui para tener mi momento privado con Dios para AGRADECERLE todo esto. ¡Ah, Él es tan bueno! Dios me dio la siguiente palabra de la Biblia a través de un estudio que dice: gracias a Dios por su amor (no es increíble?). El verso que iban junto con él fue: Jehová está en medio de ti; ¡él es poderoso y te salvará! Se gozará por ti con alegría, callará de amor, se regocijará por ti con cánticos (Sofonías 3:17).
¡Él quiere darle una nueva vida, una vida abundante! Por eso usted lee esta historia. ¡Por favor busque a Dios! Ya que justo como mí llamaba para Narnia, Él llama su nombre desesperadamente por las calles de vida. Haga caso de Su voz. No escuche a todas las voces que te llavas llejos del Padre, el que quién le creó. Dios le ama. Él quiere sostenerle, limpiarle, curarle de sus heridas y sentir cariño por usted todos los días de su vida. Él me hizo pasar por esto así yo podría ser cambiado y de modo que yo pudiera decirle directamente que Él es bueno y que vale la pena dar su vida a él. Simplemente creer y dar su vida a Jesús! ¡ VALE!!!!!! ÉL ES EL DIOS DE LO IMPOSIBLE!!!!!!
Si usted quiere, usted puede pedir a Dios por él entrar en tu corazón ahora, todo lo que tienes que hacer es preguntar. Hablar con Él. La oración es una conversación con Dios. Es simple. Sólo esté verdadero. Él le conoce, Él conoce sus luchas y le ama pase lo que pase. Él dice en la Biblia: “ven como eres.” Ven como el per ven. Sólo venga a Él. Todo lo que Él quiera cambiar y hacer, Él le mostrará y le enseñará pero con su amor profundo. Sus brazos siempre están abiertas para recíbanos. Aquí está una oración modelo si necesita para empezar. Pero sólo(justo) hable con toda sinceridad a Él. Él escucha, como Él demostró a mí a través de este viaje de Narnia. Justo como Él me dijo al principio, cuando Yo acababa de perderla: “He escuchado su oración y visto tus lágrimas” (Isaías 38:5).
Oración de salvación: Señor, por favor, perdona mis pecados, mis actos malos. Confieso Jesús como mi uno y sólo Salvador. Ten misericordia de mí, cambiar mi vida y TRANSFÓRMAME se lo que Usted quieres que yo sea. Yo doy mi vida en sus manos y le pide que haga su voluntad en mí. Quiero conocerle más profundamente y saber su paz, alegría y felicidad aun cuando todo se deshace alrededor de yo. Por favor sálveme, rescáteme y escriba mi nombre en el libro de vida, de modo que puedo pasar toda eternidad juntos con Usted. Es lo que le pregunto, en nombre de Jesús. Amén.
Como termino esta historia, sé que algunos de ustedes abrazarán esta historia y recibirá a Dios, y algunos de ustedes lo rechazarán. Así es como la vida es, pero de todos modos soy petrificado del rechazo. Hoy, cuando termino de traducir esto (para escribí el original en seguida, en portugués) es más de un mes después de todo esto pasó. Esto me tomó mucho tiempo por el temor de ser rechazada. La mayoría de ustedes no me conocen, pero habrá gente muy cerca de mí quien leerá esto también. Pensé en todos los escenarios posibles de rechazo (llamada loca, fanática, insistente, etc....). Dios puso esto en mi devocional: considero que mi vida no tiene ningún valor para mí, mi único objetivo es terminar el raza y completar la tarea que el Señor Jesús me ha dado la tarea de declarar testimonio la buena noticia de la gracia de Dios”. Él me dice: “no se preocupe sobre que la gente dice a usted o sobre usted, o hasta como ellos le rechazan; solo termine lo que le pedí hacer: diga a cada uno sobre mi amor por ellos por esta historia.” Así aquí es. La historia es hecha y traducida completamente. Sólo pido que tome en serio, para entonces, esta historia es sólo el comienzo de su cuento con Dios! Que Dios los bendiga y abre los ojos y los oídos de su presencia y su amor!
PS: Cuando estaba cerrando, recibí un correo electrónico de alguien de mi iglesia en Brasil que dice: “Esto es bueno y agradable delante de Dios nuestro Salvador, que quiere que todos las personas sean salvos y vengan al conocimiento de la verdad” (1 Timoteo 2:3-4). Dios habla!!! Escuche su voz hoy!
Si es que quiere aprender mas sobre la Palabra de Dios y escuchar sobre El pero no sabe dónde empezar, puede escuchar los sermones de la Iglesia “Times Square Church” (website: www.tscnyc.org) Esta es la Iglesia que yo y mi familia attendemos. Tabien, puede ver los cultos en vivo y en directo por internet, los Domingos a las 10:00AM (hora de Nueva York). Si es que esta en la area de Nueva York, puede visitar la Iglesia. La Iglesia esta situada en el centro de manhattan, en la calle 51 y Broadway. los cultos son los Domingos a las 10AM, 3PM y 6PM. Los Martes a las 7PM y los Viernes a las 7PM (Studio Biblico y Culto de jóvenes). Los pastores de la Iglesia realmente buscan a Dios para recibir la Palabra. Ellos no hablan simplemente por eloquencia o por discursos religiosos. Es realmente digno de nuestro tiempo y attención. Les deseo lo mejor a todos!!!!
Hemos creado una pagina en Facebook para todos los que quisieran dejar una nota, compartir algo que Dios a echo en su vida desde que han leido la historia, o simplemente decir algo que Dios haya puesto en su corazón. Que Dios lo bendiga! Aqui vamos:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-New-Chronicles-of-Narnia/142329802527018
Scroll For English. Versión en español está por debajo. Versão em Português está abaixo.
Saturday, March 31, 2012
Friday, March 30, 2012
As Novas Crônicas de Narnia: Ela estava perdida e foi encontrada. Eu estava cega e agora posso ver
As Novas Crônicas de Narnia: Ela estava perdida e foi encontrada. Eu estava cega e agora posso ver
DIA 1
No dia 21 de Abril de 2011, às 4 da tarde, minha cachorrinha maltes chamada Narnia pulou de minha van no estacionamento do Seabra’s market da Lafayette Street em Newark, sem eu ver. Naquela quinta-feira santa começava uma jornada que nunca esquecerei em minha vida. Ficamos desesperados. Choramos muito. E fizemos o que pudemos com a situação que se apresentava diante de nos. O resto pedimos a Deus que interferisse, sem saber que Ele estava por trás de tudo isso e tinha um propósito em minha vida e na vida de todos que soubessem da estória.
Na quinta mesmo, meu marido colocou uns 250 posters pelas ruas de Newark. Falou com policiais, humane society, etc. Mas nenhum sinal da pequena. Pensamos: vamos orar a Deus e Ele vai fazer um milagre. Na sexta, procuramos mais pelas ruas de Newark, e nada. Pensamos: temos que ter fé. Vamos para a casa da família celebrar a Páscoa e continuemos a orar. Meus olhos estavam doendo de tanto chorar. Meu bebê estava perdido. Cada minuto dos dez anos que passamos juntas não saia de minha cabeça. Mas no fundo sentia Deus falar comigo: “ela está bem.” E ao orar, pedi uma Palavra a Deus na Bíblia e ao abri-la, li Mateus 25:35 “Pois eu tive fome, e vocês me deram de comer; tive sede e vocês me deram de beber; fui estrangeiro, e vocês me acolheram.” Não entendi muito, mas aí pensei: será que Deus tá me dizendo que alguém a acolheu, e a está dando de beber e comer? Me deu um alívio, mas ao mesmo tempo a dor e o desespero me invadiam e eu lutava contra as dúvidas e o que estava na Bíblia.
DIA 2
Na sexta-feira, mais choro, mais tristeza. E eu orava, implorava e aí me veio todas as mensagens que eu tinha escutado naquele mês inteiro na igreja e no estudo bíblico, e eu pensava: ‘Deus, eu tenho que ter fé. Eu tenho que crer. Tu és o Deus do impossível. Eu sei disso. Eu já vi seus milagres.” E eu fiquei praticamente toda a sexta de joelhos chorando e orando. Já no final do dia, eu pensei: “ninguém ligou… ó Deus, queria tanto uma notícia”. E aí o telefone começou. Era ligação após ligação de pessoas me dizendo que haviam visto uma cachorrinha branca em tal rua; em outra rua; por aqui e por ali… E a cada ligação eu me desesperava mais, pois ninguém conseguia pegar a cachorrinha. E eu imaginando sua aflição, seu medo, aí mesmo me doia mais e mais. Não chorava mais, urrava de dor. Aí comecei a ligar para todos que conhecia em Newark para irem nas localidades que me foram informadas nas ligações. Estava desesperada. Só que aí, comecei a ligar para pessoas que oram, para orar por mim e pela minha cachorrinha. Foi quando eu falei com minha pastora no Brasil e ela disse: “não se preocupe, alguém vai pegar sua cachorrinha e entregá-la em suas mãos. Quando você estiver com ela em seu colo, me ligue de volta pra contar.” Ela falou com tanta certeza, que ali meu coração se encheu de esperança mais uma vez. E resolvi me prostrar ao pés de Deus e pedir Suas Palavras, Seu conforto, Sua direção.
E aí comecei a lembrar que eu estava jejuando por quase 21 dias para Deus mudar a minha fé. Pois me pareço muito com Pedro, indo aonde Jesus manda. Até pulo fora do barco e tento andar nas águas se meu Jesus me chamar… mas na hora do vento, afundava mesmo, com muita tristeza e depressão… E assim eu comecei a jejuar para Deus mudar isso em mim. Eu falava nas minhas orações do jejum: “Jesus, eu quero ser como os montes de Sião, que não se abalam, mas permanecem para sempre”. Então na sexta, pensei: isso tudo deve ser um meio pelo qual Deus está fazendo-me mudar a minha fé. Mais esperança veio em meu coração! Eu sentia Deus falar. Me acalmava. Só que ao receber as ligações, meu coração se afligia, pois estava longe para poder procurá-la. Então naquela noite mesmo, voltamos para Newark e mais uma vez a procuramos pelas ruas, sem a encontrar.
DIA 3
No sábado de madrugada, conversei muito com Deus. Precisávamos de um milagre. Pedi Palavras ao Senhor, e ali Ele começou a me revelar concretamente que Ele tinha permitido tudo isso para me mudar. E aí TUDO mesmo que eu havia ouvido em pregações, devocionais, estudos bíblicos etc… foi colocado à minha frente e embasado nas Palavras que naquela madrugada Ele falava comigo. Ali no meu lugar secreto de oração com Ele, eu abri a minha Bíblia em vários lugares e as mensagens foram as seguintes:
Isaías 38:5 “Assim diz o Senhor, o Deus de Davi, teu pai: Ouvi a tua oração, e vi as tuas lágrimas.”
Salmo 38:8-10 “Sinto-me muito fraco e totalmente esmagado; meu coração geme de angústia. Senhor, diante de Ti estão todos os meus anseios; o meu suspiro não te oculto. Meu coração palpita, as forças me faltam.”
Salmo 37:34 “Espere no Senhor, e siga a sua vontade. Ele o exaltará, dando-lhe a terra por herança”
João 14:14 “o que vocês me pedirem, em meu nome eu farei.”
1 Crônicas 28:9-10 “…Se você o buscar, o encontrará… Seja forte e mãos ao trabalho.”
Depois de todas essas Palavras, não podia negar que Deus estava em tudo isso. Que Ele estava e está no controle de tudo. Realmente vi que Deus é real. Real mesmo. E olha que já sou crente há 16 anos. Ele estava conversando comigo e me dizendo: “Eu tô vendo tudo isso. Tenha fé! Creia em mim. Eu estou te fazendo ter a fé que não se abala que você me pediu.” Meu medo foi passando. Me senti forte. Agradeci e aí já eram 6 da manhã. Fui paras as ruas de Newark procurar mais, peguei a babá (temos duas lindas filhas) e voltei pra casa para pegar meu marido. Depois fomos encontrar um casal de amigos que nos ajudou a andar por cada rua chamando o nome da Narnia; por toda a manhã na chuva. À tarde fomos de novo em outras partes, de carro e a pé com uma vizinha. A esperança era grande, as Palavras nítidas, mas sem noção de para onde ir, onde exatamente procurar. Nenhum sinal dela. Ao fim do dia, sem forças, me vi começar a desfalecer, até que encontrei uma moça na rua a qual perguntei se tinha visto a Narnia. Ela disse que não, mas pegou meu telefone mesmo assim caso a visse. Passou mais ou menos uma hora. Já eram mais de 6 da tarde e não a havíamos encontrado. Com tristeza, mas calma, falei: “está nas mãos de Deus; precisamos de um milagre.” Fomos fazer um lanche e aí quem está na mesa ao lado na lanchonete? A moça que havia acabado de pegar meu telefone. Achei uma coincidência incrível. Uma daquelas que só Deus faz. Comecei a falar com ela. Contei que estávamos esperando um milagre, mas que Deus disse que estava ouvindo minhas orações e vendo minhas lágrimas. E que eu estava achando muito estranho ela estar ali do meu lado. Falei: “acho que Deus está querendo falar algo contigo.” E para a minha surpresa, ela disse: “Foi Deus que botou você aqui no meu caminho sim, e eu até sei o por quê. Pois eu nem vinha para cá lanchar. E olha aonde estou!” Fiquei de boca aberta. Aí a fé invadiu meu coração, e a alegria do Senhor explodiu meu peito. Ao ouvir as palavras daquela moça, que precisava voltar pra Jesus, vi, senti e cri, sem dúvidas, nem medo que Deus estava fazendo algo lindo com toda aquela situação. Fiquei feliz, que apesar de rodar, andar, e dirigir por toda a cidade de Newark, sem encontrar a Narnia, nada daquilo foi em vão. Que tudo aquilo, e que cada pessoa que eu encontrava e falava era um propósito de Deus. Quando entendi isso fiquei tão feliz que voltei pra casa cantando e louvando a Deus. Dormi muito bem naquela noite! E as Palavras na Bíblia naquele fim de tarde foram:
1 Samuel 23:20 “e nós seremos responsáveis por entregá-lo em tuas mãos.”
Salmo 19:14 “Que as palavras da minha boca e a meditação do meu coração sejam agradáveis a Ti, Senhor, minha rocha (a fé que eu estava pedindo) e meu resgatador (resgatador de minha cachorrinha)” Louvado seja o Seu nome.
DIA 4
Dia da ressurreição do meu Rei! Dia de milagres. Dia do impossível acontecer. Dia em que ninguém cria que Ele pudesse voltar à vida. Era o dia que eu anseiava: é hoje o dia do meu milagre! Mas naquele momento eu estava tão entregue nas mãos de Deus que estava bem com o que fosse a Sua vontade. Porém, a expectativa de tê-la de volta ainda pairava sobre o ar daquele dia. Meu marido foi cedo colocar mais folhetos pelas ruas. A cada hora ligávamos pra ele e… nada. Até que me dei conta: “hoje é o dia de eu louvar o meu Deus, e tudo que Ele fez por mim, por amor a mim, e eu tô ficando triste. NÃO!” Aí comecei a contar às minhas crianças o verdadeiro significado da Páscoa. De vez em quando me vinha a cachorrinha na mente, umas lágrimas rolavam, mas com mais calma e mais fé. Até que uma de minhas meninas falou: Mamãe, não chora, Jesus vai trazer a Narnia pra você! Mais um conforto de Deus entrou no meu coração. E assim foi o dia inteiro enquanto esperávamos o meu marido voltar das ruas de Newark. No final da tarde ele chegou. Estávamos calmos com um sentimento de dever cumprido. Fizemos tudo o que pudemos fazer. Agora, só Deus! E aí fomos à igreja adorar o Salvador. Lá, mais uma vez fomos lembrados do que Deus fez por nós e que para Ele nada é impossível. Saímos alegres do culto, servindo um Deus vivo que vê e cuida de todas as coisas. Um Deus que permitiu que Seu próprio filho morresse e ressuscitasse para nos dar nova vida ao lado dEle. Ele está no controle de TUDO! Então, na estrada no caminho de volta pra casa, recebemos 2 ligações. Dois servos de Deus com possíveis informações da Narnia. Uma era uma senhora que havia pegado uma cachorrinha da rua. Falamos muito, e ela até me mandou uma foto por e-mail. A cachorrinha estava muito suja, não dava pra ver direito. Mas parecia com a Narnia. Fiquei tão feliz com o amor e o gesto dessa mulher que aquilo me encheu de alegria, preencheu meu coração. Alegria ao saber que existe gente boa que poderia ter tido compaixão da minha cachorrinha, e que poderia estar cuidando dela naquele momento. Me enchi de esperança mesmo que aquela não fosse a Narnia. Meu coração já estava mudando mesmo. Então disse que iria à sua casa na manhã seguinte; já estava tarde. A Palavra que Deus me deu nessa noite foi:
1 Reis 2:39-40 “Mas, três anos depois, dois escravos de Simei fugiram para a casa de Aquis, filho de Maaca, rei de Gate. Alguém contou a Simei: ‘seus escravos estão em Gate’. Então Simei selou um jumento e foi até Aquis, em Gate, procurar seus escravos. E de lá trouxe seus escravos de volta.”
Esta Palavra e a ligação da mulher me deram mais confiança de que Deus estava me dizendo: “a Narnia fugiu para a casa de alguém, que irá te ligar. Você vai pegar o carro e irá buscá-la para trazê-la de volta pra casa.
DIA 5
Logo cedo liguei para a senhora que me disse que poderia ir à sua casa. Ao chegar lá, seu esposo me levou para o quintal onde vi aquela cachorrinha muito, muito suja. E olha que a senhora havia lhe dado um banho. Mas mesmo assim a sujeira ainda era muita. Era uma condição tão terrível a que seu pêlo estava, que ela deveria estar nas ruas já fazia um mês. Não era a Narnia. Era uma cadela Shitzu. Eu tinha levado uma manta para pegar a cachorrinha caso fosse a Narnia ou não, pois a família não tinha condição de ficar com ela. Ao sentar do seu lado, a envolvi em meus braços e chorei muito, imaginando que minha pequena poderia estar nas ruas naquela mesma situação. E ao abraçá-la Deus me disse: “você vê esse cãozinho, é assim que me sinto quando resgato um filho meu da lama da vida. É assim que me sinto quando um filho meu está perdido. É assim que fico, pelas ruas à procurar e à chamar cada um dos meus pelo nome, até que saiam dos seus esconderijos, para virem até a mim. Pois nenhuma mão humana pode tirar a sujeira. Nenhum banho, somente o meu sangue purificador, restaurador e salvador pode limpar as pessoas da sujeira do pecado.” Ai, aí é que chorei mais ainda. E entendi que estava em uma missão de Deus. Uma missão de resgate de vidas e não de resgate da minha cachorrinha. E que ela seria devolvida a mim na hora em que eu tivesse concluído o que Deus queria que eu fizesse. Então, me levantei, abracei aquela família, segurei a mão da senhora e comecei a orar por ela e por sua família, sua casa.
Depois que acabamos, o celular tocou de novo. Era um rapaz hispano dizendo que tinha visto minha cachorrinha na casa de sua vizinha. Então como era um rapaz, pedi ao marido da senhora com que eu estava que por favor me acompanhasse por uma medida de segurança. Ele foi comigo. Ao chegar no lugar onde o rapaz com a informação estava, ficamos esperando ele acabar seu serviço por mais ou menos uma hora. E ali eu conversei com o marido da senhora que me acompanhava. E comecei a lhe contar o que Deus estava me mostrando com aquilo tudo. E que tudo isso que estava acontecendo era um propósito de Deus. Contei dos milagres do passado. Ao contar-lhe tudo isso, minha alma se encheu de mais esperança ainda, pois comecei a ver que minha vida era cheia de milagres. Comecei a ver que minha vida era um milagre. Mais esperança entrou em meu coração. E quanto mais eu falava, mais eu tinha certeza que a Narnia voltaria para casa. E de que ela estava bem. Quando o rapaz acabou o serviço, fomos na casa da vizinha, mas ali era a casa de uma cabeleireira de animais, e o cachorro branco era o seu poodle. Enfim, não era a Narnia. Mas falei para todos naquela situação que Deus tinha um propósito naquilo tudo. Depois de toda essa maratona, fiquei muito feliz, pois via a missão claramente em minha frente. Foi aí que Deus me revelou algo, que fiquei impressionada por haver esquecido. Ele me fez lembrar que no dia seguinte de quando eu havia começado o meu Jejum pedindo pra Deus mudar a minha fé, no dia 5 de Abril, eu estava encarregada de trazer a Palavra de abertura no estudo bíblico (célula) que frequento. E a Palavra era baseada em uma pergunta: “O QUE VOCÊ FAZ QUANDO PROBLEMAS SURGEM?” O que você faz quando a casa cai mesmo? Uau! Fiquei pasma. O propósito de Deus para aquele momento que eu estava vivendo tinha começado no dia seguinte de eu começar a buscar a Deus com intensidade! E aí pude ver que Ele já tinha começado a me responder desde aquela data. Fiquei maravilhada! Comecei a lembrar de tudo que Deus havia me ensinado naquele dia em que eu preparava a Palavra. Lembrei até que era tão forte a presença e a mensagem que Ele tinha colocado no meu coração pra falar que eu nem conseguia dormir na noite anterior. Fiquei mais maravilhada ainda. Comecei a ler minhas anotações e vi uma das questões que Deus tinha me mostrado então: quando a gente tem um problema, a gente liga pra todo mundo, conta o problema pra todo mundo, escuta tudo que todo mundo tem pra dizer, mas a gente se esquece de ouvir a voz daquEle que realmente tem a solução para as nossas vidas: DEUS! Fiquei maravilhada. Mais cheia de fé (olha o milagre aí) e mais apaixonada por esse Deus tremendo. Foi aí que comecei a ver os devocionais do mês, as pregações do mês, os posts que sigo no Facebook. E todos, TODOS estavam me preparando para este momento da Narnia perdida, só não tinha me dado conta antes. Mas até nisso, Deus tinha um propósito. Temas como:
1. Ainda existe uma cruz pra gente carregar… e devemos fazê-lo com ânimo.
2. Somos barro nas mãos do oleiro. Deixa Deus te quebrar pra te fazer novo. Deixa Deus tirar as pedras desse barro, colocá-lo no centro da roda da Sua vontade e te fazer um vaso sem rachaduras. Um vaso de honra.
3. Esperança em meio às tempestades.
4. Faça comigo como quiseres.
5. Se tiveres fé do tamanho de um grão de mostarda, moverás montanhas. E mais, e mais e mais. Todos os dias do meu Jejum tinha uma Palavra de Deus me preparando. E Ele falava, você quer uma fé inabalável que não se prostra diante dos ventos das dificuldades? Eu a estou te dando. E eu pensava: “Senhor, mas eu não liguei pra todo mundo contando meu problema?” E Ele disse “não, mas a cada ligação falando que alguém vira uma cachorrinha branca pelas ruas, você esmurecia com desespero.” E realmente. Eu estava dando ouvidos à muitas vozes, ao invés de OUVIR mesmo o que Deus estava me falando tão claramente através de tantos versículos. Aí eu rompi. Entendi tudo! GLÓRIAS a DEUS!!!
No fim do dia, outra ligação falando de uma chachorrinha branca na rua. Eu e meu marido fomos atrás, mas logo encontramos sua dona. Estávamos fazendo o que estava ao nosso alcance, mas sem desespero ou tristeza. Só fazendo a missão de Deus. E com a resolução de que isso tudo era para que as pessoas soubessem que Deus é um Deus vivo e um Deus que faz o impossível acontecer pra gente.
Mensagem “Restaurado nas mãos do Oleiro”, Helena Tannure no XI Congresso Diante do Trono (8 vídeos): www.youtube.com/watch?v=YwDwLEifOQM&playnext=1&list=PLC1C9CD5B526515FB
Ana Paula Valadão no Congresso de Mulheres em Irajá (14 vídeos):
www.youtube.com/watch?v=ensfZ3wezx4&feature=BFa&list=PL8CCE459314B53D5D
DIA 6
Terça-feira. A Palavra que Deus me havia dado nesta madrugada foi Jeremias 1:17 “E você prepare-se! Vá dizer-lhes tudo o que eu ordenar… eles lutarão contra você, mas não o vencerão, pois eu estou com você e o protegerei.” Confirmando que era pra eu esperar a volta da Narnia anunciando o que Deus estava fazendo pras pessoas. Que elas poderiam lutar contra mim, até resistir a esta mensagem, mas que Deus estava no controle e que Ele me protegeria. Que maravilha poder servir a Deus com um propósito! É tudo que eu sempre desejei em minha vida nestes 16 anos com o Senhor. Então estava muito forte o dia inteiro. Só estava com uma saudade muito grande da pequenina. Então orava e pedia pra Deus me dar forças, pois a distância estava doendo muito. À noite saí, fiz o contrário do que geralmente fazia quando estava com problemas. Ao invés de ficar prostrada na cama, me arrumei toda, botei uma camisa nova, maquiagem e fui para a célula (estudo bíblico). Chegando lá sabia que Deus tinha uma Palavra para mim. E como toda terça-feira, Ele falou de novo e a Palavra era: A VITÓRIA É NOSSA, DEUS NOS RESTITUIRÁ TUDO QUE FOI TIRADO DE NOSSAS MÃOS: “O Senhor vai para a fornalha conosco, nos protegendo de todo o mal. E às vezes Ele deixa certas coisas acontecerem para que Ele nos dê a vitória e para que se saiba por todo o mundo que há um Deus em Israel.” UAU! Mais uma vez Deus falou. E depois naquela noite comecei a imaginar as vidas que seriam mudadas por essa estória, a começar pela minha. Pois além de estar contando pras pessoas ao meu redor o que Deus estava fazendo, eu também estava postando tudo o que estava acontecendo no Facebook. Confirmando a Palavra que Ele havia me dado mais cedo em Jeremias 1:17. Maravilhoso Deus! Rendi tudo, TUDO nos pés do Senhor neste dia!
DIA 7
Ah, como Deus falou nesse dia! A Palavra foi essa nas minhas orações. Parecia que Deus estava narrando tudo o que havia acontecido nesses longos 7 dias: Atos 27:18-25
“No dia seguinte, sendo violentamente castigados pela tempestade, começaram a lançar fora a carga. No terceiro dia, lançaram fora, com as próprias mãos, a armação do navio. (depois de todo o sofrimento, resolvi entregar TUDO nas mãos de Deus e me livrar da carga) Não aparecendo nem sol nem estrelas por muitos dias, e continuando a abater-se sobre nós grande tempestade, finalmente perdemos toda a esperança de salvamento (sem a cachorrinha aparecer, momentaneamente, perdemos a esperança de salvamento) …Mas agora recomendo-lhes que tenham coragem, pois nenhum de vocês perderá a vida (tenha coragem, ela não morrerá!); apenas o navio será destruído (apenas a sua carne com certos defeitos, será destruída). Pois ontem à noite apareceu-me um anjo do Deus a quem pertenço e a quem adoro, dizendo-me: ‘Paulo, não tenha medo. É preciso que você compareça perante César; Deus, por sua graça, deu-lhe as vidas de todos os que estão navegando com você’ (não tenha medo, Anna, pois é preciso que você passe por isso, por esse teste, pois a vida de muitos que estão ao seu redor serão tocadas por isso). Assim, tenham ânimo, senhores! Creio em Deus que acontecerá do modo como me foi dito.” (assim, tenha ânimo, pois tudo acontecerá do jeito que Deus já te falou pela boca de sua pastora no Brasil: alguém pegou a cachorrinha e a vai entregar-lhe nos braços!)
Outra Palavra que Deus me mostrou na Bíblia, foi um estudo dentro da mesma, que dizia que enquanto Paulo estava encarcerado, ele usava seu tempo em que não podia fazer nada, para servir a Deus mesmo assim; evangelizando a todos que o vinham ver e escrevendo cartas às igrejas que havia fundado ao longo de sua jornada com Jesus. Pensei: “é isso que eu tenho que fazer… enquanto não posso fazer nada… só depender do tempo de Deus, vou contando as maravilhas que Deus tem me mostrado…” E pra confirmar, essa foi a Palavra que Deus me deu depois:
Atos 28:23 “Assim combinaram encontrar-se com Paulo em dia determinado, indo em grupo ainda mais numeroso ao lugar onde ele estava. Desde a manhã até à tarde ele lhes deu explicações e lhes testemunhou do Reino de Deus, procurando convencê-los a respeito de Jesus, com base na Lei de Moisés e nos Profetas.”
Aí foi um dia lindo de promessas! Coloquei tudo no Facebook. Pessoas me escreviam para me encorajar. E tudo eu guardava em meu coração e pensava: “eu estou carregando a minha cruz com alegria. Nem acredito que estou entendendo esse mistério… Só Deus mesmo para fazer esse milagre.” Abri meu Facebook e ali estava um devocional sobre Pedro andando nas águas com Jesus (se somente creres, farás tudo o que Eu faço, disse Jesus! Não temas, não afunde. Não caia por causa de ventos de problemas!) Aí fui no meu devocional e mais uma Palavra de Deus para o meu coração vinda do meu Pastor David WIlkerson, da Times Square Church (não só o abaixo, mas os seus devocionais a partir do dia 18 de abril, foram providências de Deus, www.worldchallenge.org/en/view/devotions?filter0&filter1=4&filter2=2011
QUANDO TUDO PARECE FALHAR | por David Wilkerson | 27 abril 2011
“O que mais agrada a Deus é quando alguém confia nEle mesmo quando tudo parece falhar! Jesus disse a Tomé: “Porque me viste, Tomé, creste; bem-aventurados os que não viram e creram.” (João 20:29).
Bem-aventurados aqueles que confiam mesmo quando não há evidência de uma resposta à oração, que confiam além da esperança quando tudo parece falhar. Alguém pode ter chegado a um lugar de desesperança, o fim da esperança, o fim de tudo. Um ente querido está enfrentando a morte e os médicos não dão nenhuma esperança. A morte parece inevitável. Esperança se foi. O milagre pelo qual orou não está acontecendo.
É em momentos como esse que Satanás ataca sua mente tentanto provocar raiva, medo e dúvidas como: “Onde está o teu Deus agora? Você orou até não suportar mais. Você jejuou. Você se firmou nas promessas. Você confiou”. Pensamentos blasfemos serão injetados em sua mente:”Sua oração falhou. Sua fé falhou. Você não desistiu de Deus, simplesmente não confia mais nele. Não vale a pena!
Até mesmo questionamentos quanto a existência d e Deus serão injetados em sua mente. Estes têm sido os dispositivos de Satanás por séculos. Alguns dos melhores homens e das mulheres que já estiveram sob tais ataques demoníacos.
Para aqueles que estão passando pelo vale da sombra da morte, ouçam estas palavras: O choro perdurará por terríveis noites. E em meio a noites escuras e sombrias você ouvirá o sussurro Pai dizendo: “Eu estou com você. Eu ainda não posso dizer o porquê de tudo isso, mas um dia tudo fará sentido. Você verá que era tudo parte do meu plano. Não foi por acaso. Não foi uma falha de sua parte. Permaneça firme. Deixe-me abraçar você neste momento de dor.
Amado, Deus nunca deixou de trabalhar com bondade e amor. Quando tudo parece falhar, seu amor prevalece. Permaneça firma na fé. Permaneça firme na Palavra. Não há esperança no mundo.”
Amém, Senhor! Eu lembrei de tudo o que Deus me havia mostrado nesses dias e pensei: “a Narnia deve estar de férias na casa de alguém. E quando esse alguém me ligar, não vai dizer ‘eu acho que tenho sua cachorrinha… vai dizer, eu tenho sua cachorrinha… com certeza… pois Deus não é um Deus de confusão.” E foi no final da tarde do dia 27 de Abril que uma moça hispana me ligou, exatamente às 4:30 da tarde (exatamente a hora que a Narnia tinha sumido 7 dias antes) e me disse exatamente estas palavras: “nós estamos com sua cachorrinha, venha buscá-la!” Sem dúvida, ela me disse que estava com a Narnia. E assim se cumpriu, exatamente como Deus disse que ia acontecer. Alguém a entregou nos meus braços. E para completar o que Deus me havia falado, de que Ele estava cuidando de tudo, para minha surpresa, ao chegar no enderecço que nos fora dado, fui recepcionada por uma família grande de 5 crianças com as quais a minha bebê realmente estava passado férias! Comendo muitos biscoitos e se divertindo muito. Ela parecia nem notar o que havia acontecido, de tão confortável e feliz que estava. Até banho eles a deram. Ela estava linda, feliz, cheirosa e até mais gordinha. Aí pude ver como Deus cuida de nós e do que é nosso. E não só cuida, mas cuida com excelência. Com o melhor! DEUS É FIEL!!! E muito além do que podemos imaginar. Vale a pena servir a um Deus tão bom! Por tudo o que aprendi, nesta semana, por ver como Deus se preocupa com os detalhes, mesmo que a Narnia não tivesse aparecido, teria valido a pena. Por tudo e por todos, teria valido a pena. E para completar, quando chegamos em casa fui dar uma volta com a pequenina. Ao me aproximar de minha casa, um de meus vizinhos estava chegando do trabalho. Ficou maravilhado e disse: Deus é bom! Dali a uns minutos a família da frente chegou. Depois a outra vizinha da esquina. E todos pareciam ver um fantasma. Sem acreditar. Realmente presenciando um milagre, pois Newark é uma cidade grande! E ali naquele momento vendo todos os meus vizinhos na minha grama, Deus falou comigo: “Lembra que você orou por eles? Isso também é por amor a eles! Para que creiam em mim e tenham vida nova!” Uau! Fiquei maravilhada ao ver aquilo tudo acontecendo. Se eu tivesse organizado uma reunião de todos não teria sido tão bem sincronizado. Ali, pudemos falar de Deus sem barreiras, sem dedos, mas francamente, de onde estávamos em nossa jornada com Deus e sem Ele. Foi lindo! E está sendo lindo. E Deus tem coisas lindas pra você também.
Depois, ao ir agradecer em particular, Deus me deu a seguinte Palavra em um estudoem minha Bíblia… Otítulo do estudo era: AGRADEÇA A DEUS POR SEU AMOR (demais, não e?!) E o versículo que o acompanhava era: Sofonias 3:17 “O Senhor, o Seu Deus, está em seu meio, poderoso para salvar… (E se você deixar Ele entrar em sua vida) …Ele se regozijará em você; com seu amor, a renovará, ele se regozijará em você com brados de alegria.”
Deus quer te renovar. Te dar nova vida e vida em abundância! E é por isso que você está lendo essa estória. Por favor, busque a Deus! Ele está chamando o teu nome desesperadamente pelas ruas da vida. Não ignore a sua voz. Não escute as outras vozes que te levam para longe do Pai, aquele que te criou. Deus te ama. E quer te abraçar, te limpar, cuidar de você e te sarar de todas as tuas feridas. Somente creia e entregue sua vida pra Jesus! VALE A PENA!!! ELE É O DEUS DO IMPOSSIVEL!!!
Se você quiser peça pra Deus entrar em seu coração agora, e só você pedir, conversar com Ele, isso é orar. Aqui vai uma oração modelo, fale com Ele do fundo do seu coração. Pois como Ele me disse no início da minha jornada com a minha cachorrinha: “Assim diz o Senhor, o Deus de Davi teu pai: Ouvi a tua oração, e vi as tuas lágrimas.” Isaías 38:5
Oração de Salvação: Senhor, eu te peço perdão por todos os meus pecados, confesso que Jesus Cristo é o único Senhor e Salvador e que sou um pecador. Tenha misericórdia de mim, mude a minha vida e me transforme. Entrego a minha vida nas suas mãos e te peço que faça a sua vontadeem mim. Eu quero te conhecer mais profundamente e quero conhecer a tua paz, felicidade e alegria, mesmo quando nem tudo me vai bem. Por favor, me salve e escreve o meu nome no livro da vida para que eu possa passar a eternidade toda contigo. É o que eu te peço, em nome de Jesus. Amém.
Ao terminar de escrever a historia, eu sei que alguns vao receber essas palavras e deixar Deus entrar em seus corações; e outros vão rejeitá-la completamente. Mas ha alguns que não vão rejeitá-la, mas terão uma postura mais cética, cheia de dúvidas e desconfianças, por causa do estigma ligado as coisas espirituais, especialmente de natureza Cristã Evangélica; e porque temos uma idéia distorcida de que todos os caminhos levam a Deus e de que de religião nao se fala ou se discute. Mas esta história não é sobre religião. Esta história não é uma estratégia para converter as pessoas a uma certa igreja. Esta história é sim sobre Deus, o quanto Ele é real e o quanto Ele quer que nos acheguemos para perto dEle, e não particularmente a uma denominação ou igreja em particular. A ida ao local de uma igreja é apenas uma consequência no plano físico do que se começou no plano espiritual dentro de uma pessoa que quer se achegar a Deus e ter um relacionamento íntimo com Ele. Quando deixamos Deus entrar no nosso coração e na nossa vida intimamente, a ida a igreja passa a ser um ato que fazemos por amor, sede e fome por mais de Deus, e não um ato de obrigação movido pela culpa, ou meramente um ritual movido pela tradição.
No início talvez seja estranho se abrir para falar/conversar com Deus sem regras, rituais ou dogmas que aprendemos ao longo de nossa vida, mas e isso mesmo que Ele deseja: uma conversa franca barreiras. Pois so num relacionamento íntimo de amizade é que podemos nos livrar de tudo que nos impede ou nos confunde para que acreditemos em Deus. Pois quando começamos a ver que Ele responde e é real, tudo se esclarece em nossa alma. Quando conhecemos a Deus face a face, toda dúvida, toda controvérsia criada em nossas mentes sobre Jesus ou outros assuntos a respeito de Deus, se disfaz como vapor. Até aquilo que não conseguimos explicar não se torna motivo de contenda, discussão ou debate, pois dentro de nós temos uma certeza de nem de tudo precisamos saber o por quê, pois confiamos naquEle que está no controle de TUDO. E muitas coisas para as quais não tínhamos resposta antes, são esclarecidas pela Palavra de Deus de forma linda e perfeita. A vida começa a fazer sentido. E você saberá que é verdade pois foi o próprio Deus quem revelou ou esclareceu essa perguntas para você em suas conversas/orações com Ele. Foi Ele, na Bíblia, e não ninguém tentando te converter. Então fale com Deus. Abra o seu coração para Jesus. Ele irá te responder. E você se apaixonará por esse Deus tão lindo, tão bom, tão presente, tão real! Independente de qualquer que seja o tipo de religião no qual você foi criado, fale com Jesus. Não importa em que você tem crido até agora. Importa em quem você vai crer depois de Ele estar chamando o teu nome através destas linhas que você está lendo. Deus nao se importa com os rótulos que temos colocado em nós mesmos. Quando Ele olha pra gente, Ele não vê rótulos, Ele vê simplesmente a gente e o nosso coração. Porque as vezes podemos até ter o rótulo de Cristão e nunca ter verdadeiramente conhecido a Cristo intimamente. Existem muitos Cristãos que vão a igreja, mas não tem um relacionamento íntimo com Jesus. Mais uma vez, não é o rótulo que importa pra Deus, mas o seu coração e o seu relacionamento intimo com Ele. O resto, depois que você se entrega pra Jesus, Ele faz. Então qualquer que seja a tua condição neste momento, se abra para Deus e deixe Jesus entrar na sua vida.
Deus se importa em como estamos vivendo nossas vidas, e para que rumo esta indo o nosso futuro. Ele quer nos mostrar o quanto Ele está perto de nós e o quanto Ele pode fazer por nós se apenas o deixarmos tomar conta de nossas vidas. O que não quer dizer que quando entregamos nossa vida a Jesus, que não teremos problemas, como muitos prometem, mas através de toda luta, nós sabemos que não estamos sozinhos, e que temos um Deus que pode todas as coisas. E mesmo na dor, somos confortados pelo seu Espírito Santo de uma forma verdadeiramente inexplicável, pois os problemas podem doer, mas ha um sorriso em nosso coração, pois conhecemos aquEle em quem temos crido e ficamos somente a espera, como uma criança para ver qual a surpresa que Deus vai fazer para nos ajudar. Nao há dúvidas de que Ele vai nos ajudar, só há uma expectativa de como Ele vai nos ajudar. E no final entendemos todo o plano de Deus e nos maravilhamos em sua perfeição e de como não seria melhor de outro jeito senão o jeito de Deus. E assim aprendemos a conhecê-lo e a confiar nEle, nesse Deus maravilhoso! Assim como eu aprendi na minha história com a Narnia. A única coisa que eu fiz foi decidir crer e falar com Deus, pedindo-lhE ajuda. E mais uma vez pude constatar que Deus verdadeiramente é real e de que Ele faz o impossível acontecer para nós, e por nós.
Deus quer que o deixemos guiar nossas vidas. Ele apenas quer ser nosso amigo, ou um amigo mais íntimo do que nós temos deixado Ele ser, pois as vezes você já é amigo de Deus, mas nao o deixa ser um amigo mais íntimo, o deixando de fora de certas situacões de sua vida.
Então, queira ser amigo de Deus. Deixe Jesus ser o seu melhor amigo. Fale com Ele. O resto, se você pedir e deixar, Ele vai te mostrar, te responder, te ensinar, quando você abrir seu coração pra Ele. “Eis que estou à porta e bato; se alguém ouvir a minha voz e abrir a porta, entrarei e tomaremos juntos uma refeição, em íntima companhia.” —Apocalipse 3:20
Eu escrevi esta historia primeiro em Portugues. Depois traduzi para o Inglês, mas esta tradução demorou muito a acontecer pois eu temia a rejeição de quem lesse essa historia. Pois apesar muitos de vocês que estão lendo, não me conhecerem, há muitos tanto nos Estados Unidos como no Brasil que me conhecem bem de perto. Então pensei em todas as possíveis rejeições: ser chamada de maluca, fanática, chata, inconveniente... E naquele mesmo dia em que pensava em todas essas coisas, la meu email estava uma mensagem de um devocional que dizia: “Mas a vida nada me vale se não completar a carreira e cumprir a tarefa que me foi confiada pelo Senhor Jesus, ou seja, anunciar o evangelho da graça de Deus.” Atos 20:24 Pelo que eu entedi que Deus me dizia: “não te importes com a siua própria vida ou com o que digam de ti, ou até mesmo com como hão de te rejeitar; apenas termine a tarefa que eu te dei de fazer: a tarefa de falar para todos do meu amor por eles através o que eu fiz em sua vida com essa experiência de perderu sua cachorrinha.” Então, aqui está a história ou o testemunho de como Deus mudou a minha fé e trouxe a minha cachorrinha de volta pra mim. A historia está traduzida e completa. Agora só oro para que levem essa história em seus corações e tomem uma decisão por seguir Jesus. Pois só assim, este não será apenas o fim de uma história, mas o começo da sua história com esse Deus real, bom e verdadeiro! Que Deus te abençoe e abra seus olhos, seus ouvidos e seu coração para sentir e viver a Sua presença, amizade e amor!
PS: e eis que ao colocar o último ponto final desta história, o meu email bipou com uma nova mensagem no inbox: “Isto é bom e agrada a Deus nosso Salvador, o qual deseja que todos os homens se salvem e venham ao conhecimento da verdade.” — 1Timoteo 2:3-4 DEUS FALA!!!!!!! Ouça a Sua voz hoje!
Criamos uma pagina no facebook. Se voce quiser deixar alguma mensagem, compartilhar o que Deus fez em sua vida depois que leu a historia, ou algo que Deus colocar em seu coracao. Deus te abencoe! https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-New-Chronicles-of-Narnia/142329802527018
Se você quiser visitar alguma igreja, estas são as que eu conheço por aqui:
Times Square Church
51st Street and Broadway
New York, NY 10019
212.541.6300
www.tscnyc.org
Igreja Comunidade Monte Sião
165 Vanderpool Street
Newark, NJ 07114
973.424.1400
She was lost & now is found. I was blind & now I see!
This is the story of my dog’s disappearance and how I was led to find her. It is a rescue story. But you might be surprised, as I was, to find out that I needed as much rescuing as my lost dog. Enjoy!
DAY 1
On April 21st, 2011, at 4pm, my precious little maltese dog Narnia jumped out of my van in the parking lot of Seabra’s Supermarket located on Lafayette Street, Newark, without me seeing it. On that Holy Thursday, right before Easter, a journey I will never forget, had started. We were Desperate. We cried a lot. And we did what we could, humanly speaking, with the situation that presented itself before us. We left he rest in God’s hands and we asked Him to interfere and bring us a solution — without knowing He was behind all this and that He had allowed this situation to happened for a purpose in my life and the life of others who would come to be a part of or just know this story.
On that same Thursday, my husband put out about 250 fliers through the streets of Newark’s Ironbound region. We spoke to the police, the humane society, etc. And no sign of our little one. We thought: let’s pray for God to do a miracle. Because only a miracle could bring her back. On Friday, we searched more through the streets of Newark without any result. We needed to have faith. So we tried to rest in that faith that God would bring her back and we got on the road to my in-laws house for the Easter festivities. But we continued to pray incessantly. My eyes were hurting from so much crying. My “baby” was lost. Each minute of our 10 years together kept running through my head. But deep inside I feel God saying to me: “she is ok.” So I just kept on praying and praying. At a given moment during my prayers, I asked God to console me, to give me a word. So I opened my Bible and the Word I opened it to was in Matthew 25:35: “For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.” At first, I did not understand it very well, but then a thought came to me: is God saying that someone “invited her in”? That someone gave her shelter and is giving her something to eat and drink? I felt relieved, but at the same time the pain and desperation seemed to constantly prick my soul as I kept battling against myself between my doubts and the Words of truth in the Bible.
DAY 2
On Friday, more crying, more pain, more sadness. I prayed and begged God for a miracle. And in the midst of all this He brought to my memory all the messages I had heard in Church, at Bible Study and even online. And I realized they were all about faith and about being changed by God, even through suffering. That moment I thought: “God, I need to believe this. I need to have faith. There is a purpose i all this. Help me. You are the God of the impossible. I know this. I have seen your miracles. I have to believe.” I was practically on my knees crying and praying that whole Friday. Towards the end of the day, I thought: nobody called... oh Lord, I wanted so much for someone to call saying something...” Then right after that, the cel phone started ringing. One call after another with people saying they were seeing a little white dog on the street, but no one was able to catch it. It seemed afraid and it was always running away. That’s when I lost it in my desperation. Just imagining my sweet princess on the streets... afraid, hungry, thirsty, so desperate she was running away from people... oh that crushed my soul. That is when I really got desperate. Each call shattered me even more. And I wasn’t even close to Newark to go to the places where people were seemingly seeing her. i started calling all of my friends in Newark to please go to the locales of her sightings to no avail. Then I started calling people to pray for me and with me. That is when I called my pastor in Brazil and after praying she said: “do not worry, someone will pick up your dog, take care of her and then bring her into your arms back to you. When you have her in your lap, call me.” She spoke with such certainty, such authority, I knew that was from God, and at that moment my heart was filled with hope once more. And I decided to be at the Lord’s feet and ask Him for Words, guidance and comfort.
As I shifted the direction of my prayer from mere desperation to guidance, God started bringing to my memory the fact that I had been fasting and praying for almost 21 days, asking God to change my faith. Because I felt very much like a roller coaster Christian: when I was up, I was up, but when I was down, I was really down. And I wanted to be an unmovable Christian, that has an inner joy and peace even through the darkest problems, and not get so cast down. I felt very much like Peter: I would get out of the boat at any time, I would even dare to walk on water if I heard my Jesus calling me, but when I would feel the winds of adversity, I would drown deep into sadness and depression. And I did not like living like that. I wanted to walk in the assurance of my God’s victory and protection no matter the circumstance around me. So on April 4th, 2011 I had started to pray and fast for God to change that in me. And that’s when I thought: this whole situation may be a way that God found to bring about that change in me, to change my faith. Then more hope came in to my heart! I could feel God speaking assurance that there was a purpose to all this. I would start to calm down, until the phone calls would start coming in again because I was to far away to do anything about looking for Narnia. So on that very night, we went back to Newark. At midnight, we drove through the area of the sightings calling her name, but no signs of my little one.
DAY 3
In the middle of the night from Friday to Saturday, I got up to talk to God. I talked a lot to Him. We really needed a miracle. I asked Him to give me messages in the Bible. I asked Him to direct my eyes in the right places in the Bible in order to read something He wanted to speak into my heart. And in those moments of prayer, He started to show me that He had allowed all this to happen in order to change me. Suddenly ALL that I had heard or read in the past month came rushing through my mind and I could see that all the messages in church, devotionals, bible study, etc had a common thread message of letting God mold you, having a faith that moves mountains, trusting God with your problems, etc... Then I saw, God had been preparing me for this moment I was going through all month without me knowing it. And there in the middle of the night, God was showing me He was more real than I thought and that He was seeing everything,, that He was aware of my pain. I opened my Bible in several different places asking God to speak to me that night and these were the passages:
Isaiah 38:5 “I have heard your prayer and seen your tears” (He was acknowledging me He was real and present and aware)
Psalm 38:8-10 “I am feeble and utterly crushed; I groan in anguish of heart. All my longings lie open before you, Lord; my sighing is not hidden from you. My heart pounds, my strength fails me; even the light has gone from my eyes.” (He was describing He knew what I was feeling, to support and confirm His first statement to me in the Isaiah passage. He wanted me to know that these Bible verses were not opened by coincidence or mere chance.)
Psalm 37:34 “Wait upon the Lord, put your hope in Him, and do His will, don’t leave the path. He will cause you to receive your inheritance, what is yours.”
John 14:14 “Whatever you ask, in my name, I will do”
1 Chronicles 28:9-10 “...If you seek him, you will find him... now be strong and do the work.”
After all these Words, I could not deny or question that God was in all of this and in control of everything. There I truly saw concretely that God is real. REAL in every sense of the word: real. And mind you, that I am not a new Christian. I have believed in Jesus as my savior for 16 years. And I have believed because I have sense and experiences a measure of His reality. Otherwise, it would be a mere empty ritualistic faith. But I had never gone through such a painful and desperate experience in which I could not see the end of the tunnel to really prove God’s reality (and love) beyond any shadow of a doubt. In these passages, He was proving to me He was by my side, He was talking to me and saying: “my daughter, I see al this. I see your inner groaning. Have faith. Believe in me. Believe that this is all for a great purpose. Believe what I am telling you. I am working in you through this to give you the unwavering faith you have been asking from me.” My fear started fading. I felt strong. I thanked Him and noticed it was already 6 in the morning. So I went to the streets of Newark to search for her again. I was trying to be strong and do the work I could do, but instead of fear, now with hope and faith. Drove by all the streets I could until 7am. Then I picked up the babysitter went home, picked up my husband and went back to the Ironbound in Newark, where we were meeting with a couple who are really true friends of ours. They are also Christian, and their assurance was so grand in the Lord that they even brought a little can of dog for Narnia for when we found her, that day, or another, as the Lord wished. But they were prepared by faith. That was a great encouragement to me. Then the four of us walked through many street in Newark, under torrential rain, calling out Narnia’s name. At noon we had to go home and change because we were soaked. Then, after an hour, we returned with the couple’s husband and my neighbor’s teenage daughter. We went by foot to other streets we had not passed in the morning. We drove through the morning streets and the afternoon streets, but no sign of our little dog. The hope was grand, the Words from God clear that we were going to find her, but we had no idea where to look, where to go. At the end of the day, without physical and emotional strength, I felt like I was starting to crumble into sadness, when at that moment I drove by a girl on the side of the street whom I passed, but something made me go back, stop and ask her if she had seen the dog on the poster I had with me. She said no, but put my number in her cel phone and told me she would call if she’d see her around. After about an hour from meeting this girl, we had still not found Narnia, so we decided to call it quits for the say. I said to everyone and to my self with a lot of sadness, but yet with calmness: “it is in God’s hands. We really need a miracle.” Then we went to a luncheonette to get people something to eat after such hard work. When we sat down, who was right next to us at a table? The girl a had just seen on the street and given my number to. I thought what an amazing coincidence. Such a coincidence it looked like one of the God “coincidences” I have witnessed over and over in my life as a Christian. So I started talking to her. We were all amazed at that. We told her Narnia’s disappearance story with more details and then I told her that now, we were really needing a miracle, but that God had told me that He was listening to my prayers and seeing my tears. So I was just waiting. But then I told her that I thought very odd to see her there, since the little restaurant was so far from where I had see her first. Then I said: maybe God is trying to tell you something too through all this. And for my surprise, she said: “yes, it was God that put you in my path, and I even know why.” She then told me that she wasn’t even headed to that little place, but that they were going to another restaurant, but then changed their mind. My jaw hit the floor. Then faith rushed through me flooding and mending my broken heart. And the joy of the Lord was like fireworks in me. I was so happy. As I heard the words that were coming out of that girl, who ended up being backslidden and who needed, and wanted to go back to Jesus, I saw, felt and believed without a doubt, without any fear, that God was indeed doing a mighty and beautiful work through all that situation. I was so happy, that after all that walking, driving, searching through the entire Irounbound with no result of finding Narnia, I suddenly could see that it was all not in vain. That there was a purpose for everything I was doing and a purpose for everyone I was meeting in this situation.When I understood that I was just so happy that I was able to go home freely and on top of it, singing and praising God. I slept really well that night. And the Words God gave me in the Bible at the end of that day were:
1 Samuel 23:20 “and we will be responsible for giving him into your hands.”
Psalm 19:14 “May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, LORD, my Rock (I was asking for an unwavering faith like a rock) and my Rescuer (my little dog’s rescuer).”
DAY 4
Resurrection Sunday! Day of miracles. Day of the impossible to happen. Day in which no one believed Jesus would have come back to life. It was the day I was looking forward to. For I was sure, I would find Narnia that day. But by that time, I was so surrendered to God’s plan that I was ok with whatever His will was for when to find Narnia. However, the expectation of finding her on Easter Sunday was still in the back of my mind through much of the day. My husband went to Newark early to put up 300 more fliers through out the streets. This time they were in plastic sleeves for we had seen the damage the rain did to the ones he put up on Thursday. I would call him every hour to check on him, to see if he had any news. I was anxious. But no news. And then I thought: today is a day for me to rejoice and celebrate my Savior. It is a day for me to worship my God for what He did for me on the cross of Calvary. It is a day of life, a day that reminds us of God’s great love for us, for me. And I was getting sad? “NO” I decided to celebrate and then started to tell my little girls the real meaning of Easter and what God did for all of us. And through the stories, singing and many metaphor for them to get the point of it all... Narnia would come to my mind and I would shed a couple silent tears for I was calm and with faith. It was just hard to think of her. And that is when one of the girls said: “Mommy, don’t cry, Jesus will bring Narnia back to you.” Those words were such another comforting tool from God to my soul. That is one more proof of what the Jesus says in the Bible about how our faith should be like the faith of little children: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 18:3
At the end of the afternoon, my husband arrived. We were all calm and with a sense of mission accomplished. We had done all we could have done to find her. Now it was literally all in God’s hands. Then we got ready and went to church to worship our God and Savior, rescuer and redeemer. There, at church, we were reminded of what God had done for us. That there is nothing impossible for God. We left the service so light, so happy in the assurance of a God who is alive and sees and controls everything. A God who allowed His one and only son to die a horrible death, but who knew He would be resurrected in order to give us a chance to be forever with Him. He is in control of it all. Then on the highway going back home, we received two calls. Two Christian people with more news possibly of Narnia. One of them was a woman who had actually rescued the dog she had just seen on the street. Soon after she saw our fliers and decided to call us. We talked for a long time, and then she sent me a picture of the dog. But the animal so dirty and matted Ii could not tell if it was Narnia or not. It just looked like it could be. But I was so happy to see that there are good caring people around that could have rescued Narnia and were now loving her. I was filling with hope. Even if that was not Narnia. My heart was really changing. So I told the lady I would stop by the next day, Monday, in the morning. At night, these were the Words God gave me:
1Kings 2:39-40 “But three years later, two of Shimei’s slaves ran off to Achish son of Maakah, king of Gath, and Shimei was told,‘Your slaves are in Gath. At this, he saddled his donkey and went to Achish at Gath in search of his slaves. So Shimei went away and brought the slaves back from Gath.’”
This Word and the lady’s call had given me even more confidence that God was saying to me: “Narnia ran off to someone’s house, who will call you. You will get in the car, go to the person’s house, get her, and bring her back to your home.”
DAY 5
Early the next morning, I called the lady to see when I could go to her house in Newark to see the dog. When I got there, her husband took me to the backyard where I saw that very, very dirty dog laying down. I could not believe the lady had already given her a bath the night before. The matting and the filth were stomach churning. Her condition was so bad, that she must have been on the streets for probably a month. It was not Narnia. But that was how I was imagining my baby to be by now after all the rain and 4 days on the street. It was a female Shitzu.
I had taken a blanket to pick up and comfort the dog, if it were Narnia or not. The family could not keep her, so I thought, if it were not Narnia, I could take her to the Humane Society shelter. I came close to her and sat down near. I gave her some of Narnia’s food and treats, she smelled, but did not eat anything. I felt so sorry for her. I took her into my arms and just imagined her pain, the pain of those who lost her. I cried for her, I cried for my Narnia, just imagining she could be on the streets in the same situation. And as I embraced her, the Lord spoke to me saying: “do you see this little dog? this is how I feel when I rescue one of my lost sons and daughters from the filthy mud of life. The way you felt is not even close to how I feel when one of my children is lost. The way you shouted out Narnia’s name throughout the streets is not even close to how I cry out the names of my children through the streets of life. I shout their names through the streets, expecting them to hear my voice and come out of their hiding place that they have found to endure the storms of fear and oppression that come their way. I call out their name expecting they come to me, to my arms, so I can rescue them. For no human hand, no human effort can take away and cleanse the filth that gets attached to them through the streets of life. No bath can take the filth away. Only my blood that I shed on the cross can purify, restore save and cleanse people from the filth of sin.” And that is when I cried even more. For I could feel a little bit of that pain, and it was so hard, I could not imagine, what God feels. Then I understood that what I was going through was really much deeper than I thought. I was in a mission for God. A rescue missions for lives and not just for my dog. And that my dog would come back to me when I would have done everything God wanted me to do through this situation. Things I could only accomplish if put in a situation like this one. For if it weren’t for this, I would never have come in contact with a lot of people I was now meeting. Then I got up, embraced the family, held the lady’s hand and started to pray for her and her family and her house.
When I said amen, the cel phone rang. It was a Hispanic man saying he thought he saw Narnia at his neighbors house and he asked how much I would give as reward. Since it was man and I did not feel comfortable with his tone of conversation, I asked the husband in that family to come with me to meet that guy. He came with me. And the Shitzu came too. The guy was just a couple of blocks away. We got in the car and went to where the man told us to go. When we got there we had to wait for him to finish his job. We had gone to his job. So we waited. We waited for about an hour. So here I was with a perfect stranger next to me and a 12lb dog on my lap. I thought. God is in control. Let’s talk about Him! And even that waiting period was later to my knowledge designed by God for me to speak God’s love into that husband’s heart. Anyway, so I told him about the whole Narnia story so far, and how now I saw that God was taking care of everything. And not only taking care, but guiding me to places and people to speak about His love and how Narnia was going to come back to me. Then I told him about other experiences I had with God. Other miracles I saw Him do in my life. Other difficult situations He brought me through with victory at the end. That there is a purpose for everything if you give your life to God to direct. And as I told that husband all these things, my heart kept filling up with hope. Hope upon hope. It was so good to tell him those stories. Soon I could see that my life was full of miracles. I could write many, many papers, just like this one filled with how God did things or allowed things in my life that I did not understand at first, but then He resolved it in such a manner only He can do, with no confusion. It was so good for me to be reminded of that. It brought me even more calmness and assurance. the more I spoke the more I knew that Narnia was ok and that she was coming back to me. I just had to rest and trust God’s perfect timing.
When the man finished his job, he took us to his neighbors house. But she was a dog groomer and the white dog he had seen over the weekend was her white poodle. Oh, well, it wasn’t Narnia. But I told all of those people involved in that situation that God had a purpose for all that. And that one day I would come back to tell them the story. After a whole morning filled with unexpected people, encounters, and emotions, the husband went back home, the Shitzu was taken to the humane society, and I went home with a clearer vision of God for this ordeal that had come in to my life. I had a clear mission. I was going to wait for God to bring her back to me, but I was going to wait with a never before felt gladness in my heart and doing whatever He asked me to do in the meanwhile. When I made sense of that, God brought to my memory something I could not believe I had forgotten. He reminded me that the day after I had started my fast for God to change my faith, on April 5th, I was in charge of the opening Word at Bible study. And the Word was based on the following question: “What do you do when really hard problems arise against you?” What do you do when the world falls apart all around you? WOW! I could not believe it. Here it was, God was speaking again. The purpose of God for that situation in my life had started the day after I decided to seek God more diligently, with more intensity and commitment. Wow!And then I was able to see He had been giving me Words ever since that were preparing me for this moment of Narnia being lost. I was amazed at the reality of God. I was just so amazed. It all made sense. Then I started to read my speech notes for that Bible Study. I just remember that night I had been preparing what to say, that I was unusually flooded with so much to say about the question I had to ask and expand on at Bible Study. I remember I could not even sleep (and that is very unusual) I remember writing so much and thinking, there will not be time to speak all this, God?! This is just the ice-breaker, not the main word... But now I could see God what God had done. He was filling me with Words to be given back to me in this situation. Oh, how comforting. He know it all, even before it happened. And that was another assurance that He know how it was going to end, and for me not to worry. One of the thoughts He had given me to share at Bible Study that night was: when we have a problem, we immediately go to talk to someone. We call, text, Facebook, and email everyone we know to talk about the problem. We listen to so many voices. We listen to so many things and so many people, but we forget to talk and listen to the only one who has a real answer for us. The one with solution, not just the talk. The one with the real, perfect and peaceful solution for our problem: GOD! I was amazed. I was so filled with faith at that moment (the miracle I was fast for was happening: my faith was increasing and changing!). I was in love with this wondrous, incredible God. Then our of curiosity, I went back to all my devotionals, journey entries, Sunday preaching titles and posts I follow on Facebook and ALL of those messages were in one way or another, preparing me for this moment of losing Narnia. There was a purpose for everything I had been living and experiencing that month. The messages had themes like:
1. There is still a cross to be carried: pick up your cross and follow me... and do it with gladness... be of good cheer for I have won over the world (Jesus says this in the Bible) — this is almost like God was saying to me, the will be trouble ahead, but live it out with joy. Ride it out with joy, for I have endured and won over even greater problems and I will make sure you will win over yours, even if you don’t see that you are winning over these problems.
2. We are like clay in the potter’s hand. Let God brake you and mold you again. Let God take the pebbles out of the clay, put you at the center of the wheel (at the center of His will) and make you into a new vase. A vase without cracks, so it can hold things inside of it without letting it leak. A vase that can be used for something good. A vase of honor.
3. Hope comes through the storms.
4. Do with me as you please, God.
5. If you have faith as the size of a mustard seed, you will move mountains (and problems, and addictions, and bad habits, etc, etc, etc) — “He replied, ‘Because you have so little faith. I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.’” Matthew17:20
All of the days of my fast, God was molding me, preparing me. After I read all of this I had been experiencing for 21 days, I God said to me: “You wanted an unmovable faith. A faith that does not crumble at the winds of adversity. I am giving it to you” At that moment I thought: but, God, I am not calling everyone telling them of my problem... And He said: “No you are not, but you are listening to the voices that come to you in every call you get with seemingly news about Narnia. You believe them, that there is a white dog out on the streets, and then you crumble in desperation. When you should believe me, what I have been telling you: that Narnia is ok, that she will come back to you and that this is not about her, this is about your faith and everyone I will make myself known to through this story.” WOW! so true. That was exactly what was happening. I was listening to the many voices around, but not listening to the voice of God. Just like the message He gave me to speak about at Bible Study. I was listening to the voices of adversity instead of God’s even though He had been speaking to me so clearly throughout so many Bible verses. Wow! That’s when I had a breakthrough. I got it all! I got it, Lord! Glory to your name!!!
At the end of that day we got another phone call about a white dog on the streets. A call that did not phase me, for I thought: let’s go fulfill God’s purposes, whatever this situation may bring, whatever He wants us to do: let’s go. And if this is Narnia, awesome. If not, we will keep going wherever God wants us to go and do whatever He wants us to do, and when Narnia shows up it will just be the icing on the cake. So my husband and I went. Found the dog and soon after we found her owner. We were doing what we could with what we had in our hands, without desperation or sadness. Just doing what God wanted us to do. We were on a mission, knowing that all that would just show people that God is alive, real and that He can do the impossible for us, if we just let Him.
DAY 6
Tuesday. The word God gave me when I went to pray in the middle of the night was Jeremiah 1:17-20 “Get yourself ready! Stand up and say to them whatever I command you... they will fight against you but will not overcome you, for I am with you and will rescue you, declares the LORD.” Confirming that it was for me speak to people about God’s love and about what He was doing in my life while I waited for Narnia to come back, to be returned to me. God was saying that some people might “fight against me” or resist what I was saying, resist God’s message, but God was in control and He was going to protect me. How wonderful it is to serve God with a purpose! It is everything I ever wanted for my life in these 16 years of accepting Him as my savior: to do His work and know that it is because He assigned it to me; that He has a purpose for it. I was strong all day. I just really missed my little girl, Narnia. So all throughout the day I would pray and ask God to give me strength, because it was hurting, but I wanted to focus on Him and what He was doing through it all. Later that evening I went to the Bible Study I go to on Tuesday nights. I went against what I am used to do when I am hurting, whwn I have a big problem. So instead of being broken and depressed in bed, I put on a pretty bright pink shirt, put make up and perfume on and I went to worship God and hear His word at Bible Study. I knew He was goig to speak to me that night. I was actually curious what word He was going to have be brought to us that night. I just knew it. And like every other Tuesday, He did have a Word that was real and relevant for my life. He spoke again! And the message that night was: IF YOU ONLY BELIEVE, THE VICTORY IS YOURS: GOD WILL GIVE BACK TO YOU EVERYTHING THAT HAS BEEN TAKEN AWAY FROM YOU. Isn’t He AMAZING?! Isn’t He REAL?! And the rest of the message spoke about how God goes through the fire (hardships) along with us, to protect us from evil. And that sometimes He allows certain things to happen in our lives so that He can give us victory, and let us and those around us know that He is real! WOW, I was really amazed. And that night I started envisioning all the lives that could be changed because of this story, beginning with my life. Because not only was I telling people about what God was doing, but I was also posting everything that was happening on Facebook, which in a way was also confirming the word He gave me in Jeremiah 1:17-20 about telling people what God was doing. God is WONDERFUL! I surrendered all, ALL at the feet of Jesus that day!
DAY 7
Ahhhh, how much God spoke on this day! This was the Word I got during my prayer time. It was like as if God was narrating what had happened throughout these very long 7 days: Acts 27:18-25 “We took such a violent battering from the storm that the next day they began to throw the cargo overboard. On the third day, they threw the ship’s tackle overboard with their own hands. (after all my suffering, I decided to throw away all my pain and doubt and give it all into God’s hands in order for Him to set me free of this burden) When neither sun nor stars appeared for many days and the storm continued raging, we finally gave up all hope of being saved. (without my dog showing up for many days, momentarily, we lost hope of her being saved) ... But now I urge you to keep up your courage, because not one of you will be lost (be of good courage, she will not be lost); only the ship will be destroyed (only your unbelief and wavering faith that is tossed around like a ship in a storm, will be destroyed). Last night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve (Jesus) stood beside me and said, ‘Do not be afraid, Paul. You must stand trial before Caesar; and God has graciously given you the lives of all who sail with you.’ (Do not be afraid, Anna, because this is necessary for you to go through this, because the lives of many around you will be touched by this). So keep up your courage, men, for I have faith in God that it will happen just as he told me.” (Therefore, be of good cheer, because everything will happen like it was told to you by the mouth of the pastor from Brazil who spoke to you: somebody has picked up your dog, is caring for her, and they will give her back into your arms!)
Another word God showed me in the Bible was a study within it that said that while Paul was in prison, he used all the time that he couldn’t do anything to serve God anyway, by speaking of God to all of those who came to see him and to write letters to all the churches he had founded along his journey with Jesus. And these letters are today most of the new testament and changing and impacting lives until this day. So I thought “that is what I have to do... while I can’t do anything... while all I can do is depend on God’s will and timing, I will be telling people of all the wonders that He has been showing and teaching me through all this. And just to confirm, this is the word God gave me right after I thought this:
Acts 28:23 “They arranged to meet Paul on a certain day, and came in even larger numbers to the place where he was staying. He witnessed to them from morning till evening, explaining about the kingdom of God, and from the Law of Moses and from the Prophets he tried to persuade them about Jesus.” It was such a beautiful day. Full of promises from God. I posted everything on Facebook. And people would write to encourage me. And as I read everything, I would put everything in my heart and think: I am caring my cross with joy! How crazy is this? I can’t even believe this. I am going through one of the hardest pains ever in my life, but I have joy??? Wow!Only GOD to make this miracle happen. Where is all the complaining, depression, anxiety?! I would look inside me and only joy was there. WOW! Amazing. Then I opened my Facebook account and there was a devotional about Peter walking on the water with Jesus. And it said: if you only believe (the same words from Bible study the night before!) you will do what I do, said Jesus! Do not be afraid. Do not sink. Do not fall because of the winds of trouble!) WOW! Then I went to my regular devotional. Now I was curious to see what would be the word there for I KNEW by now it was going to complement what I had read previously. And the word from Times Square Church’s Pastor David Wilkerson on his daily devotional was:
WHEN ALL MEANS FAIL | by David Wilkerson | April 27, 2011
To believe when all means fail is exceedingly pleasing to God and is most acceptable. Jesus said to Thomas, “You have believed because you have seen, but blessed are those that do believe and have not seen” (John 20:29).
Blessed are those who believe when there is no evidence of an answer to prayer—who trust beyond hope when all means have failed. Someone has come to the place of hopelessness—the end of hope—the end of all means. A loved one is facing death and doctors give no hope. Death seems inevitable. Hope is gone. The miracle prayed for is not happening.
That is when Satan’s hordes come to attack your mind with fear, anger, overwhelming questions: “Where is your God now? You prayed until you had no tears left. You fasted. You stood on promises. You trusted.”Blasphemous thoughts will be injected into your mind: “Prayer failed. Faith failed. Don’t quit on God—just do not trust him anymore. It doesn’t pay!”
Even questioning God’s existence will be injected into your mind. These have been the devices of Satan for centuries. Some of the godliest men and women who ever lived were under such demonic attacks.
To those going through the valley and shadow of death, hear this word: Weeping will last through some dark, awful nights—and in that darkness you will soon hear the Father whisper, “I am with you. I cannot tell you why right now, but one day it will all make sense. You will see it was all part of my plan. It was no accident. It was no failure on your part. Hold fast. Let me embrace you in your hour of pain.”
Beloved, God has never failed to act but in goodness and love. When all means fail—his love prevails. Hold fast to your faith. Stand fast in his Word. There is no other hope in this world.
In fact, after reading this, I got even more curious and excited, because now there was really no question God was really speaking and in control of it all. So I went to check the devotionals from Pastor Dave that I had been reading all these days, and noticed that since April 18, God was saying something to me in them, and preparing me, without me knowing for what I was going to go through with Narnia. INCREDIBLE! You can check them at: http://www.worldchallenge.org/en/view/devotions?filter0&filter1=4&filter2=2011
So after all I had remembered that God had shown me all of those days, I thought: Narnia is on vacation on somebody’s house and when this somebody calls me, they will not say I THINK I have your dog... they will say, I HAVE your dog, without any doubt... because God is not a God of confusion. When He does something, it is perfect and there is peace. So later that day, on April 27, 2011, at 4:30 pm (exactly 7 days to the hour that Narnia had disappeared) I received a call from a Hispanic lady who said these exact words to me: “we have your dog, come and get her.” Without any doubt in her voice she told me she had Narnia. I even asked: do you think you have her? are you sure? And she said again: “I know we have her. We just saw her picture on a flier on the street.” I was amazed and in awe again. And it came to happen just as God had told me it would happen. Someone gave my Narnia back into my arms. And just to complete the joy and confirm everything God had been speaking into my heart for all those days, when I got to the address the lady gave me to go get Narnia, we were welcomed by a family of 4 kids and a teenager with whom my baby had been, really, on vacation with. Eating treats and playing a lot. She didn’t even care when i showed up. She did not go on her separation anxiety cry when she saw me. Actually, she did not even look at me. LOL! They had even given her a bath. She was happy, clean, and even chunkier... Oh so good to see how faithful God is. He cares so much about us and what belongs to us. He takes care of us with excellence. He took care of Narnia with the best. Oh, it was so good to see that. He is faithful! More than we can ever imagine. It is worth it to serve and worship such a good God! For everything I learned in this week, it is worth it. For everything I saw Him do and speak. To see that He cares about the smallest details of our lives... It was worth it.. It was even worth it if Narnia had not showed up. For everything I learned and everyone I met, just for that it would have been worth it. I came closer to God than ever in 16 years. AMAZING! He truly goes beyond anything we can imagine. Amazing!
Then just to complete the joy, after we got home I took Narnia for a walk, and as I was approaching my house, one of my neighbors was arriving from work and with joy he said: God is good! (We had been talking about the Narnia story with him the day before and saying God is good and He will return her when He wants to). Then the family from across the street arrived at the same time while I was still talking to my other neighbor. And then another neighbor who was driving by stopped as well. We all looked like we were seeing a ghost. Because it was crazy to believe this had happened. We were seeing an impossibility come to fruition. A real miracle, because Newark is a big city. And to have her back was just unbelievable. And there, in that moment, seeing all my neighbors on my lawn, God spoke to me: “do you remember you were praying for your neighbors as well during your fast? I allowed this to happen also because of my love for them. This was for them too. So they may see and believe. So they may come closer to me and know my love in a deeper way. So they may believe in me and have new life in them: a new and abundant life that only I can give” Wow! I was again amazed at that and everything that was happening. If I had organized that get together, it would not have been more synchronized. And we were talking about God without walls, without walking on eggshells, without prejudice, just plainly, just being real about our journey with God or without God. It was beautiful!
Afterwards, I went to have my private moment with God to THANK HIM for it all. Oh, He is so good! And God gave me the following word in the Bible through a study in it, that said: THANK GOD FOR HIS LOVE (isn’t it amazing?!) And the verse that went along with it was: Zephaniah 3:17 “The LORD your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves (rescues) ... He will rejoice over you, with His love He will renew you, He will rejoice over you with singing.”
God wants to renew you. He wants to give you new life, an abundant life! And that is why you are reading this story. Please seek God! For just like I was calling out for Narnia, He is calling out your name desperately through the streets of life. Do not ignore His voice. Do not listen to all the voices that take you far way from the Father, the one who created you. God loves you. He wants to hold you, cleanse you, heal you from your wounds and care for you all the days of your life. He made me go through this so I could be changed and so that I could tell you firsthand that He is good and that is worth giving your life to Him. Just believe and give your life to Jesus! IT IS WORTH IT!!! HE IS THE GOD OF THE IMPOSSIBLE!!!
If you want, you can ask God to come into your heart now, all you have to do is ask. Talk to Him. That is prayer: a conversation with God. It is simple. Just be real. He knows you, He knows your struggles and loves you no matter what. He says in the Bible:”come as you are” Come as you are, but come. Just come to Him. Whatever He wants to change and do, He will show you and teach you. But in His most awesome loving way. His arms are always open to receive us. Here is a model prayer if you need to get started. But just speak from the bottom of your heart to Him. He is listening, like He proved to me through this whole Narnia journey. For like He told me in the beginning, when I had just lost her: “I have heard your prayer and seen your tears” Isaiah 38:5
Prayer of Salvation: Lord, please forgive my sins, my wrongdoings. I confess Jesus as my one and only Savior. Have mercy on me, change my life and transform me to be who You want me to be. I give my life into Your hands and ask you to do Your will in me. I want to know you more deeply and know Your peace, joy and happiness even when everything is falling apart around me. Please save me, rescue me and write my name in the book of life, so that I may spend all of eternity together with You. That is what I ask You, in the name of Jesus, amen.
As I am done writing this story, I know some of you will embrace it and let God in, and some of you will very much reject it. And some of you will not reject it, but will be skeptical about it because of the stigma carried by anything spiritual, especially Christian, because of some bad examples that have trailed among us. But this isn’t about religion. This isn’t about an evangelistic agenda. It is about God and coming close to Him, not a church. Going to church is just a physical consequence you will want to do out of love and thirst for more of God, not obligation or mere ritual. It may be blurry and awkward to open yourself up to speak to Him without a set of regulations and dogmas like we all have somehow learned in our lives, but that is what He wants from each one of us: a personal relationship with Him, so that all that bothers or hinders you to believe in Him can be clarified and taken out of the picture. Because when you know Him personally, every doubt, every controversy about Jesus created by our minds is dissipated. When you know God personally and you talk to Him, all your questions are answered and then there is assurance about it all beyond a shadow of a doubt. And you will know because it was God that showed you and not another man or woman that you may think is trying to convert you. So just talk to Him. He will answer you. And you will fall in love with Him. Whatever your background may be, it does not matter to Him. He doesn’t see labels in us, He just sees us. Because sometimes we can even have the Christian “label” and not have a relationship with Jesus either. It is not the label we carry, it is about our heart, and about us knowing Him. God cares about our hearts and He wants a relationship with us. He cares about where we are in our lives and where we are headed in the future. He wants to show us how close He is to us. How much He can help us. It does not mean we won’t have problems in this life, but He does not want us to go through them alone. And just like I learned in my story, you can as well see that God is real and that He can do the impossible for us. He wants us to let Him intervene. He just wants to be a close friend or a closer friend than we have let Him be to us. The rest, He will show you if you ask and open your heart to hear Him answer you. “Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.” Jesus says in Revelation 3:20
Today, as I finish translating this (for I wrote the original right away, in Portuguese) is more than a month after all this happened. It took me so long because of time but also because of fear of being rejected, for most of you don’t know me, but there will be people who know me here in the U.S. and in Brazil who will read this as well. And as I pondered all the possible rejection scenarios (being called, crazy, fanatic, pushy, etc...) God put this in the email devotional that I received today: “however, I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me — the task of testifying to the good news of God’s grace.” Acts 20:24. I guess He is telling me: “don’t worry about your life, about what people say to you or about you, or even how they reject you; just finish what I asked you to do: tell everyone about my love for them through this story.” So here it is. The story is done and translated completely. Now I just pray you take it to heart, for then, this story is just the beginning of your story with God! May God bless you and open your eyes and ears to His presence and love!
PS: and just as I am closing, my email beeped and this was what was in it: “This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.” 1Timothy 2:3-4 GOD SPEAKS!!! Hear His voice today!
If you want to learn more about the Word of God and hear about Him and don’t know where to start or where to go, you can always listen to sermons at Times Square Church’s website (that is where my family and I attend): www.tscnyc.org, or even watch a live stream on Sundays at 10am (NYC time zone). But if you are in the NYC area, you can always visit too. The church is located in the heart of Manhattan on 51st Street and Broadway. The services are on Sundays at 10am, 3pm and 6pm; Tuesdays at 7pm and Fridays at 7pm (Bible Study and Youth Service). The pastors there really seek God for His words. They don’t speak just for eloquent, religious speech. It is really worth our time and attention. All the best, everyone!!!!
We have created a page on Facebook for all of those who would like to leave a note, share something God has done in their lives since they read the story, or just plain say something God put in your heart. God bless you! Here we go https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-New-Chronicles-of-Narnia/142329802527018
DAY 1
On April 21st, 2011, at 4pm, my precious little maltese dog Narnia jumped out of my van in the parking lot of Seabra’s Supermarket located on Lafayette Street, Newark, without me seeing it. On that Holy Thursday, right before Easter, a journey I will never forget, had started. We were Desperate. We cried a lot. And we did what we could, humanly speaking, with the situation that presented itself before us. We left he rest in God’s hands and we asked Him to interfere and bring us a solution — without knowing He was behind all this and that He had allowed this situation to happened for a purpose in my life and the life of others who would come to be a part of or just know this story.
On that same Thursday, my husband put out about 250 fliers through the streets of Newark’s Ironbound region. We spoke to the police, the humane society, etc. And no sign of our little one. We thought: let’s pray for God to do a miracle. Because only a miracle could bring her back. On Friday, we searched more through the streets of Newark without any result. We needed to have faith. So we tried to rest in that faith that God would bring her back and we got on the road to my in-laws house for the Easter festivities. But we continued to pray incessantly. My eyes were hurting from so much crying. My “baby” was lost. Each minute of our 10 years together kept running through my head. But deep inside I feel God saying to me: “she is ok.” So I just kept on praying and praying. At a given moment during my prayers, I asked God to console me, to give me a word. So I opened my Bible and the Word I opened it to was in Matthew 25:35: “For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.” At first, I did not understand it very well, but then a thought came to me: is God saying that someone “invited her in”? That someone gave her shelter and is giving her something to eat and drink? I felt relieved, but at the same time the pain and desperation seemed to constantly prick my soul as I kept battling against myself between my doubts and the Words of truth in the Bible.
DAY 2
On Friday, more crying, more pain, more sadness. I prayed and begged God for a miracle. And in the midst of all this He brought to my memory all the messages I had heard in Church, at Bible Study and even online. And I realized they were all about faith and about being changed by God, even through suffering. That moment I thought: “God, I need to believe this. I need to have faith. There is a purpose i all this. Help me. You are the God of the impossible. I know this. I have seen your miracles. I have to believe.” I was practically on my knees crying and praying that whole Friday. Towards the end of the day, I thought: nobody called... oh Lord, I wanted so much for someone to call saying something...” Then right after that, the cel phone started ringing. One call after another with people saying they were seeing a little white dog on the street, but no one was able to catch it. It seemed afraid and it was always running away. That’s when I lost it in my desperation. Just imagining my sweet princess on the streets... afraid, hungry, thirsty, so desperate she was running away from people... oh that crushed my soul. That is when I really got desperate. Each call shattered me even more. And I wasn’t even close to Newark to go to the places where people were seemingly seeing her. i started calling all of my friends in Newark to please go to the locales of her sightings to no avail. Then I started calling people to pray for me and with me. That is when I called my pastor in Brazil and after praying she said: “do not worry, someone will pick up your dog, take care of her and then bring her into your arms back to you. When you have her in your lap, call me.” She spoke with such certainty, such authority, I knew that was from God, and at that moment my heart was filled with hope once more. And I decided to be at the Lord’s feet and ask Him for Words, guidance and comfort.
As I shifted the direction of my prayer from mere desperation to guidance, God started bringing to my memory the fact that I had been fasting and praying for almost 21 days, asking God to change my faith. Because I felt very much like a roller coaster Christian: when I was up, I was up, but when I was down, I was really down. And I wanted to be an unmovable Christian, that has an inner joy and peace even through the darkest problems, and not get so cast down. I felt very much like Peter: I would get out of the boat at any time, I would even dare to walk on water if I heard my Jesus calling me, but when I would feel the winds of adversity, I would drown deep into sadness and depression. And I did not like living like that. I wanted to walk in the assurance of my God’s victory and protection no matter the circumstance around me. So on April 4th, 2011 I had started to pray and fast for God to change that in me. And that’s when I thought: this whole situation may be a way that God found to bring about that change in me, to change my faith. Then more hope came in to my heart! I could feel God speaking assurance that there was a purpose to all this. I would start to calm down, until the phone calls would start coming in again because I was to far away to do anything about looking for Narnia. So on that very night, we went back to Newark. At midnight, we drove through the area of the sightings calling her name, but no signs of my little one.
DAY 3
In the middle of the night from Friday to Saturday, I got up to talk to God. I talked a lot to Him. We really needed a miracle. I asked Him to give me messages in the Bible. I asked Him to direct my eyes in the right places in the Bible in order to read something He wanted to speak into my heart. And in those moments of prayer, He started to show me that He had allowed all this to happen in order to change me. Suddenly ALL that I had heard or read in the past month came rushing through my mind and I could see that all the messages in church, devotionals, bible study, etc had a common thread message of letting God mold you, having a faith that moves mountains, trusting God with your problems, etc... Then I saw, God had been preparing me for this moment I was going through all month without me knowing it. And there in the middle of the night, God was showing me He was more real than I thought and that He was seeing everything,, that He was aware of my pain. I opened my Bible in several different places asking God to speak to me that night and these were the passages:
Isaiah 38:5 “I have heard your prayer and seen your tears” (He was acknowledging me He was real and present and aware)
Psalm 38:8-10 “I am feeble and utterly crushed; I groan in anguish of heart. All my longings lie open before you, Lord; my sighing is not hidden from you. My heart pounds, my strength fails me; even the light has gone from my eyes.” (He was describing He knew what I was feeling, to support and confirm His first statement to me in the Isaiah passage. He wanted me to know that these Bible verses were not opened by coincidence or mere chance.)
Psalm 37:34 “Wait upon the Lord, put your hope in Him, and do His will, don’t leave the path. He will cause you to receive your inheritance, what is yours.”
John 14:14 “Whatever you ask, in my name, I will do”
1 Chronicles 28:9-10 “...If you seek him, you will find him... now be strong and do the work.”
After all these Words, I could not deny or question that God was in all of this and in control of everything. There I truly saw concretely that God is real. REAL in every sense of the word: real. And mind you, that I am not a new Christian. I have believed in Jesus as my savior for 16 years. And I have believed because I have sense and experiences a measure of His reality. Otherwise, it would be a mere empty ritualistic faith. But I had never gone through such a painful and desperate experience in which I could not see the end of the tunnel to really prove God’s reality (and love) beyond any shadow of a doubt. In these passages, He was proving to me He was by my side, He was talking to me and saying: “my daughter, I see al this. I see your inner groaning. Have faith. Believe in me. Believe that this is all for a great purpose. Believe what I am telling you. I am working in you through this to give you the unwavering faith you have been asking from me.” My fear started fading. I felt strong. I thanked Him and noticed it was already 6 in the morning. So I went to the streets of Newark to search for her again. I was trying to be strong and do the work I could do, but instead of fear, now with hope and faith. Drove by all the streets I could until 7am. Then I picked up the babysitter went home, picked up my husband and went back to the Ironbound in Newark, where we were meeting with a couple who are really true friends of ours. They are also Christian, and their assurance was so grand in the Lord that they even brought a little can of dog for Narnia for when we found her, that day, or another, as the Lord wished. But they were prepared by faith. That was a great encouragement to me. Then the four of us walked through many street in Newark, under torrential rain, calling out Narnia’s name. At noon we had to go home and change because we were soaked. Then, after an hour, we returned with the couple’s husband and my neighbor’s teenage daughter. We went by foot to other streets we had not passed in the morning. We drove through the morning streets and the afternoon streets, but no sign of our little dog. The hope was grand, the Words from God clear that we were going to find her, but we had no idea where to look, where to go. At the end of the day, without physical and emotional strength, I felt like I was starting to crumble into sadness, when at that moment I drove by a girl on the side of the street whom I passed, but something made me go back, stop and ask her if she had seen the dog on the poster I had with me. She said no, but put my number in her cel phone and told me she would call if she’d see her around. After about an hour from meeting this girl, we had still not found Narnia, so we decided to call it quits for the say. I said to everyone and to my self with a lot of sadness, but yet with calmness: “it is in God’s hands. We really need a miracle.” Then we went to a luncheonette to get people something to eat after such hard work. When we sat down, who was right next to us at a table? The girl a had just seen on the street and given my number to. I thought what an amazing coincidence. Such a coincidence it looked like one of the God “coincidences” I have witnessed over and over in my life as a Christian. So I started talking to her. We were all amazed at that. We told her Narnia’s disappearance story with more details and then I told her that now, we were really needing a miracle, but that God had told me that He was listening to my prayers and seeing my tears. So I was just waiting. But then I told her that I thought very odd to see her there, since the little restaurant was so far from where I had see her first. Then I said: maybe God is trying to tell you something too through all this. And for my surprise, she said: “yes, it was God that put you in my path, and I even know why.” She then told me that she wasn’t even headed to that little place, but that they were going to another restaurant, but then changed their mind. My jaw hit the floor. Then faith rushed through me flooding and mending my broken heart. And the joy of the Lord was like fireworks in me. I was so happy. As I heard the words that were coming out of that girl, who ended up being backslidden and who needed, and wanted to go back to Jesus, I saw, felt and believed without a doubt, without any fear, that God was indeed doing a mighty and beautiful work through all that situation. I was so happy, that after all that walking, driving, searching through the entire Irounbound with no result of finding Narnia, I suddenly could see that it was all not in vain. That there was a purpose for everything I was doing and a purpose for everyone I was meeting in this situation.When I understood that I was just so happy that I was able to go home freely and on top of it, singing and praising God. I slept really well that night. And the Words God gave me in the Bible at the end of that day were:
1 Samuel 23:20 “and we will be responsible for giving him into your hands.”
Psalm 19:14 “May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, LORD, my Rock (I was asking for an unwavering faith like a rock) and my Rescuer (my little dog’s rescuer).”
DAY 4
Resurrection Sunday! Day of miracles. Day of the impossible to happen. Day in which no one believed Jesus would have come back to life. It was the day I was looking forward to. For I was sure, I would find Narnia that day. But by that time, I was so surrendered to God’s plan that I was ok with whatever His will was for when to find Narnia. However, the expectation of finding her on Easter Sunday was still in the back of my mind through much of the day. My husband went to Newark early to put up 300 more fliers through out the streets. This time they were in plastic sleeves for we had seen the damage the rain did to the ones he put up on Thursday. I would call him every hour to check on him, to see if he had any news. I was anxious. But no news. And then I thought: today is a day for me to rejoice and celebrate my Savior. It is a day for me to worship my God for what He did for me on the cross of Calvary. It is a day of life, a day that reminds us of God’s great love for us, for me. And I was getting sad? “NO” I decided to celebrate and then started to tell my little girls the real meaning of Easter and what God did for all of us. And through the stories, singing and many metaphor for them to get the point of it all... Narnia would come to my mind and I would shed a couple silent tears for I was calm and with faith. It was just hard to think of her. And that is when one of the girls said: “Mommy, don’t cry, Jesus will bring Narnia back to you.” Those words were such another comforting tool from God to my soul. That is one more proof of what the Jesus says in the Bible about how our faith should be like the faith of little children: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 18:3
At the end of the afternoon, my husband arrived. We were all calm and with a sense of mission accomplished. We had done all we could have done to find her. Now it was literally all in God’s hands. Then we got ready and went to church to worship our God and Savior, rescuer and redeemer. There, at church, we were reminded of what God had done for us. That there is nothing impossible for God. We left the service so light, so happy in the assurance of a God who is alive and sees and controls everything. A God who allowed His one and only son to die a horrible death, but who knew He would be resurrected in order to give us a chance to be forever with Him. He is in control of it all. Then on the highway going back home, we received two calls. Two Christian people with more news possibly of Narnia. One of them was a woman who had actually rescued the dog she had just seen on the street. Soon after she saw our fliers and decided to call us. We talked for a long time, and then she sent me a picture of the dog. But the animal so dirty and matted Ii could not tell if it was Narnia or not. It just looked like it could be. But I was so happy to see that there are good caring people around that could have rescued Narnia and were now loving her. I was filling with hope. Even if that was not Narnia. My heart was really changing. So I told the lady I would stop by the next day, Monday, in the morning. At night, these were the Words God gave me:
1Kings 2:39-40 “But three years later, two of Shimei’s slaves ran off to Achish son of Maakah, king of Gath, and Shimei was told,‘Your slaves are in Gath. At this, he saddled his donkey and went to Achish at Gath in search of his slaves. So Shimei went away and brought the slaves back from Gath.’”
This Word and the lady’s call had given me even more confidence that God was saying to me: “Narnia ran off to someone’s house, who will call you. You will get in the car, go to the person’s house, get her, and bring her back to your home.”
DAY 5
Early the next morning, I called the lady to see when I could go to her house in Newark to see the dog. When I got there, her husband took me to the backyard where I saw that very, very dirty dog laying down. I could not believe the lady had already given her a bath the night before. The matting and the filth were stomach churning. Her condition was so bad, that she must have been on the streets for probably a month. It was not Narnia. But that was how I was imagining my baby to be by now after all the rain and 4 days on the street. It was a female Shitzu.
I had taken a blanket to pick up and comfort the dog, if it were Narnia or not. The family could not keep her, so I thought, if it were not Narnia, I could take her to the Humane Society shelter. I came close to her and sat down near. I gave her some of Narnia’s food and treats, she smelled, but did not eat anything. I felt so sorry for her. I took her into my arms and just imagined her pain, the pain of those who lost her. I cried for her, I cried for my Narnia, just imagining she could be on the streets in the same situation. And as I embraced her, the Lord spoke to me saying: “do you see this little dog? this is how I feel when I rescue one of my lost sons and daughters from the filthy mud of life. The way you felt is not even close to how I feel when one of my children is lost. The way you shouted out Narnia’s name throughout the streets is not even close to how I cry out the names of my children through the streets of life. I shout their names through the streets, expecting them to hear my voice and come out of their hiding place that they have found to endure the storms of fear and oppression that come their way. I call out their name expecting they come to me, to my arms, so I can rescue them. For no human hand, no human effort can take away and cleanse the filth that gets attached to them through the streets of life. No bath can take the filth away. Only my blood that I shed on the cross can purify, restore save and cleanse people from the filth of sin.” And that is when I cried even more. For I could feel a little bit of that pain, and it was so hard, I could not imagine, what God feels. Then I understood that what I was going through was really much deeper than I thought. I was in a mission for God. A rescue missions for lives and not just for my dog. And that my dog would come back to me when I would have done everything God wanted me to do through this situation. Things I could only accomplish if put in a situation like this one. For if it weren’t for this, I would never have come in contact with a lot of people I was now meeting. Then I got up, embraced the family, held the lady’s hand and started to pray for her and her family and her house.
When I said amen, the cel phone rang. It was a Hispanic man saying he thought he saw Narnia at his neighbors house and he asked how much I would give as reward. Since it was man and I did not feel comfortable with his tone of conversation, I asked the husband in that family to come with me to meet that guy. He came with me. And the Shitzu came too. The guy was just a couple of blocks away. We got in the car and went to where the man told us to go. When we got there we had to wait for him to finish his job. We had gone to his job. So we waited. We waited for about an hour. So here I was with a perfect stranger next to me and a 12lb dog on my lap. I thought. God is in control. Let’s talk about Him! And even that waiting period was later to my knowledge designed by God for me to speak God’s love into that husband’s heart. Anyway, so I told him about the whole Narnia story so far, and how now I saw that God was taking care of everything. And not only taking care, but guiding me to places and people to speak about His love and how Narnia was going to come back to me. Then I told him about other experiences I had with God. Other miracles I saw Him do in my life. Other difficult situations He brought me through with victory at the end. That there is a purpose for everything if you give your life to God to direct. And as I told that husband all these things, my heart kept filling up with hope. Hope upon hope. It was so good to tell him those stories. Soon I could see that my life was full of miracles. I could write many, many papers, just like this one filled with how God did things or allowed things in my life that I did not understand at first, but then He resolved it in such a manner only He can do, with no confusion. It was so good for me to be reminded of that. It brought me even more calmness and assurance. the more I spoke the more I knew that Narnia was ok and that she was coming back to me. I just had to rest and trust God’s perfect timing.
When the man finished his job, he took us to his neighbors house. But she was a dog groomer and the white dog he had seen over the weekend was her white poodle. Oh, well, it wasn’t Narnia. But I told all of those people involved in that situation that God had a purpose for all that. And that one day I would come back to tell them the story. After a whole morning filled with unexpected people, encounters, and emotions, the husband went back home, the Shitzu was taken to the humane society, and I went home with a clearer vision of God for this ordeal that had come in to my life. I had a clear mission. I was going to wait for God to bring her back to me, but I was going to wait with a never before felt gladness in my heart and doing whatever He asked me to do in the meanwhile. When I made sense of that, God brought to my memory something I could not believe I had forgotten. He reminded me that the day after I had started my fast for God to change my faith, on April 5th, I was in charge of the opening Word at Bible study. And the Word was based on the following question: “What do you do when really hard problems arise against you?” What do you do when the world falls apart all around you? WOW! I could not believe it. Here it was, God was speaking again. The purpose of God for that situation in my life had started the day after I decided to seek God more diligently, with more intensity and commitment. Wow!And then I was able to see He had been giving me Words ever since that were preparing me for this moment of Narnia being lost. I was amazed at the reality of God. I was just so amazed. It all made sense. Then I started to read my speech notes for that Bible Study. I just remember that night I had been preparing what to say, that I was unusually flooded with so much to say about the question I had to ask and expand on at Bible Study. I remember I could not even sleep (and that is very unusual) I remember writing so much and thinking, there will not be time to speak all this, God?! This is just the ice-breaker, not the main word... But now I could see God what God had done. He was filling me with Words to be given back to me in this situation. Oh, how comforting. He know it all, even before it happened. And that was another assurance that He know how it was going to end, and for me not to worry. One of the thoughts He had given me to share at Bible Study that night was: when we have a problem, we immediately go to talk to someone. We call, text, Facebook, and email everyone we know to talk about the problem. We listen to so many voices. We listen to so many things and so many people, but we forget to talk and listen to the only one who has a real answer for us. The one with solution, not just the talk. The one with the real, perfect and peaceful solution for our problem: GOD! I was amazed. I was so filled with faith at that moment (the miracle I was fast for was happening: my faith was increasing and changing!). I was in love with this wondrous, incredible God. Then our of curiosity, I went back to all my devotionals, journey entries, Sunday preaching titles and posts I follow on Facebook and ALL of those messages were in one way or another, preparing me for this moment of losing Narnia. There was a purpose for everything I had been living and experiencing that month. The messages had themes like:
1. There is still a cross to be carried: pick up your cross and follow me... and do it with gladness... be of good cheer for I have won over the world (Jesus says this in the Bible) — this is almost like God was saying to me, the will be trouble ahead, but live it out with joy. Ride it out with joy, for I have endured and won over even greater problems and I will make sure you will win over yours, even if you don’t see that you are winning over these problems.
2. We are like clay in the potter’s hand. Let God brake you and mold you again. Let God take the pebbles out of the clay, put you at the center of the wheel (at the center of His will) and make you into a new vase. A vase without cracks, so it can hold things inside of it without letting it leak. A vase that can be used for something good. A vase of honor.
3. Hope comes through the storms.
4. Do with me as you please, God.
5. If you have faith as the size of a mustard seed, you will move mountains (and problems, and addictions, and bad habits, etc, etc, etc) — “He replied, ‘Because you have so little faith. I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.’” Matthew17:20
All of the days of my fast, God was molding me, preparing me. After I read all of this I had been experiencing for 21 days, I God said to me: “You wanted an unmovable faith. A faith that does not crumble at the winds of adversity. I am giving it to you” At that moment I thought: but, God, I am not calling everyone telling them of my problem... And He said: “No you are not, but you are listening to the voices that come to you in every call you get with seemingly news about Narnia. You believe them, that there is a white dog out on the streets, and then you crumble in desperation. When you should believe me, what I have been telling you: that Narnia is ok, that she will come back to you and that this is not about her, this is about your faith and everyone I will make myself known to through this story.” WOW! so true. That was exactly what was happening. I was listening to the many voices around, but not listening to the voice of God. Just like the message He gave me to speak about at Bible Study. I was listening to the voices of adversity instead of God’s even though He had been speaking to me so clearly throughout so many Bible verses. Wow! That’s when I had a breakthrough. I got it all! I got it, Lord! Glory to your name!!!
At the end of that day we got another phone call about a white dog on the streets. A call that did not phase me, for I thought: let’s go fulfill God’s purposes, whatever this situation may bring, whatever He wants us to do: let’s go. And if this is Narnia, awesome. If not, we will keep going wherever God wants us to go and do whatever He wants us to do, and when Narnia shows up it will just be the icing on the cake. So my husband and I went. Found the dog and soon after we found her owner. We were doing what we could with what we had in our hands, without desperation or sadness. Just doing what God wanted us to do. We were on a mission, knowing that all that would just show people that God is alive, real and that He can do the impossible for us, if we just let Him.
DAY 6
Tuesday. The word God gave me when I went to pray in the middle of the night was Jeremiah 1:17-20 “Get yourself ready! Stand up and say to them whatever I command you... they will fight against you but will not overcome you, for I am with you and will rescue you, declares the LORD.” Confirming that it was for me speak to people about God’s love and about what He was doing in my life while I waited for Narnia to come back, to be returned to me. God was saying that some people might “fight against me” or resist what I was saying, resist God’s message, but God was in control and He was going to protect me. How wonderful it is to serve God with a purpose! It is everything I ever wanted for my life in these 16 years of accepting Him as my savior: to do His work and know that it is because He assigned it to me; that He has a purpose for it. I was strong all day. I just really missed my little girl, Narnia. So all throughout the day I would pray and ask God to give me strength, because it was hurting, but I wanted to focus on Him and what He was doing through it all. Later that evening I went to the Bible Study I go to on Tuesday nights. I went against what I am used to do when I am hurting, whwn I have a big problem. So instead of being broken and depressed in bed, I put on a pretty bright pink shirt, put make up and perfume on and I went to worship God and hear His word at Bible Study. I knew He was goig to speak to me that night. I was actually curious what word He was going to have be brought to us that night. I just knew it. And like every other Tuesday, He did have a Word that was real and relevant for my life. He spoke again! And the message that night was: IF YOU ONLY BELIEVE, THE VICTORY IS YOURS: GOD WILL GIVE BACK TO YOU EVERYTHING THAT HAS BEEN TAKEN AWAY FROM YOU. Isn’t He AMAZING?! Isn’t He REAL?! And the rest of the message spoke about how God goes through the fire (hardships) along with us, to protect us from evil. And that sometimes He allows certain things to happen in our lives so that He can give us victory, and let us and those around us know that He is real! WOW, I was really amazed. And that night I started envisioning all the lives that could be changed because of this story, beginning with my life. Because not only was I telling people about what God was doing, but I was also posting everything that was happening on Facebook, which in a way was also confirming the word He gave me in Jeremiah 1:17-20 about telling people what God was doing. God is WONDERFUL! I surrendered all, ALL at the feet of Jesus that day!
DAY 7
Ahhhh, how much God spoke on this day! This was the Word I got during my prayer time. It was like as if God was narrating what had happened throughout these very long 7 days: Acts 27:18-25 “We took such a violent battering from the storm that the next day they began to throw the cargo overboard. On the third day, they threw the ship’s tackle overboard with their own hands. (after all my suffering, I decided to throw away all my pain and doubt and give it all into God’s hands in order for Him to set me free of this burden) When neither sun nor stars appeared for many days and the storm continued raging, we finally gave up all hope of being saved. (without my dog showing up for many days, momentarily, we lost hope of her being saved) ... But now I urge you to keep up your courage, because not one of you will be lost (be of good courage, she will not be lost); only the ship will be destroyed (only your unbelief and wavering faith that is tossed around like a ship in a storm, will be destroyed). Last night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve (Jesus) stood beside me and said, ‘Do not be afraid, Paul. You must stand trial before Caesar; and God has graciously given you the lives of all who sail with you.’ (Do not be afraid, Anna, because this is necessary for you to go through this, because the lives of many around you will be touched by this). So keep up your courage, men, for I have faith in God that it will happen just as he told me.” (Therefore, be of good cheer, because everything will happen like it was told to you by the mouth of the pastor from Brazil who spoke to you: somebody has picked up your dog, is caring for her, and they will give her back into your arms!)
Another word God showed me in the Bible was a study within it that said that while Paul was in prison, he used all the time that he couldn’t do anything to serve God anyway, by speaking of God to all of those who came to see him and to write letters to all the churches he had founded along his journey with Jesus. And these letters are today most of the new testament and changing and impacting lives until this day. So I thought “that is what I have to do... while I can’t do anything... while all I can do is depend on God’s will and timing, I will be telling people of all the wonders that He has been showing and teaching me through all this. And just to confirm, this is the word God gave me right after I thought this:
Acts 28:23 “They arranged to meet Paul on a certain day, and came in even larger numbers to the place where he was staying. He witnessed to them from morning till evening, explaining about the kingdom of God, and from the Law of Moses and from the Prophets he tried to persuade them about Jesus.” It was such a beautiful day. Full of promises from God. I posted everything on Facebook. And people would write to encourage me. And as I read everything, I would put everything in my heart and think: I am caring my cross with joy! How crazy is this? I can’t even believe this. I am going through one of the hardest pains ever in my life, but I have joy??? Wow!Only GOD to make this miracle happen. Where is all the complaining, depression, anxiety?! I would look inside me and only joy was there. WOW! Amazing. Then I opened my Facebook account and there was a devotional about Peter walking on the water with Jesus. And it said: if you only believe (the same words from Bible study the night before!) you will do what I do, said Jesus! Do not be afraid. Do not sink. Do not fall because of the winds of trouble!) WOW! Then I went to my regular devotional. Now I was curious to see what would be the word there for I KNEW by now it was going to complement what I had read previously. And the word from Times Square Church’s Pastor David Wilkerson on his daily devotional was:
WHEN ALL MEANS FAIL | by David Wilkerson | April 27, 2011
To believe when all means fail is exceedingly pleasing to God and is most acceptable. Jesus said to Thomas, “You have believed because you have seen, but blessed are those that do believe and have not seen” (John 20:29).
Blessed are those who believe when there is no evidence of an answer to prayer—who trust beyond hope when all means have failed. Someone has come to the place of hopelessness—the end of hope—the end of all means. A loved one is facing death and doctors give no hope. Death seems inevitable. Hope is gone. The miracle prayed for is not happening.
That is when Satan’s hordes come to attack your mind with fear, anger, overwhelming questions: “Where is your God now? You prayed until you had no tears left. You fasted. You stood on promises. You trusted.”Blasphemous thoughts will be injected into your mind: “Prayer failed. Faith failed. Don’t quit on God—just do not trust him anymore. It doesn’t pay!”
Even questioning God’s existence will be injected into your mind. These have been the devices of Satan for centuries. Some of the godliest men and women who ever lived were under such demonic attacks.
To those going through the valley and shadow of death, hear this word: Weeping will last through some dark, awful nights—and in that darkness you will soon hear the Father whisper, “I am with you. I cannot tell you why right now, but one day it will all make sense. You will see it was all part of my plan. It was no accident. It was no failure on your part. Hold fast. Let me embrace you in your hour of pain.”
Beloved, God has never failed to act but in goodness and love. When all means fail—his love prevails. Hold fast to your faith. Stand fast in his Word. There is no other hope in this world.
In fact, after reading this, I got even more curious and excited, because now there was really no question God was really speaking and in control of it all. So I went to check the devotionals from Pastor Dave that I had been reading all these days, and noticed that since April 18, God was saying something to me in them, and preparing me, without me knowing for what I was going to go through with Narnia. INCREDIBLE! You can check them at: http://www.worldchallenge.org/en/view/devotions?filter0&filter1=4&filter2=2011
So after all I had remembered that God had shown me all of those days, I thought: Narnia is on vacation on somebody’s house and when this somebody calls me, they will not say I THINK I have your dog... they will say, I HAVE your dog, without any doubt... because God is not a God of confusion. When He does something, it is perfect and there is peace. So later that day, on April 27, 2011, at 4:30 pm (exactly 7 days to the hour that Narnia had disappeared) I received a call from a Hispanic lady who said these exact words to me: “we have your dog, come and get her.” Without any doubt in her voice she told me she had Narnia. I even asked: do you think you have her? are you sure? And she said again: “I know we have her. We just saw her picture on a flier on the street.” I was amazed and in awe again. And it came to happen just as God had told me it would happen. Someone gave my Narnia back into my arms. And just to complete the joy and confirm everything God had been speaking into my heart for all those days, when I got to the address the lady gave me to go get Narnia, we were welcomed by a family of 4 kids and a teenager with whom my baby had been, really, on vacation with. Eating treats and playing a lot. She didn’t even care when i showed up. She did not go on her separation anxiety cry when she saw me. Actually, she did not even look at me. LOL! They had even given her a bath. She was happy, clean, and even chunkier... Oh so good to see how faithful God is. He cares so much about us and what belongs to us. He takes care of us with excellence. He took care of Narnia with the best. Oh, it was so good to see that. He is faithful! More than we can ever imagine. It is worth it to serve and worship such a good God! For everything I learned in this week, it is worth it. For everything I saw Him do and speak. To see that He cares about the smallest details of our lives... It was worth it.. It was even worth it if Narnia had not showed up. For everything I learned and everyone I met, just for that it would have been worth it. I came closer to God than ever in 16 years. AMAZING! He truly goes beyond anything we can imagine. Amazing!
Then just to complete the joy, after we got home I took Narnia for a walk, and as I was approaching my house, one of my neighbors was arriving from work and with joy he said: God is good! (We had been talking about the Narnia story with him the day before and saying God is good and He will return her when He wants to). Then the family from across the street arrived at the same time while I was still talking to my other neighbor. And then another neighbor who was driving by stopped as well. We all looked like we were seeing a ghost. Because it was crazy to believe this had happened. We were seeing an impossibility come to fruition. A real miracle, because Newark is a big city. And to have her back was just unbelievable. And there, in that moment, seeing all my neighbors on my lawn, God spoke to me: “do you remember you were praying for your neighbors as well during your fast? I allowed this to happen also because of my love for them. This was for them too. So they may see and believe. So they may come closer to me and know my love in a deeper way. So they may believe in me and have new life in them: a new and abundant life that only I can give” Wow! I was again amazed at that and everything that was happening. If I had organized that get together, it would not have been more synchronized. And we were talking about God without walls, without walking on eggshells, without prejudice, just plainly, just being real about our journey with God or without God. It was beautiful!
Afterwards, I went to have my private moment with God to THANK HIM for it all. Oh, He is so good! And God gave me the following word in the Bible through a study in it, that said: THANK GOD FOR HIS LOVE (isn’t it amazing?!) And the verse that went along with it was: Zephaniah 3:17 “The LORD your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves (rescues) ... He will rejoice over you, with His love He will renew you, He will rejoice over you with singing.”
God wants to renew you. He wants to give you new life, an abundant life! And that is why you are reading this story. Please seek God! For just like I was calling out for Narnia, He is calling out your name desperately through the streets of life. Do not ignore His voice. Do not listen to all the voices that take you far way from the Father, the one who created you. God loves you. He wants to hold you, cleanse you, heal you from your wounds and care for you all the days of your life. He made me go through this so I could be changed and so that I could tell you firsthand that He is good and that is worth giving your life to Him. Just believe and give your life to Jesus! IT IS WORTH IT!!! HE IS THE GOD OF THE IMPOSSIBLE!!!
If you want, you can ask God to come into your heart now, all you have to do is ask. Talk to Him. That is prayer: a conversation with God. It is simple. Just be real. He knows you, He knows your struggles and loves you no matter what. He says in the Bible:”come as you are” Come as you are, but come. Just come to Him. Whatever He wants to change and do, He will show you and teach you. But in His most awesome loving way. His arms are always open to receive us. Here is a model prayer if you need to get started. But just speak from the bottom of your heart to Him. He is listening, like He proved to me through this whole Narnia journey. For like He told me in the beginning, when I had just lost her: “I have heard your prayer and seen your tears” Isaiah 38:5
Prayer of Salvation: Lord, please forgive my sins, my wrongdoings. I confess Jesus as my one and only Savior. Have mercy on me, change my life and transform me to be who You want me to be. I give my life into Your hands and ask you to do Your will in me. I want to know you more deeply and know Your peace, joy and happiness even when everything is falling apart around me. Please save me, rescue me and write my name in the book of life, so that I may spend all of eternity together with You. That is what I ask You, in the name of Jesus, amen.
As I am done writing this story, I know some of you will embrace it and let God in, and some of you will very much reject it. And some of you will not reject it, but will be skeptical about it because of the stigma carried by anything spiritual, especially Christian, because of some bad examples that have trailed among us. But this isn’t about religion. This isn’t about an evangelistic agenda. It is about God and coming close to Him, not a church. Going to church is just a physical consequence you will want to do out of love and thirst for more of God, not obligation or mere ritual. It may be blurry and awkward to open yourself up to speak to Him without a set of regulations and dogmas like we all have somehow learned in our lives, but that is what He wants from each one of us: a personal relationship with Him, so that all that bothers or hinders you to believe in Him can be clarified and taken out of the picture. Because when you know Him personally, every doubt, every controversy about Jesus created by our minds is dissipated. When you know God personally and you talk to Him, all your questions are answered and then there is assurance about it all beyond a shadow of a doubt. And you will know because it was God that showed you and not another man or woman that you may think is trying to convert you. So just talk to Him. He will answer you. And you will fall in love with Him. Whatever your background may be, it does not matter to Him. He doesn’t see labels in us, He just sees us. Because sometimes we can even have the Christian “label” and not have a relationship with Jesus either. It is not the label we carry, it is about our heart, and about us knowing Him. God cares about our hearts and He wants a relationship with us. He cares about where we are in our lives and where we are headed in the future. He wants to show us how close He is to us. How much He can help us. It does not mean we won’t have problems in this life, but He does not want us to go through them alone. And just like I learned in my story, you can as well see that God is real and that He can do the impossible for us. He wants us to let Him intervene. He just wants to be a close friend or a closer friend than we have let Him be to us. The rest, He will show you if you ask and open your heart to hear Him answer you. “Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.” Jesus says in Revelation 3:20
Today, as I finish translating this (for I wrote the original right away, in Portuguese) is more than a month after all this happened. It took me so long because of time but also because of fear of being rejected, for most of you don’t know me, but there will be people who know me here in the U.S. and in Brazil who will read this as well. And as I pondered all the possible rejection scenarios (being called, crazy, fanatic, pushy, etc...) God put this in the email devotional that I received today: “however, I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me — the task of testifying to the good news of God’s grace.” Acts 20:24. I guess He is telling me: “don’t worry about your life, about what people say to you or about you, or even how they reject you; just finish what I asked you to do: tell everyone about my love for them through this story.” So here it is. The story is done and translated completely. Now I just pray you take it to heart, for then, this story is just the beginning of your story with God! May God bless you and open your eyes and ears to His presence and love!
PS: and just as I am closing, my email beeped and this was what was in it: “This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.” 1Timothy 2:3-4 GOD SPEAKS!!! Hear His voice today!
If you want to learn more about the Word of God and hear about Him and don’t know where to start or where to go, you can always listen to sermons at Times Square Church’s website (that is where my family and I attend): www.tscnyc.org, or even watch a live stream on Sundays at 10am (NYC time zone). But if you are in the NYC area, you can always visit too. The church is located in the heart of Manhattan on 51st Street and Broadway. The services are on Sundays at 10am, 3pm and 6pm; Tuesdays at 7pm and Fridays at 7pm (Bible Study and Youth Service). The pastors there really seek God for His words. They don’t speak just for eloquent, religious speech. It is really worth our time and attention. All the best, everyone!!!!
We have created a page on Facebook for all of those who would like to leave a note, share something God has done in their lives since they read the story, or just plain say something God put in your heart. God bless you! Here we go https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-New-Chronicles-of-Narnia/142329802527018
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