Ps 42:4 My heart is breaking as I remember how it used to be: I walked among the crowds of worshipers, leading a great procession to the house of God, singing for joy and giving thanks amid the sound of a great celebration!
As a young adult I was not following God’s plan in my life and married someone who manipulated me to be estranged from family and friends. He worked in the oil field and was transferred to the Middle East. While waiting to join him in Dubai, God opened my heart and I volunteered at the New Orleans Mission during Mardi Gras. I was passing out flyers about God’s love for all and the first night recommitted my life to him.
I called a friend from work and asked her what to do next. She invited me to church and I attended several times. I bought a Bible with four translations and devoured the Word of God. I quickly realized that my marriage was not of God but decide to make the best of the situation and moved to Dubai.
Wow, was I far away from God. I tried to hold on to God’s word and remembered the times in church, praising and worshiping God, but before I knew it, I was in worse shape than ever. When we were deported due to the political climate my ex-husband abandoned me in Madrid, but God being my faithful protector, brought me home to start over.
Looking back, I know experiencing that circumstance and feeling far away from God, the devastation and fear for my life, was what I needed, to dig deeper roots in God for a firm foundation for my future.
Jena Kleinpeter 