The Mailbox
by Anonymous

THE PRIVILEGE OF PARTICIPATION

Dear Friends at The Intercessor,
Please put this contribution towards the expense of putting out the ZNews and Intercessor. God has really convicted me that we can believe Him to meet all our financial needs–including a tithe. Admittedly this seems ludicrous, especially one month after making the move and laying down my career and income in obedience to His calling me for full-time motherhood and home-maker. But, isn’t that what Norman says about a word of faith–we laugh with hilarity knowing only God could fulfill the desire–certainly no material evidence of the ability to make good on the commitment!

I do not wish to hold on to any area of disobedience or rebellion and God has really shown me in recent days that I have a lot of fear about being able to make ends meet financially with this move and convinced me He is able if I’ll only believe and put into action His principles on the matter. So there you have it!

Truly we have certainly reaped the many benefits and outpouring of love and concern from this ministry–it’s about time we gave a little something back. Thanks for the privilege of participating in getting the total truth out to a desperate world.

Anonymous
(The following was written after the recent death of her mother.)
 
Dear Friends,
Mom is very much missed. I’m grateful she did accept Christ and is in heaven. Thank you all for all of your love, care, and support this year. It is a very painful time and without knowing it’s either Christ or Satan and all of your hard work, I don’t know where I would be.

Love,
Jackie

A BREAKTHROUGH WITH ADDICTION

Dad,
In our last conversation you asked what was new with me. I told you about my recent sin I’ve seen with eating. I don’t think I explained it well enough. I’ve been using food as a drug to not feel pain for as long as I can remember. Growing up I was always eating junk. For example: lunch would be three chocolate chip cookies, chocolate milk and ice cream. Then I’d walk home from school, stop at Cumberland Farms for a soda and a chocolate bar. Once I got home, I’d have a cracker, snack or sandwich. Then I’d go watch T.V. and snack during commercials. Next, I’d have dinner and then dessert after. I’d feel guilty and full most of the time and hid from you and Mom what I was eating. That sin has never been healed until now.

I recently had a major binge of eating junk all day long. I’d hide and eat, feeling nervous someone would find out. I wasn’t really hiding because God knew. I was desperate for a change because I knew I was dying spiritually. I got a sponsor and am working the 12 Steps. The hardest part was powerlessness. I didn’t want to admit 100% that I couldn’t control my eating. I had a mad feeling in the pit of my stomach about totally giving God my life. In a talk with my sponsor, she asked me how I viewed God. I told her He was mean, unfair, unloving, never gave me direction, etc. I had a very negative image. Then she asked me who I thought was like that and I answered, "myself." I broke down and knew God was the opposite.

Since that day, I’ve been able to do Steps 1, 2, and 3. I know I’m completely powerless. If Jesus Christ isn’t eating by me, I’m going to be stuffing my face or hiding in sin. It’s sin because I would be blocking Jesus Christ from living my life and believing He is the one and only Power. I would be holding onto something for myself. I’m now on my 4th Step and seeing how mean I’ve been (really Satan through me). God is constantly showing me He has to live my life or I’ll be spiritually dead and not fulfilling His commission which is to tell others that Jesus Christ is the only answer. Dad, thanks for keeping in touch.

Love in Christ, Sheryl

(The following letter is an answer from a youth worker to a young person)
 
ATTRACTIONS: GOD’S VIEW

Dear Betsy,
I really enjoyed your letter! And no, I did not know you had feelings for Lawrence, but I am not shocked or even surprised. I think Lawrence is very sharp and quite charming (most of the time!). So it’s only normal that you would have feelings for him. I will repeat that because I want you to get this point: it is normal and okay for you to have feelings about Lawrence (or anyone for that matter). You cannot control your feelings, much less make them come or go–just like you can’t make the pain go away when you stump your toe or break your leg.

Okay, so now that we have that point settled, how does it work out? What do you do about it? First, try to relax and figure out what God wants you to do. After all, God set it up for girls and guys to be attracted to each other. So if God set it up, He has a purpose in it. He will use it to produce life in both you and the other person. God will use your attraction to Lawrence as a way to express His love to him by using you as the vessel for the job. See, as long as you are believing who you are (Christ in Betsy’s vessel form), God can express His love for Lawrence through you. That is what life is all about. Because you are attracted to Lawrence you will be more available than say Ellen or Tammy or me for God to use. Not that Ellen, Tammy or I should be as interested in Lawrence–God has our interests elsewhere and he has you to use for Lawrence.

So, how will He use you for Lawrence? For one thing, every time you think about him, God is sending spirit energy his way. With all Lawrence is facing right now, he can use all the spirit energy he can get. Also, I think you and Lawrence are close enough that you could write him and he would not think you were weird or anything. He could certainly use some "spirit conversation" right now. Even if you don’t say anything profoundly spiritual, hearing from you will be good for him. All you need to do is say hello and tell him about whatever you want. You probably never will be able to identify with his stuff. Nothing wrong with that. But see, every time he gets a letter from you, he goes back to his spiritual roots automatically because he will think about you and how he even knows you to begin with! Seeing just your name will remind him of God and what he believes. How exciting that God can use you in such a powerful way and you hardly have to do anything. You can trust God on what you should say to him or how often to write him.

I know you would probably want to tell him how you feel and for him to say the same things back. I know that would feel great. But it is still just a feeling. You have to be willing for God to use you and your feelings for Lawrence no matter how he feels about you. Once you commit to that, God will let you know what you should do or say to him about liking him. If God wants you to tell him that you have feelings for him, you won’t be able not to. In the meantime, play it cool and just work on developing a Christ-centered friendship with Lawrence. This is God’s deal just like your relationships with your family or friends, your school and exams, or anything else you have strong feelings about. These feelings will just be stronger and different, but feelings just the same. It will be very exciting to see where God takes you and how he uses you in Lawrence’s life.

Love,
Ginny