These personal testimonies were inspired by the Covenant Women Ministries' Sunday which was held in February of 2003. We hope they bring you inspiration!
"But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles." Isaiah 40:31
By Elsa S.
Did you ever live through a time in your life when too many new things were happening to you? A time that made you wish for boring, stress free days without overwhelming new impressions?.
In hindsight I think that it was not all that bad -- my adjustment to this new country, the new language, which I only knew from school and now had to speak all day long, the new job, being newly married. But whom am I kidding? It was very tough!
It was a time in my life when God was right there to carry me on His wings. He knew that I needed all the positive reinforcement I could get. And He knew where I could find it.
By bringing us to Trinity Covenant Church, God introduced us to a wonderful group of people, and particularly to one special woman whom He definitely wanted me to meet.
Adele S. was the most positive person I had ever met, and she took me under those reinforcing wings. It never ceased to amaze me how she saw a positive outcome, or a humorous side in every one of life's situations. With her deep faith, her keen intellect, and endless patience, she was a cherished friend and mentor to me. She also shared her love and wisdom generously with our children, who remember her with affection. Experiencing Adele S. one could see a life filled with God's grace. She certainly was an original and one of God's masterpieces!
Looking back at those early years, I can only marvel at God's guidance in my life, in which He planned for me to meet this special woman, and all the wonderful Covenant women, when I needed to feel His strong wings holding me.
By Janet C.
For two and a half years, I have seen God's hand in the many deeds of kindness and help from family, friends, neighbors and strangers.
When my husband was first diagnosed with a terminal illness, in my daily prayers I asked God to give me the strength and grace to take care of him as long as he needed it. God did, until the last three days, when my strength simply evaporated. That evening I asked God, "Why did you promise you'd never give me more than I could bear when I don't know how I can care for Bill through the night?" Five minutes later the doorbell rang and Sandy M. stood there with a pillow and carafe of coffee. She sent me to bed and tenderly cared for and comforted Bill all through the long night. In the morning, despite fatigue, she made my breakfast and called Pastor John, who came down immediately. He helped Sandy make Bill comfortable and was there to guide him through his ordeal. After Sandy left, he stayed with us all morning. Then Terry, Pastor John's wife, came down and stayed until my daughter arrived from Georgia. The next morning Bill died, with his beloved daughter and me by his side.
This was only one example of the love and care God gave us through our church family, neighbors, and strangers.
I learned an important lesson. God doesn't always answer your prayers as you would want Him to, but He does answer them.
By Pauline S.
When I was asked to give a talk on the woman who influenced my life the most, spiritually, I had a bit of a dilemma. You see, if asked to do this 25 years ago I would have said, my mother, of course! She took me to Mass every Sunday, helped me prepare for my first communion and confirmation and was a wonderful Irish Catholic mother. Or I might have said, Mother Teresa. It would have been almost sacrilegious not to revere this selfless Catholic nun who devoted her life to the poor and sick of India.
I have since learned that while these women were indeed my religious role models,, they were also my spiritual role models. And it was the women of this church who helped me understand the difference between religion and spirituality.
When Pat P. asked me to join the young mother's circle group 27 years ago, the stage was set and my spiritual journey began. I marveled at the faith these women seemed to possess. Their generosity of spirit was a constant source of strength for me. When I was going through stressful times in my life and had various personal and family issues to deal with, it was the women in the circle group who always made me feel that any situation can be dealt with if we have the security, unconditional acceptance and warm spiritual environment in which to share life's trials and tribulations. I have always admired and respected courageous women and God knows we have an abundance of this characteristic among the women in our church. Courage is having the strength and willingness to overcome our resistance and do what we feel is right even though it is difficult or we are afraid. It takes tremendous courage to face our fears -- though it is essential that we do. For it is only when we free ourselves from the leg irons of fear, accepting and honoring the wisdom, strength and beauty we inherently possess that we can truly find the happiness and blessings that God intends for us
There was also one other woman who courage, wisdom and integrity was a constant reminder of the grace of God that shines inside all of us: I watched as she struggled to get the cup and saucer from the closet. She refused my offer to help even though I could see every move caused her excruciating pain. It was important that she make me a cup of tea because she needed to feel that some tasks were still within her capability. The cancer that was slowly consuming her body had not yet deprived her of some measure of independence. At last she sat down, exhausted but pleased with her efforts. She talked about her fears -- what organ was next to be attacked by the cancer, where would she go when she died, etc. I was overcome with sadness and respect for this dying woman because her pride and courage was exemplary. I continued to call her each morning. She was my touchstone and I needed her in my life. But one morning her husband answered the phone and I knew then the end was near. Her life ended on March 28, 1996 and she died as she had lived -- with dignity, courage and privacy. Her name was Ellen. She was my sister-in-law.
So you see, I could not pick just one woman to use as an example for my spiritual growth because you have all contributed in one way or another in my quest to find peace within my soul and develop a relationship with God that nourishes my very being.
By Cyndy T.
I am very blessed because I can say there have been many people in my life who have been Christ to me. My parents started me out with a very firm foundation of faith that lead me to Christ at a young age and always insisted that church and youth group be an important part of my life. Then later, as I started to attend the Women’s Retreats at Pilgrim Pines, I experienced Christ in very meaningful ways through some of the speakers. I didn’t connect with every speaker, of course, but there were many women who spoke at those retreats that left me with a strong desire to continue my path with God and to get moving Now!
Most recently, I am experiencing Christ through a mom who lives in my town. Her name is Angie and she approached me in September about coming to a “Moms In Touch” prayer group that she leads. I didn’t really know her when she asked me to come to the prayer group. I had seen her at some school functions but I had never really talked to her. She had seen my “letter to the editor” in our local newspaper about raising funds for Jill Doran’s lung transplant and noticed the reference to Trinity Covenant Church. She asked me about my involvement at our church and then invited me to join this mom’s prayer group.
I was nervous the first time I went. I had no idea what this would be like. We follow a format for our 1 hour of prayer, which seems like a long time when I stand here and say that, but it goes by so quickly. We praise God, silently confess things, thank Him for answers to prayer and blessings in our lives, pray specifically for our own children- which is a very powerful thing- and then pray for a one teacher at our school and for every child in that class. We pray all of this, except the confession, out loud. Praying out loud with people gives you a glimpse into their souls. We almost always cry. It is such an incredible experience for me to spend time with Angie. Angie’s kids are older than mine and she is a well-seasoned mother. She is a powerful prayer warrior. She continually encourages me and the other members of our small group to invite more moms to come and pray with us. And I’m going to do it too. She has shown me that is possible to approach people where I live about their faith - because she just keeps doing it. I have experienced Christ through Angie. She has taken me to a whole new level of communication with my God. She has shown me how important it is to search scripture for it’s promises and teaching about how to raise our children. And she has also gotten me to the point where I really want to share this gift of prayer with others. That’s a big step for me. I am normally terrified by the thought of talking about truly spiritual things with the people I encounter outside this church. Christ is really working on me --- through Angie.
By Shannon O.
This story is not only what has brought me closer to God, but what has brought my mother Nancy closer to God as well.
My grandma Evelyn used to bring me to this church when I was about 5 or 6 years old. And I used to love coming here with her, partly because this was the church that my father was raised in and my parents got married in, which I always thought was really neat, but mostly because everyone here was always so friendly to me. Eventually, mom started to bring me to Sunday school, but she was one of those “drop-off moms” and she really didn’t come to church unless I was participating in the Church Services.
As some of you remember, I was hit by a car when I was ten years old here in town crossing the street to go to Shop-rite. I was hurt pretty bad and had to stay in the hospital for about three weeks due to the burn that I got on my face. My mom really didn’t have much to do with Trinity at this point. But, she couldn’t believe the amount of cards and letter I was receiving from everyone here. Not to mention all the prayers! She was amazed by the outpouring of emotional support that we were getting from these people that she had hardly even met. While I was in the hospital, we had daily visits from Pastor Elia, and Evelyn, his wife, usually came with him too. They both raised my sprits’ and started bringing me closer to God with there daily prayers that Pastor Elia would say just before they would leave. I believe this is what helped me recover so quickly and I just couldn’t wait to come back to Trinity and see all of my friends. I bugged my mother until she let me go back to Sunday school and Church. And you know how persistent a ten year old can be when they want something badly enough. She decided that she would come to church with me to thank everyone for all the support that they had shown us.
Well once she started coming to church, she got to know some of you and discovered that Patti P. was a real-estate agent. And due to the fact that I was hit right in front of our house on South Livingston Avenue, mom decided to move us. So Patti helped us find a new house (which is where my mom still lives) but she also helped to integrate my mom into life here at church. This has in turn become a very large part of my mother’s life.
My accident has helped me and my mother become much closer to God. I think if she hadn’t become involved with Trinity and all of its wonderful members we wouldn’t have really missed out on knowing his word and trying to live it.
Currently, I have a temporary (and possibly permanent) position at an organization that helps mentally handicapped people live a more fulfilling life. The agency is “Sussex County Association for Retarded Citizens” also known as SCARC. I am the assistant to the Executive Director of Guardianship Services and I also assist the case workers who help families acquire Guardianship of their adult mentally handicapped loved-ones. Sometimes we are asked take over guardianship or serve as co-guardians with them so that the Incapacitated Person can have a caring and competent people looking out for there continued well-being. This helps me feel that I am helping people less fortunate than myself and in turn has brought me closer to God and all the amazing things that he does.
As an adult I am trying to come back and becoming more involved with Church even though I live at a distance. I have gone to other Churches and not felt the warmth at I do at Trinity. I feel that being a part of this church has enabled me to become much closer with God. I know that there are so many people here that do so much for others, not only physically but though all of their prayers. And as an extended family we have helped many people over the years through much thoughts and prayers, we have collectively brought many more people closer to God.
By Katie P.
It was six years ago that I met my husband Troy. I remember vividly the “new dating” scene, discussing where you grew up, where you went to college, and of course meeting the family which was a bit scary for me considering Troy’s side of the family is considerably larger than my side, but I took it in stride and survived the initial meeting which as you can all imagine was not too terrible considering I have the greatest in-laws in the world!
So any way, as time went on, Troy asked me to marry him, we decided to get married in Fairfield at the Reformed Church. We liked the church because it was old and quaint, it was in Fairfield and at the time we enjoyed the Pastor. We went to the pancake breakfasts and tried to interact with the congregation, all the while not really feeling comfortable, or like we fit in. We eventually stopped going to the Reformed Church because neither one of us really felt a part of the church; we were simply going through the motions.
Well, as time went on, Troy’s cousin Jill’s health began to fail. She needed a double lung transplant, but she also needed money. That is when the fund raising and the meetings began; it was also when I began to realize who my Christ was. I went to most of the meetings, always looking forward to them because I knew I was doing something that was really going to help Jill. However, there was one meeting in particular that I really looked forward to going to; the tricky tray meeting. Not because I love to plan a tricky tray, but because of the people that I would be with at these meetings. Each time I went to a meeting, I would come home and feel so good, rejuvenated. I began to realize that it was with the people of Trinity that I felt so comfortable. As I got to meet more and more members of the church, I really had an overwhelming feeling of not only going back to church, but becoming a member of Trinity. Eventually I said to Troy “I think we need to start going back to church”, he said, “Ok, where”, I said “Trinity”.
During the fundraising for Jill, I realized where I felt comfortable and where I felt I fit in; it was with all the people at Trinity who made me want to go back to church and continue with God’s work. Everyone was so welcoming and warm I knew Trinity was the place that I could further my relationship with God as well as my new friends. Thank you to all of you for being my Christ!
You can e-mail us at TrinityCovenantNJ@hotmail.com or call us at 973-992-4044.
|
