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| Dad's Banner shared with him at the hospice house and then on the altar for his funeral mass. |
Greetings and welcome to Cleveland, Ohio. I saw in the Connection Magazine that the 'Heart of a Champion Tour' is coming to Cleveland, the end of March.
I write to you this day to thank you-the Lord inspires you with music and at times it's important for you to hear a story of how the music you sing inspires others. I'm enclosing 3 pictures of a banner that the Lord gave to me it is the only banner that I've ever made in which the Lord instructed me to put on the back of the banner the date and time in which the Lord gave me the original design.
Then, on another day the Lord spoke to my heart to go and gather the materials needed to make the banner. Then, on another day the Lord spoke to my heart this is the day to assemble the banner. This is where you come in. On that particular day the Lord put it in my heart to play a particular song "Jesus Is The Lamb" not just once did I play it every time it was over I kept the remote control near me to keep playing it over and over again. I completed the banner.
Many times I wanted to take the banner and mail it to you but I couldn't for it had another purpose and this story I share with you is why...
When I became born again I fell away from the Catholic Church and into a non-denominational Pentecostal church. My father was a staunch Catholic -he thought I was in some sort of cult-little did he know that I was learning truth and how to evangelize. My father became ill and found himself in the hospital. He was weeks away from dying and the Lord used me in this situation. It was the 1 year anniversary of my oldest brothers death (my father's 1st born son.) My father came out of surgery and I told him that I loved him and Jesus loved him-in that moment he said to me "Find me Jesus." I then led him to the Lord. That was September 22, 1999. My father died October 3, 1999. A few days before he died he was released from the hospital and admitted to a hospice house. It was beautiful and on the lake...This is where the banner comes in...I stayed the night with him the Friday before he died that Sunday morning.
The Lord instructed me to go and get the banner and bring it into his room-before I brought it to his room the Lord told me to show it to another patient across the hall from my father-I then showed it to Freida (an older Catholic woman.)
In my father's room there was a nail already on the wall as if it was waiting for the banner. That banner stayed in my father's room until he went to be with the Lord.
The Lord put it in my heart, next, to use it at my father's funeral mass. The family gathered around my father's dead body mourning, while we waited for my sister to come in from Atlanta. The Lord said to me 'do not mourn with them rejoice he's with Me and then He said Go to Frieda it is time to lead her to Me.' I did in obedience and she gave her heart to the Lord. I often wonder if the Lord set that up to allow my father to see the truth in which I shared with him-I told him that in the moment he gave his heart to Jesus his name was recorded in the Lamb's Book of Life and all the angels in heaven rejoiced in that moment.
My sister and I were allowed to select the Gospel readings for his mass but we could not read them since we were not practicing Catholics. I asked the priest if I could share my father's faith in his last days. He allowed that-the banner was at the altar beside the pulpit. There were either 7 or 8 priests on that altar and a deacon and I asked the Lord for strength as I stood up to share with the people. I shared the story of how I led my father to Jesus and I ended it by telling them that if anything I shared with them touched their heart that I invited them to invite Jesus into their hearts. I paused for a moment and then spoke 'Holy Spirit seal the words that were spoken into the hearts of the people that asked Jesus into their hearts. Amen.'
The banner came home with me and I hung it on a wall for anyone to see that entered my home. A group of people from a church in Bradford, England were ministering and one of the ladies makes beautiful, anointed banners and the Lord spoke to my heart to bless her with it and I did. Continue in your ministry Carman, from that 1 song "Jesus Is The Lamb", look how it inspired me and from that inspiration souls were won to the Lord. Hallelujah!!! Praise the Lord."
I then shared why I would not be able to attend his concert due to me serving in ministry that weekend. You should know by now how I like to back up my stories I share with you so I will share an excerpt of the composing of the letter I drafted. That is how I did it back then. I drafted it and then copied it onto fine stationery or a very nice note card. You know the art of writing a note seems to be replaced with quick Emails or text messages. Do not let the art of sending thank you notes written by your own hand go to the wayside. Would you not rather receive a hand written note of thanks than a brief thank you via Email or text message? I added the link for you to view the video of the song that inspired me. Being a Christian is not boring and viewing this video shows one that it really can be fun.
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| Excerpt from a letter I drafted |
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