PROVERBS 3:5&6 TRUST IN THE LORD WITH ALL YOUR HEART AND LEAN NOT UNTO YOUR OWN UNDERSTANDING. IN ALL YOUR WAYS ACKNOWLEDGE HIM AND HE SHALL DIRECT YOUR PATHS.

THESE VERSES HAVE BEEN VERY SPECIAL TO ME ALL OF MY LIFE.

AT THE AGE OF SIX I EXCEPTED JESUS CHRIST AS MY PERSONAL LORD AND SAVIOR. GROWING UP IN CHURCH TAUGHT ME THE WORD OF GOD AND HOW TO APPLY IT TO MY EVERYDAY LIFE.

AT AGE 16 I FELT GOD'S CALL ON MY LIFE TO WORK IN THE FULL TIME MINISTRY. AT THE TIME I THOUGHT I WOULD BE ON THE MISSION FIELD AS A TEACHER SHARING GOD'S WORD. LITTLE DID I KNOW THAT GOD HAD BEEN PREPARING ME TO BE THE WIFE OF A PASTOR.

WHEN I WAS 18 I MET AND MARRIED PASTOR DALE CLIMIE. WE BOTH WENT TO BIBLE COLLEGE, STARTED OUR FAMILY, AND SERVED THE LORD WHEREVER HE LED US.

AFTER OUR SECOND CHILD WAS BORN, I DEVELOPED SOME BACK PROBLEMS, WHICH EVENTUALLY LED TO MAJOR SURGERY. AS A RESULT I DEVELOPED BLOOD CLOTS IN MY LEGS, AND DURING THE NEXT SEVERAL YEARS I WAS HOSPITALIZED EVERY FIVE TO SIX MONTHS AS THE BLOOD CLOTS WOULD TRAVEL TO MY LUNGS. BUT, EACH TIME GOD WOULD SEE ME THROUGH AND I WOULD QUICKLY RECOVER AND GO ON WITH MY LIFE UNTIL JUNE OF 1986...

AFTER FINISHING MY SHIFT AT THE HOSPITAL, I BECAME DIZZY AND SHORT OF BREATH. RECOGNIZING THE SYMPTOMS OF A PULMONARY EMBOLISM, I THOUGHT THAT THIS WAS JUST LIKE THE OTHERS: ONE WEEK IN THE HOSPITAL AND I WOULD BE BACK TO MY REGULAR ROUTINE. LITTLE DID I KNOW THAT A SHOWER OF BLOOD CLOTS HAD FLOODED MY LUNGS, BRINGING ME TO THE POINT OF DEATH AND THAT MY LIFE WOULD NEVER BE THE SAME AGAIN. AS MY CONDITION WORSENED, THE DOCTORS WERE AT A LOSS ON HOW TO TREAT ME. EVERYTHING THEY TRIED HAD FAILED. THEN TRAGEDY STRUCK: MY BLOOD BECAME SO THIN THAT I BEGAN TO BLEED THROUGH THE PORES OF MY SKIN, BLOOD VESSELS BURST AND I BEGAN TO BLEED INTERNALLY. THERE WAS NOTHING THE DOCTORS COULD DO.

FOR DAYS MY HUSBAND WATCHED MY CONDITION DETERIORATE TO THE POINT WHERE HE HAD FINALLY ASKED GOD TO TAKE ME HOME IF THIS WAS A SICKNESS UNTO DEATH. FINALLY MY HEART DID STOP AND THE NURSE TOLD PASTOR DALE TO TELL ME GOODBYE. THERE WAS NOTHING MORE THAT COULD BE DONE, I HAD GONE HOME TO BE WITH THE LORD.

HEAVEN IS REAL, THE REASON I KNOW THIS IS I HAD GONE FROM EXCRUCIATING PAIN TO BEING IN HEAVEN WITH THE LORD. I DID NOT GO THROUGH A TUNNEL OR SEE A WHITE LITE. IT WAS IMMEDIATE: FROM DEATH TO HEAVEN IN THE BLINK OF AN EYE.

TO DESCRIBE HEAVEN TO YOU IS VERY DIFFICULT. THE PEACE IN HEAVEN IS LIKE NOTHING HERE ON EARTH. THERE WAS NO THOUGHT OF THE LOVED ONES LEFT HERE. IN FACT I WAS WITH MY HUSBAND’S MOTHER WHO HAD DIED SEVERAL YEARS BEFORE. IT WAS PURE CONTENTMENT AND PEACE LIKE NOTHING I HAD EVER EXPERIENCED. BUT MY WORK ON EARTH WAS NOT COMPLETE AND I WAS TOLD THAT I WOULD HAVE TO GO BACK TO MY BROKEN, SICK BODY. I BEGGED GOD NOT TO SEND ME BACK AND I HEARD HIS VOICE CLEARLY SAY "BE STILL AND KNOW THAT I AM GOD". IN OTHER WORDS, TRUST HIM. HE KNEW WHAT WAS GOING TO BE BEST FOR MY LIFE AND I WOULD HAVE TO LEARN ALL OVER AGAIN THOSE PRECIOUS VERSES IN PROVS. 3:5&6.

EVERYTHING WE GO THROUGH IN THIS LIFE PREPARES US FOR HEAVEN. WE MAY NOT UNDERSTAND THE REASON WHY GOD CHOOSES TO DO THE THINGS HE DOES. BUT GOD KNOWS, AND CARES, AND HAS ONLY OUR BEST INTERESTS AT HEART. HE WILL SEE YOU THROUGH ANYTHING IF YOU WILL ONLY SURRENDER YOUR HEART AND LIFE TO HIM.

58 DAYS LATER I WAS RELEASED FROM THE HOSPITAL. I WAS A BROKEN VESSEL, PARALYZED, AND CONFINED TO A WHEEL CHAIR. 58 DAYS EARLIER I DIDN’T HAVE A CARE IN THE WORLD. I WAS YOUNG, HEALTHY AND EXCITED ABOUT MY CAREER. 58 DAYS LATER I HAD TO BE CARRIED EVERYWHERE I WANTED TO GO AND PAIN WAS MY CONSTANT COMPANION. AFTER MONTHS OF PHYSICAL THERAPY, MY NEUROSURGEON TOLD ME MY PARALYSIS WAS PERMANENT AND THAT I WOULD BE CONFINED TO THAT WHEELCHAIR FOR THE REST OF MY LIFE. I LOOKED UP AT HIM AND SAID, "GOD MADE MY BODY THE FIRST TIME HE CAN REMAKE IT NOW!" AFTER LEARNING THE LESSONS GOD HAD FOR ME IN THAT WHEELCHAIR, HE TOUCHED MY BODY AND HEALED ME. TO THE WONDER OF MY PHYSICIAN I WALK, STAND, DO WHAT ANY NORMAL PERSON DOES. WHEN MY DOCTOR WOULD SEE ME HE WOULD CALL ME HIS WALKING MIRACLE PATIENT. I HAVE NEWS FOR BOTH THAT DOCTOR AND THE WORLD, I AM GOD'S WALKING MIRACLE!

TODAY I WORK IN A VERY BUSY DOCTORS’ OFFICE AND STAND BY THE SIDE OF MY WONDERFUL HUSBAND OF 27 YEARS. WE SERVE THE LORD IN ANY CAPACITY HE ALLOWS US TO. AND I KNOW GOD IS REAL, HEAVEN IS REAL AND IT WOULD BE HORRIBLE FOR ANYONE TO MISS WHAT GOD HAS FOR EACH ONE OF US IF WE ONLY SURRENDER OUR LIVES AND HEART TO HIM.

MY LIFE VERSES HAVE BEEN MORE MEANINGFUL SINCE 1986 BECAUSE I KNOW THAT I KNOW THAT GOD REALLY WILL DIRECT OUR LIVES AND THAT HE WILL NEVER DO ANYTHING BUT GIVE US THE VERY BEST.