Page 162 - Evidence of Things Unseen

it abundantly clear that this was a path He had chosen for me. It was a cross appointed unto
me to bear. I had to remain until He released me, and I received abundant grace to do so.
While camping the remnants of a hurricane passed through the area. The ground was
already saturated from another tropical storm that had come through earlier. For three days
it rained constantly until water began to seep through the sides of my tent. The wind was
blowing and the ground so saturated that huge trees began falling over in the forest all
around me. I lay in my tent listening to the thunderous crashing of huge pines as they fell
close by. A restless night was spent listening to the sounds of the wind, rain, and crashing
trees. I thought to get out of the tent and sleep in the car, but I considered that it afforded
no better protection. My safety was in the Father’s hands. He had led me to this place. He
would be my shelter.
After five months living as a homeless man, the Lord directed my steps to an inner city
rescue mission. I was there a few months and they asked me to fill the position of Resident
Manager. I was given a small room in the men’s dormitory, and I was responsible for the
oversight of the Mission after staff hours. This required 80-100 hour work weeks, and my
pay was room and board and $100 a week. In eight months time I had three days off (I
worked every weekend from sunup to sundown). In this the Lord was teaching me
endurance, patience, and many other needful things.
While at the mission I received notice that my wife had filed for divorce. Papers were
served to me on Good Friday 2005. This was the day the church remembers the Lord being
brought before the courts, falsely charged, and delivered to be scourged and crucified. The
Spirit spoke to me that day and said “This is a cross I have appointed for you. You are to
bear it willingly as My Son bore His.”

Luke 14:26-27
“If anyone comes to Me, and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and
children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be My
disciple. Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after Me cannot be My
disciple.”

The Lord said I was to accept this cross in the same way His Son accepted His own.
He directed me to Peter’s writing.

I Peter 2:21-23
For you have been called for this purpose, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving
you an example for you to follow in His steps, who committed no sin, nor was any
deceit found in His mouth; and while being reviled, He did not revile in return; while
suffering, He uttered no threats, but kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges
righteously...

The Spirit of Christ revealed that I was not to hire a lawyer. I was not to mount a
defense, or make accusation against my wife. I was to go to the divorce proceeding and
entrust myself to the care of the Father. When the date arrived I did as the Lord instructed.
I had no counsel, no witnesses, while my wife had brought both. I was accused of neglect
of my family, of being heartless and uncaring, failing to provide for them as I was capable
of doing. It was recounted how many times we had moved during the six years of walking
in faith and performing the ministry entrusted to me. How irresponsible this seemed to