I heard a message on the radio yesterday that spoke profoundly to my heart. The broadcast was entitled “The Preparation and Portrait of a Prophet” on the program entitled “Let My People Think” done by RZIM (Ravi Zacharias International Ministries). The whole broadcast was electrifying to me, stirring in my heart a renewed zeal and commitment to put more focussed attention to the project of writing the book and getting it published. I believe it is a major part of God’s call and preparation on my life, and I’m sorry to say that I have not been as diligent as I should have been in my determination to complete this project. God has faithfully seen me through many situations that without His direct intervention would have potentially destroyed us. I couldn’t begin to count the times He has miraculously intervened and/or used circumstances to bring about blessings.

The following is a poem that Ravi shared in the broadcast mentioned above. It was written by that prolific writer, Anonymous. I share it here because of it’s profound truth and application to our life.

“When God ants to drill a man, and thrill a man, and skill a man – When God wants to mold a manto play the noblest part; When He yearns with all His heart to create so great and bold a man that all the world might be amazed; Watch His methods, watch His ways, How He ruthlessly perfects, when He royally elects; How He hammers and hurts him, and with mighty blows converts him into trial shapes of clay that only God understands, while his tortured heart is crying, and he lifts beseeching hands. How He bends but never breaks, when his good He undertakes; How He uses whom He chooses, and with mighty acts educes him to try His splendor out – God knows what He’s about. When God wants to drill a man, and thrill a man, and skill a man; watch His methods,watch His ways.”

Hearing those words on the broadcast yesterday caused me to reflect back on very troubled days when I was being sorely tried and tested and could see nothing bright or hopeful on the horizon, through years of paths both rocky, cutting into the soles of my feet as I tread upon them, and sandy – cushioning my aching feet with warm and soothing heat. I reflect back to the days just preceding my DID diagnosis when the image of wading slowly yet with determination deeper and deeper into seemingly endless waters was present in my mind. I knew deep within my soul that the water represented the journey I was embarking on toward a much healthier, happier life. When sharks began to surround me and threaten me, my psychiatrist and I tried everything we could think of to alter the image of the sharks or to introduce a method of protecting me from them, to no avail until we took a break from our focus on therapy for a Sabbath rest and God introduced dolphins into the image to escort and protect me while I continued on my dangerous journey. There were many life-threatening, terrifying moments in the years that followed, and now we are drawing near to our destination of happier, healthier living. God has used such a wide variety of people,events and techniques to do His work in and through us, and in the process He has placed in my heart a deep desire to share His story throughout our history in the form of a book. I hope it will speak hope and blessing to all who read it. I have a fear that I will fail in my efforts to write of His great mercy and mighty hand, and I’ve let that fear prevent me from doing what I know with assurance that God is calling me to do. By His grace I am again renewing my efforts and determination to proceed and depend on God to provide the insight, memory, and skill needed to accomplish the task He has set before me to do.