Marriage on the Rocks
(The Flora Cheadle Story)
By: Flora Cheadle
My marriage was about to dissolve. My husband and father of our two
children was not present emotionally to meet my needs. His time at work far
outweighed his time at home and when he was home, he was planted in front of
the TV. Our only enjoyment was found after having a few drinks and that became
unfulfilling. I was lonely and without hope. My life revolved around my
children and my work. My appreciation came from those I worked for in my
profession. I had no happiness and was not secure. My husband and I were not a
team as I thought marriage would be. I was raising our two children alone. I no
longer loved my husband of seven years and wanted to get out of the marriage. I
thought I would have more peace.
I heard about
Christ from village missionaries when I was a little girl living with my family
in the logging town of Bates, Oregon. Village missionaries would hold a two-week Vacation Bible
School every summer and because there was nothing else to do, I attended the
VBS. I heard about Jesus from Missionaries and prayed for Jesus to come into my
life every summer. However, there was no one to teach me after they would
leave. I wanted to be a missionary when I grew up, but had no guidance.
Now I was 27,
searching for peace. I remember what I had been told about Jesus wanting to
save me, and that He would give me peace. I struggled with knowing that my
children loved their father so much and it broke my heart to think that if I
divorced him, that their heart would be broken also. I just could not put them
through this kind of pain. I watched my neighbor go to church every Sunday.
They were our age and had two children the same age as ours. They seemed to be
such a happy family, and they had affection for one another. I thought going to
church was the answer so I started attending the same church they went to. I did
all the right things - I publicly acknowledged Jesus Christ as my Savior, was
water baptized, and began to sing in the choir. All this time I took our
children to Sunday School and church with me. I was still alone and miserable
inside. My needs were not being met.
Then I was invited
to a home bible study by a group of people who seemed to love Jesus. They
talked about Him as a personal friend. I knew I did not know Jesus that way. To
me he was someone who still lived on His throne in Heaven. I longed to have
that same intimacy with Him as they did.
I participated in
the bible study for a time, then one night I was so hungering for that personal
relationship, that I held back my tears. At the end of that study that night,
having sat and not said a word, someone noticed and asked me what was wrong. I
burst into tears saying "I don't know, but I want to know Jesus like
you know Jesus." At that time
someone said, well it is
the baptism
of
the Holy Spirit and I could be baptized if I asked Jesus.
They didn't tell me
anything more, I had no bible opened to me or anyone instruct me. All I knew is
that I wanted to know Jesus as they knew Him. I said I wanted to ask for it and
they instructed me to sit in a chair in the middle of the room. I eagerly sat
in that chair. I did as I was instructed. I asked Jesus to fill me with the
Holy Spirit. People around me laid their hands on me.
When I asked him to
fill me, I felt oil was poured into me from my head to my feet.
Afterwards, I fell in love
with my husband - with Jesus - and for the first time ... I was at peace.
I left that
night a woman who had fallen in love with Jesus ... and with my husband, Jerry. As I left,
I remember someone saying to me, "Oh - you might start speaking in
tongues". I really didn't understand what was being said to me, but
when I drove into my carport that night I began to sing in a heavenly
language. Oh - I felt wonderful, unlike
anything I had ever experienced before -- alive!
I continued to
attend these weekly bible studies. I saw people healed of sickness, and answers
to prayer. When I came home, I shared every exciting event with my husband. My
life changed immediately. My husband noticed the change in me and my love for
him. Ten months later, he surrendered his life to the Lord. We have been
growing together ever since that time in serving Him. The Love of God motivates
me to serve Him and others.
Editor's Note/Update: Since the
time of this writing, Flora's husband has gone on to his heavenly home to be
with his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, on 10-26-06. He is dearly missed
by all who loved and knew him, but we believe he is
now fulfilling his heavenly assignments just as he did here on earth.
Flora is faithful in the calling the Lord has placed on her life and continues
to love and serve her Lord and Master, Jesus Christ.
Flora's
desire is to see people receive Jesus Christ in all His fullness. She shares her
testimony for that purpose and has committed
herself to pray for those who would like to communicate with her. She loves
the heavenly Father and Jesus
Christ with all her heart, and purposes to love all people truly with the love
of Jesus Christ in her. We encourage you to contact Flora at
fcheadle@ortelco.net
if you want, or if you need someone personally to open up to ... one-on-one.
She will do her best to be a blessing to help you, we're confident, as the Holy Spirit guides her.
If you would like to hear the expanded version
of Flora and Jerry's inspiring testimonies on DVD, you can do so. For a gift of
any amount, simply send your request for this ministry resource to: Precious
Testimonies, P.O. Box 516, Jenison, MI 49429. Request DVD Tape #: 176.
This DVD also has truths of the gospel message of salvation on it, in case
you may want to loan this testimony to someone who is not saved. To be good
stewards of the ministry's financial resources, we are only providing one
DVD tape per request at this time, unless prior arrangements have been made.
(For your convenience, you can send your gift and DVD request to us by using the
convenient Pay Pal option below).
Dear Reader - are you at peace with God?
If not, you can be. Do you know what awaits you when you die?
You can have the assurance from the Holy Spirit that heaven will be your
home, if you would like to be certain. Either Jesus Christ died for yours
sins, or He didn't (He did!). Are you prepared to stand before God
on the Judgment Day and tell Him that you didn't need the shed blood of
Jesus Christ on the Cross to cover your sins? We plead with you ... please
don't make such a tragic mistake.
To be at peace with God; to
make certain heaven will be your home for eternity; to make certain that
you are in right-standing with God right now ... please click
here to help understand the
importance of being reconciled to God. What you do about being reconciled
to God will determine where you will spend eternity, precious one.
Your decision to be reconciled to God is the most important decision you'll ever
make in this life.
The staff and our
ministry supporters so greatly appreciate hearing how God is touching lives for
His glory through this outreach. If this ministry has blessed you in some
special way, would you please consider taking a brief moment and share your
blessing with us? Simply email us at:
ptoffice@precious-testimonies.com
We truly thank each of
you who allow us to publish your testimony, for those who faithfully pray (and
fast) for this outreach, for those of you who help support the ministry
financially, and for those of you who pass along these testimonies and other
ministry writings to others. The part the Holy
Spirit has you play is vital in helping win lost souls and being
engaged in discipleship, and we can never thank you enough for the labor
of love and support you provide on behalf of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Precious Testimonies
is supported financially by those God directs to sow into this ministry. We ask
each person reading this to please ask God on an on-going basis if He would have
you sow a financial gift to this
evangelistic outreach of His - trust that He will clearly communicate His will
to you in the matter - then simply be obedient. Please feel free to contact us
if you have any questions about the current financial needs of this outreach, or
any other questions you may have.
For convenience, you
can simply click on the secure
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Thank You, and God bless you!
