The Storyteller Sings

The Storyteller Sings

From the series, "On the Way Home: Diary of a Battered Preacher's Wife"

By: Susan Deborah Schiller – aka Tender Lily

Strumming his12-string guitar, his sparkling grey eyes crinkled in soft, velvety wrinkles, like expression marks embellishing the story he was weaving. As a traveling minstrel raised on folk songs, Dick Williams, sings in prophetic rhymes straight from God's heart.

He puts himself into the story, like an actor, and with his guitar he skillfully weaves an enchanting harmony to his rich baritone. His audience rides the notes like waves in the surf… each verse coming straight from Heaven.

With a gentle smile, Dick sang to a man in the first row. With each word, each line of poetry, I could see the man's face soften and his eyes watered up. Glancing at his wife, who was beaming at him, it was life-giving just to watch the power of the Word encourage this faithful man's heart. Someone knew him, in the deepest places – that only he and his wife knew. God was honoring this man for his faithful heart and his hard-working efforts to make a difference in his business.

Next, the minstrel turned to me, his grey eyes piercing into the depths of my soul. He called me a "Deborah" and a strong communicator. And then he said, "I see a man coming for you, who will treat you like a princess!"

Words have force. Words bring life and words bring death. For a person who has been long-abused by words, you are accustomed to the spiritual bruises and tears in your soul that come from words that sting, cut, and poison. You learn to guard your heart, sometimes with very well fortified walls.  So when a person speaks words of life to you, it's like a healing balm to your soul and you open up a little and the walls come down a little.

I let his words sink deeper into my soul in the following weeks and months, and I prayed, "Father, if you have this Prince for me, then please send more confirmations to let me know!"

Soon afterward, I received an email from a friend, and she kept repeating to me, over and over again, "Sue, do you have to return to Michigan? Can't you write in Wyoming? I feel like God is saying He has a future for you and it's tied to Wyoming."

A friend in Michigan said to me, "Sue, I see you making many trips between Michigan and Wyoming and Montana. God has an inheritance for you in those states."

Around the same time, an Indian woman with long flowing black hair walked briskly into the motel where I was working. I checked her in and gave her the key to room 222. A few minutes later she returned to the desk, and with a sense of urgency, she told me, "God told me to come back downstairs to tell you He has an opportunity just up ahead for you, but your heart is closed. He wants you to open your heart; otherwise you'll miss this chance for love."

Let's just say I was a bit stunned!

My husband left me a little over 3-years ago and it seems like I've spent every moment before, during, and after in a state of grief. I've not once looked for anyone. Yet, I still seemed to be a magnet for the wrong kind, you know?

To be honest, I reached the place where I was happy being single.

But God knows my heart, and how he placed such a big desire in my heart to be a wife, a mom, a gramma. Just because dreams get derailed, delayed, and destroyed doesn't mean God can't bring a surprise and turn you upside down with His delight!

The traveling minstrel is out traveling, singing his tunes to other ragamuffins like me, but his music lingers on… his sparkling grey eyes in their velvety folds remind me of Someone who told me He would never leave me or forsake me.

I do have a love story for you coming up… for I did open my heart… and my prince did come… on a most surprising day – a day you wouldn't think anything good could possibly happen. Wherever you are today, Dick Williams, I bless you and your love for singing God's heart over people!

I thank God for my true friends, who have loved me through thick and thin, and who speak Heaven-sent words and have believed for the best in me to rise up. Really, does it get any better than that, my friend?

I hope my little story encourages you to keep your heart open, and once you're open, to be careful not to let "Good" take the place of "Best".

The Lord your God is with you,
    the Mighty Warrior who saves.
He will take great delight in you;
    in his love he will no longer rebuke you,
    but will rejoice over you with singing.”

Zecharaiah 3:17

Remember we create our world with our thoughts, words, and deeds. Grab hold of the words that come from God, because sooner or later they will change your environment.

With all my love,

Susan

PS  I love to hear what you're thinking and feeling… scroll down a little bit and leave me a comment, if you wish. I read and pray over everyone of you!

Susan Deborah Schiller knows how it feels to lose everything: marriage and family, church and reputation, finances and businesses, and more. Susan's upcoming, interactive memoir, "On the Way Home," tells the story of how she came to be known as "the most abused woman" her counselors had yet met and how she learned to navigate her way out of hell to a rich and satisfying life. In her lifetime, Susan has served in duties ranging from home school mom – to pastor –  to full-time deliverance minister – and to Midwest regional prayer coordinator for a large international ministry. These days you can usually find Susan soaking in her favorite hot springs pool, reading a book (or several), blogging, baking bread, or hanging out with her family and friends. You can get a free copy of Susan's upcoming book, "On the Way Home" by registering here.

Copyright 2012, Susan Schiller, http://TeamFamilyOnline.com. Permission is granted to copy, forward, or distribute this article for non-commercial use only, as long as this copyright byline and bio, in totality, is maintained in all duplications, copies, and link references.  For reprint permission for any commercial use, in any form of media, please contact Susan Schiller.

Tagged as: Choosing Love Today, Deborah White Dove, Getting Your Life Back, Life Story Writing, Real People Real Stories, Voice of the Bride, Writing a Life Story