Real

T.R. O'Reilly

Description

Real will fill you with hope and encourage your soul, all while confirming that you are not alone through life’s storms. God is with you.
Theresa and Paul were an unlikely pair. But after a harrowing trip together through a blizzard in a Volkswagen Beetle that had no heat and only one working windshield wiper, they knew they had found something special.
Thus began their unpredictable journey across life’s seas, which the author recalls in Real. Their story is a testimony to God’s relentless, unconditional, and real love.
Each challenge they encountered was like an ocean storm, threatening to dash their boat against the rocks. They navigated the waters of raising a special needs child, cross-country and overseas relocations, a marriage one counselor declared “incompatible,” the loss of dear loved ones, and the trials of extreme physical crises.
Continually and without fail, the lighthouse—the Light of the World—stood firm upon the shore, guiding them to safety. Over and over again, the Lord performed awesome acts of love resulting in supernatural outcomes.
Real will fill you with expectant hope and encourage your soul, all while confirming that you are not alone through life’s storms. God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit is with you and will never leave you or abandon you because His love for you is real.

Sujets

• Personal Memoirs
• Inspirational
• Biography
• TBI
• Testimony
• Autobiography
• Christian
• True Story
• Tableau blanc interactif

Informations

• Publié par: WestBow Press
• Date de parution: 01 mai 2023
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781664295193
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 1 Mo

Extrait

REAL
A Testimony
T.R. O’Reilly


Copyright © 2023 T.R. O’Reilly.
 
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.
 
This book is a work of nonfiction. Unless otherwise noted, the author and the publisher make no explicit guarantees as to the accuracy of the information contained in this book and in some cases, names of people and places have been altered to protect their privacy.
 
 
WestBow Press
A Division of Thomas Nelson & Zondervan
1663 Liberty Drive
Bloomington, IN 47403
www.westbowpress.com
844-714-3454
 
Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.
 
Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.
Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.
 
Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are taken from the New American Standard Bible® (NASB), Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation Used by permission. www.Lockman.org
 
Scripture quotations marked NRSVUE are taken from the New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition. Copyright © 2021 National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
 
ISBN: 978-1-6642-9518-6 (sc)
ISBN: 978-1-6642-9520-9 (hc)
ISBN: 978-1-6642-9519-3 (e)
 
Library of Congress Control Number: 2023904705
 
 
 
WestBow Press rev. date: 04/27/2023
CONTENTS
Author’s Note
Preface
Prologue
PART 1: Faith
Chapter 1Beginnings
Chapter 2Special Delivery
Chapter 3Challenges and Adjustments
Chapter 4Change of Priorities
PART 2: Hope
Chapter 5Opportunities to Trust
Chapter 6Answering the Call
Chapter 7The Angel on My Shoulder
Chapter 8Sudden and Unexpected
Chapter 9Noose around My Neck
PART 3: Courage
Chapter 10Life Changer
 
Epilogue
Acknowledgments
Afterword
Glossary
Bibliography
About the Author
Endnotes

This book is dedicated to the one true God: the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. All of it from You—all of it for You, Lord.

Restore us to You, O Lord, that we may be restored; Renew our days as of old, Unless You have utterly rejected us And are exceedingly angry with us.
—Lamentations 5:21–22
“Return to Me, and I will return to you,” says the Lord of hosts.
—Malachi 3:7
However, when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth?
—Luke 18:8
AUTHOR’S NOTE
Names and some minor details have been changed to protect the identity of the people in this story. Please respect the privacy of any characters you may recognize. Thank you—and God bless you.
PREFACE
Make known His deeds among the peoples; Make them remember that His name is exalted.
—Isaiah 12:4
I had never even considered writing a book, so imagine my surprise when, more than six years ago, the Holy Spirit prompted me to share a part of my life with you.
At first, I was given “nudges”—reminders of how much God has done for me in the past and how it would be good for me to write down all those blessings. Scriptures accompanied those spiritual prompts, especially the one at the top of this page. The above exhortation is found in the Bible three times: 1 Chronicles 16:8; Psalm 105:1; and Isaiah 12:4. During that time, I was led to one of those exact instances nearly every day or to a similar verse (1 Chronicles 16:24; Psalm 96:3; Psalm 118:17; Psalm 145:6, 12). The nudges became more insistent over the course of several months, their intensity increasing in direct proportion to my resistance. The whole idea seemed absurd, although it was true God had indeed blessed me and my family abundantly. In fact, I prayed a prayer almost every morning based on a verse from the Book of Deuteronomy: “I will serve the Lord my God ‘with joy and a glad heart, for the abundance of all things’” (Deuteronomy 28:47). He had done so very much for me; His blessings were far more than abundant.
I began to think seriously about the command I had been given. I did have a choice in the matter, but if I really meant what I was telling God in my daily prayer, then it made sense that I should deliver on my promise to serve Him. He had certainly kept all His promises to me, and had done far greater things, including dying on a cross for my sins and saving my needy soul.
OK—I’ll do it. Work through me in whatever way You will, Lord—all for Your glory, not mine.
That response was a far cry from other times throughout my life when God had asked of me things I didn’t want to give. Many times, I acted foolishly and strayed from the path set before me, following an empty promise of great treasure to be found at the top of a craggy, metaphorical mountain path, in danger of slipping from the summit to my death. The Good Shepherd had always found His lost sheep, saving her from her sinful choices. I was forgiven. Jesus had saved my soul and urged me forward to do His works, no longer my own empty ones. I came to realize that if I had not fallen off the path of righteousness and had not sinned, I would be like the debtor in the parable who was forgiven only fifty denarii, not the one who was forgiven 500 (Luke 7:37–50). Jesus said, “He who is forgiven little, loves little,” stating clearly that the opposite is also true. Amen. I love Jesus more than life itself and am a living testimony of His grace, mercy, and forgiveness. By God’s own infinite grace, He never gave up on me. Through the Holy Spirit, I was empowered to walk on God’s straight path, not the crooked one I had created for myself. I had repented, but, remorsefully, I’ve never forgotten the people I have harmed. I’m so thankful that Jesus kept pursuing me—kept loving me until I turned back to Him. God repetitively forgave my sin and turned it around, thwarting the devil in the process, and made something good out of what had been only evil. And now I love Jesus like the debtor who was forgiven 500 denarii. I love Him “much.” Amen and alleluia!
My answer was yes. I’ll write the book, Lord. I don’t know what I’m doing, but I trust You to guide me by Your Holy Spirit. By Your grace alone, I will pick up “the pen of a ready writer” (Psalm 45:1) and do what I ought to do (Luke 17:10).

The Lost Sheep , by Alfred M. Soord 1
While not all of life’s ups and downs are notated on these bound pages, there are enough of them to demonstrate how amazing God’s plans have been for not only my life but the lives of my family members. He has consistently shown His grace, love, and mercy—both to me and to those whom I love. This book includes both cautionary tales and those of triumph and is a true testimony of God’s relentless, unconditional, and real love. My intent is to glorify God alone. The name of the devil will only be mentioned when it seems necessary to warn others about his devious ways.
It is my hope that you will see how the events relayed in this book also hold the promise of God’s love for you. Maybe, as you’re reading it, you’ll be able to see a little bit of yourself in the things that my loved ones and I have gone through.
Without Jesus in my life, I would never have made it this far. I would have given up and crawled into a hole. The Lord has done awesome things for me and my family. I want to encourage you to keep going —you are not alone. God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit is with you, because He—and His love for you—is real .
PROLOGUE
Perhaps it’s because of my human nature, but whenever I’ve sailed on fair seas, so to speak, I’ve had a tendency to barely glance up at the proverbial lighthouse. However, the minute the waves rise and obscure the shoreline from view, I become alarmed. In order to get my bearings, I focus all of my attention on that bright light standing sentinel on the shore.
It was the arrival of an unexpected storm—one with waves higher than I had ever seen—that had me searching more desperately for that beacon than ever before. For years, tension had been building between Paul and me like a sheet of black ice. It was unseen but deeply felt—and just as deadly.
This new test on the horizon hit us full force and became a maelstrom we’d barely get through. That nefarious storm ambushed us during a seemingly normal winter’s day. But the faithful lighthouse was there, just as it had always been. The tiny, brilliant light stayed right in front of us, shining brighter than ever before. It cut through the brooding black clouds like a knife. For months on end, the careening clouds of our fiery ordeal met the roiling sea. As if scheming together, they pummeled the strong tower that held the beacon of life. Still, it stood—visible to all those in most need of its promise. In time, that beacon of hope seared through the coconspirators of clouds and sea like a laser—vaporizing them into a harmless mist.
The fortress that cradled the light—and our souls—stood firmly on the rock (see Psalm 62:6). It was not shaken; it never had been and never would be.
PART I
Faith

 
Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.
—Hebre