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Freedom, Snowstorm, and a Pair of Boots

After we left Amman, Jordan we flew to Istanbul, Turkey where we had our 3rd debrief on the field. Debrief is a time to rest, reflect, process, and be equipped as a squad. Our debrief lasted a week and the Lord brought so much Freedom to our squad and myself as well. Starting at the end of Jordan, I started reading a book called “Beating the Devil With His Own Stick” by Ray Sturdivant. I had a squadmate recommend it to me at training camp and I bought it and brought it with me. The book is on inner healing and deliverance and one of the first concepts that it talks about is the idea of understanding how there is a spiritual realm and physical realm and the enemy can attack through wounds and pain and speak lies about who we are, our identity, and what the Lord has spoken over us. The enemy cannot directly attack God, but he can attack those who are made in the image of God (Genesis 2). Some of the things that I was learning during this time…

  • Every person is made in the image of God 

  • God speaks over each person in the womb their identity, giftings, and specific callings 

  • The enemy attacks what God has spoken over the person

  • We can understand the ways the enemy attacks through knowing what God has spoken over us 

The author talks about asking the Lord for understanding on what words He spoke over us from the womb. There was an activity called “Words of the Womb” and I spent a couple days asking the Lord what words He spoke over me about my identity, giftings, and calling. I prayed and asked the Lord what He had spoken over my life and what specific gifts He has given me. 

This process of asking the Lord for His truth went deep for me in understanding my identity that the Lord has given. I grew in confidence in knowing who the Lord made me specifically to be and also recognized some lies that I had been believing. I was able to repent for the lies that I had been believing that were in opposition to what the Lord had spoken and receive His truth. This process helped walk me through some inner healing in my own life and repent from fear and the need to earn or perform. I can rest confidently in knowing my identity is secure and was spoken from the womb and before I could do or say anything. This understanding and confidence brought so much Freedom in my life as we changed countries from Jordan to Turkey. 

As we began Turkey debrief, I could tell the inner transformation that had taken place. I realized I had let fear take control for too long and I felt lighter and free. It was beautiful to see that when I am walking in freedom from fear I am able to better encourage other people in their own journey and I can walk in confidence of who the Lord has called me to be. I am able to boldly share what He is speaking knowing that my identity is not coming from what I am doing, but from what He has already spoken over me. I felt physically lighter and I was trying to explain it to some of my teammates by saying that I feel like I have a voice again. I had felt trapped by fear that I wasn’t speaking and suddenly felt free from that fear to speak and pour into those who were around me out of a place of love for them and not trying to earn or prove anything. 

Words of the Womb:

  • The Lord is Elohim= The Creator God 

    • He created every single person with calling, gifts, and passions that are unique to each individual

  • He speaks life and identity to each person

    • An example of this can be found in Jeremiah 1:5 where the Lord tells the prophet Jeremiah 

      • “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations”. 

      • The Lord speaks the calling that He gave to Jeremiah 

    • Psalm 139 also speaks to the intentionality of the Lord and how He creates and is specific with every single person. 

      • “For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them. How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them! If I would count them, they are more than the sand. I awake, and I am still with you” (Psalm 139: 13-18).

I challenge you to ask the Lord for the specific words of what He spoke over you and what calling and gifts that He prophesied over you from before you were born. 

(Bus station)

 

After our debrief, each team started to head to their various cities where we were going to be doing ministry for the month. We started out in the morning on January 24th to head to our ministry city and we were finding various ways to travel there. Here is what our travel days looked like during one of Istanbul’s largest snowstorms ever. 

We decided to head to take a ferry and then a bus because it would save us some time and my team wanted to try traveling by ferry. We set out at about 10 am and took a taxi to the ferry location. We arrived at the ferry station and booked our tickets. About 15 minutes before we were going to board the ferry, we noticed some people around us starting to get very upset and people were leaving the area. We asked for more information and found out that our ferry has been canceled due to rough sea conditions. 

From there we decided that our best option would be to take a taxi to the closest bus station and take a bus from Istanbul to our city. We went to the bus station and we got on a minibus from one location of Istanbul to a bigger more central bus station in Istanbul. 

As we were sitting and waiting for our 5 pm bigger bus, the sky started to get darker and darker and snow started falling harder and harder. The ground still had snow on the ground from previous days of snowfall. After waiting for a few hours, our big bus gets canceled until 10 am the next morning. At this point, we had the option to stay in the bus station for the night or try to find a nearby hotel. 

All of the closest hotels filled very quickly, but we were able to book a room that was about a 25 minute walk in the snow from the bus station. We laughed that evening because it took us 9 hours to travel a total of 8 miles from where we started to where we ended. Throughout the long day, the Lord gave us a lot of grace and patience as a team and so much joy. 

The next day we tried to leave again on our 10 am scheduled bus only to have it postponed to 5 pm and then later canceled all together. We stayed one more night in Istanbul and then on Day 3 of trying to leave we made it on our 10 am bus! We even got to experience a ferry ride as our bus got ferried across the sea. 

A Pair of Boots

After being several months in a cold, rainy, or snow area I decided to look for a pair of boots. Every time I would walk out in my tennis shoes in the rain or snow I would get my feet soaked each time. Once we made it to our ministry location, I decided that I would look for a pair of boots. Here is a poem that I wrote about my boots and what the Lord was teaching me and reminding me about. 

February 17th, 2022– A Reminder from A Pair of Boots: 

Glancing and seeing shoes from the window causes me to stop and peak in. A pair of boots sitting on a shelf in the corner of a small store catches my eye. 

Specific qualifications running through my mind as the race requires versatility. 

Waterproof, traction, warmth, but able to go with athletic and non athletic clothes alike. 

Not just any boot will do. Picking up a shoe and turning it over and seeing the 38, perfect size. 

It fits well. 

As I try it on, all of the qualifications are getting checked off as I look at this boot. 

They will work. They will keep my feet dry and my toes warm. 

I look down at them as the shop owner tells me in Turkish the quality of the shoe.

I smile, imagining the words that go with the hand motions as the slew of Turkish continues. 

The price, no more than a fancy coffee in the States. 

I look down again and think about the color. 

If it was a less vibrant color I would have agreed more quickly, but this one makes me pause.

A gray, brown, or a subtle black are much more colors of my choice, but here with a list of qualifications and a boot that checks them all off. 

Holy Spirit, should I get these boots?

I ask his advice so I don’t make a hasty decision. 

I feel his peace and tell the man yes and he puts the pair in a bag.

Walking out I keep talking to Holy Spirit on my way back home and He reminds me of what He has been speaking. 

“There is Power in the Blood”

Oh there is so much power in the blood of Jesus. 

Power to redeem, to save, to heal, to bring us back into covenant with Him. 

Our sin separates and blood must be paid. Blood shed that bought Freedom. 

Freedom for you and me. Freedom that we can walk into each day. 

As I put on my pair of RED boots with each step I take I am reminded of the power of the Blood of Jesus which bought my freedom and set me free. A reminder each day to WALK in THAT FREEDOM. Walk in the Freedom He paid for. 

The Blood of Jesus bought our Freedom—a Reminder from a Pair of Red boots. 

Thank you all for your prayers! We are currently in Yerevan, Armenia and we would appreciate prayers for local connections, opportunities to share the gospel, transitioning to a new spiritual environment, and wisdom and direction for the future. 

7 Comments

  1. Those weren’t question marks, they were hearts and exclamation points…

    Love (heart) the boots, Elizabeth!!
    Love (heart) the story!!

  2. Love the poem about the red boots! Traveling in a snowstorm can be a real experience! Stay safe! Love you!

  3. What a blog Elizabeth! I am putting this book on my reading list! Love the funny story about trying to travel to your next country in the snow. Even more, I love the story of the boots along with the poem. How sweet of the Lord to tell you that the color of the boots is fine and then give you a powerful message that you will be reminded of every time you look at your boots!

  4. Thank you very much Darla! Yes, I definitely recommend the book. It has been very helpful for me.

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