Darlene Davis: There is Power in Forgiving

00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:02.859
Hey friends, welcome to the Her God Story podcast

00:00:02.859 --> 00:00:05.540
where you will always hear a powerful story to

00:00:05.540 --> 00:00:08.339
uplift, inspire, and encourage you in your walk

00:00:08.339 --> 00:00:11.279
with the Lord. I'm your host, Jodie Chiricosta,

00:00:11.839 --> 00:00:13.759
ministry leader at Somebody Cares America and

00:00:13.759 --> 00:00:16.519
International, author and traveler on this incredible

00:00:16.519 --> 00:00:19.399
journey with Jesus. As I was praying about this

00:00:19.399 --> 00:00:21.859
episode, I really sensed the Lord wanting to

00:00:21.859 --> 00:00:25.000
highlight the power of forgiveness. That's why

00:00:25.000 --> 00:00:27.039
we're re -airing a portion of an interview I

00:00:27.039 --> 00:00:30.839
did with Darlene Davis back in March 2023; because

00:00:30.839 --> 00:00:33.820
her story is such a profound example of what

00:00:33.820 --> 00:00:37.000
God can do when we choose to forgive as He's

00:00:37.000 --> 00:00:39.539
called us to. And if you want to hear the full

00:00:39.539 --> 00:00:41.479
conversation, I encourage you to go back and

00:00:41.479 --> 00:00:44.299
listen to that episode as well. It's packed with

00:00:44.299 --> 00:00:48.000
even more powerful moments and insights. Darlene's

00:00:48.000 --> 00:00:51.659
story is one of resilience, transformation, and

00:00:51.659 --> 00:00:54.609
God's redeeming love. Raised by a mother who

00:00:54.609 --> 00:00:57.890
taught her to be self -reliant after she herself

00:00:57.890 --> 00:01:00.909
was abandoned, Darlene learned early on how to

00:01:00.909 --> 00:01:03.969
work hard and stand on her own two feet. But

00:01:03.969 --> 00:01:06.730
it was in her marriage that God called her deeper

00:01:06.730 --> 00:01:10.129
to a walk of forgiveness that stretched her,

00:01:10.250 --> 00:01:13.090
shaped her, and ultimately brought healing and

00:01:13.090 --> 00:01:22.959
restoration. Colossians 3 .13 tells us, Forgive

00:01:22.959 --> 00:01:27.019
as the Lord forgave you. Forgiveness isn't just

00:01:27.019 --> 00:01:30.780
for the other person, it's for us. It's the key

00:01:30.780 --> 00:01:33.219
that unlocks freedom in our own hearts and opens

00:01:33.219 --> 00:01:35.599
the door for God to move powerfully in the lives

00:01:35.599 --> 00:01:38.680
of those we forgive. So as you listen today,

00:01:38.819 --> 00:01:40.780
I pray you'll open your heart to what God might

00:01:40.780 --> 00:01:43.879
want to say to you and that you'll be encouraged

00:01:43.879 --> 00:01:47.079
by the incredible way he works when we say yes

00:01:47.079 --> 00:01:50.299
to his call to forgive. Let's join that conversation

00:01:50.299 --> 00:01:53.040
now. But you know, Darlene, because your mom

00:01:53.040 --> 00:01:56.900
taught you to be self -reliant, when you graduated

00:01:56.900 --> 00:01:59.480
from high school, you went right into the workforce.

00:02:00.480 --> 00:02:02.680
And at that time you were still really active

00:02:02.680 --> 00:02:04.640
in your church. In fact, you got active in your

00:02:04.640 --> 00:02:07.079
church right away when you became a believer.

00:02:08.580 --> 00:02:11.159
So what were some of those tough decisions and

00:02:11.159 --> 00:02:13.759
life altering choices that you had to make in

00:02:13.759 --> 00:02:16.639
your early twenties? And how did you decide what

00:02:16.639 --> 00:02:21.490
path to take? My mother, because she was left

00:02:21.490 --> 00:02:24.969
by my father. She raised me that there was not

00:02:24.969 --> 00:02:26.729
a man on the face of the earth that you could

00:02:26.729 --> 00:02:32.770
trust. And so you have to be able to take care

00:02:32.770 --> 00:02:34.610
of yourself. So during the summers when other

00:02:34.610 --> 00:02:36.590
people were running around and doing things,

00:02:36.990 --> 00:02:40.990
she sent us to sewing school, me and my sister,

00:02:41.629 --> 00:02:46.709
sewing one, the next year advanced sewing. typing,

00:02:46.709 --> 00:02:50.169
shorthand, bookkeeping. We were not allowed to

00:02:50.169 --> 00:02:52.830
just laze around. And when we were home, we were

00:02:52.830 --> 00:02:56.250
doing chores, scrubbing floors, baseboards cleaned

00:02:56.250 --> 00:02:59.729
every Saturday. I mean, I just, she was, she

00:02:59.729 --> 00:03:01.469
was amazing. She wanted to make sure we were,

00:03:01.469 --> 00:03:05.150
we were fit and trained. And you also were in

00:03:05.150 --> 00:03:09.330
a relationship with a young man heading toward

00:03:09.330 --> 00:03:11.770
marriage. That was a hard decision to make as

00:03:11.770 --> 00:03:14.650
well. Tell us about that. We dated five years.

00:03:14.860 --> 00:03:18.599
and we were engaged the last one or two. I had

00:03:18.599 --> 00:03:24.259
never heard the scripture of not being unequally

00:03:24.259 --> 00:03:28.259
yoked with an unbeliever. And so I just thought

00:03:28.259 --> 00:03:30.639
when we got married, he'd come to church with

00:03:30.639 --> 00:03:32.580
me, but he would not go to church with me before

00:03:32.580 --> 00:03:36.539
that. Maybe once. We were, you know, headed to

00:03:36.539 --> 00:03:40.680
marriage, but God intervened. And during that

00:03:40.680 --> 00:03:42.840
time, there was a really great hunger for the

00:03:42.840 --> 00:03:46.759
Lord. in our nation. And youth in your church

00:03:46.759 --> 00:03:49.280
were no exception. So you would take them to

00:03:49.280 --> 00:03:51.379
hear various evangelists and Christian speakers

00:03:51.379 --> 00:03:55.139
that came to town, and you ended up actually

00:03:55.139 --> 00:03:58.479
marrying one of those speakers. And how did that

00:03:58.479 --> 00:04:03.000
happen? This is a story, Jody. Well, I'm at church

00:04:03.000 --> 00:04:05.439
all the time, like I said, and by now I'm in

00:04:05.439 --> 00:04:10.819
my early 20s. Maybe at this time, maybe I'm 23,

00:04:11.439 --> 00:04:17.740
24, and I was getting all my teenage girls. I

00:04:17.740 --> 00:04:21.800
had them in my class, my Sunday school class.

00:04:22.519 --> 00:04:27.899
I'm at a youth revival with my girls. So then

00:04:27.899 --> 00:04:31.920
the man who came to speak all week said, I have

00:04:31.920 --> 00:04:35.660
a young man with me that has a fabulous testimony.

00:04:35.899 --> 00:04:39.100
He's a recent friend of mine and for this first

00:04:39.100 --> 00:04:41.720
night, he's going to be here to share this testimony.

00:04:42.089 --> 00:04:45.310
he introduced Bill Davis. So Bill Davis gets

00:04:45.310 --> 00:04:51.149
up and he shares his testimony, which was mortifying

00:04:51.149 --> 00:04:54.410
to me, me that has never had a cigarette unlit

00:04:54.410 --> 00:04:57.029
in my mouth, and here this man gets up and said

00:04:57.029 --> 00:05:00.769
he robbed banks, that he was a $100 a day heroin

00:05:00.769 --> 00:05:05.490
addict, that he was in prison and jail four and

00:05:05.490 --> 00:05:09.589
a half years. I thought, my goodness, he is disgusting.

00:05:10.220 --> 00:05:14.079
And so after he finished sharing, he was standing

00:05:14.079 --> 00:05:16.980
at the front. And so I decided, I've got all

00:05:16.980 --> 00:05:20.420
these girls. I look like I have some type of

00:05:20.420 --> 00:05:23.120
leadership. I better go and say something to

00:05:23.120 --> 00:05:27.120
him. So I went up and shook his hand and I said,

00:05:27.360 --> 00:05:30.639
I was impressed with your testimony. And he said,

00:05:30.639 --> 00:05:33.279
I didn't give my testimony to impress anyone,

00:05:33.800 --> 00:05:37.269
but to... lead them closer to Jesus. I thought,

00:05:37.430 --> 00:05:40.769
oh my goodness, he is disgusting. And so I decided

00:05:40.769 --> 00:05:43.990
I would not go back the rest of the week if this

00:05:43.990 --> 00:05:46.129
is the kind of meeting we're going to have. So

00:05:46.129 --> 00:05:49.069
I went home, tried to go to sleep. I could not

00:05:49.069 --> 00:05:52.870
sleep. And I used to go to sleep really easily.

00:05:52.910 --> 00:05:55.230
So I tried, you know, all the typical counting

00:05:55.230 --> 00:05:57.410
sheep, doing everything. And all of a sudden

00:05:57.410 --> 00:05:59.290
I said, I know what I'll do. I'll read my Bible.

00:05:59.730 --> 00:06:03.589
I always fall asleep when I read my Bible. So

00:06:03.589 --> 00:06:05.649
I just did one of those where you just open it

00:06:05.649 --> 00:06:07.649
up and it opened up to the second chapter of

00:06:07.649 --> 00:06:11.089
Acts. And I said, why did I open up to that?

00:06:11.129 --> 00:06:13.269
I just taught a few months ago this to my Sunday

00:06:13.269 --> 00:06:16.389
school class. All of this is not for today. But

00:06:16.389 --> 00:06:19.129
I could not go to sleep. And I said, OK, Lord,

00:06:19.589 --> 00:06:22.290
if you'll let me go to sleep, I'll go back tomorrow

00:06:22.290 --> 00:06:24.350
night. I'll go the rest of the week to the revival.

00:06:24.889 --> 00:06:27.290
Close my eyes and went right back to sleep. But

00:06:27.290 --> 00:06:30.490
I had said, please give me a piece. So I walk

00:06:30.490 --> 00:06:33.379
in with my girls the next night. and I had a

00:06:33.379 --> 00:06:36.040
piece about it and it was good because Bill Davis

00:06:36.040 --> 00:06:42.019
was not there. So we had great services and I

00:06:42.019 --> 00:06:45.519
noticed that Jim and Donnake, who were the music

00:06:45.519 --> 00:06:48.240
and youth leaders, were, by the end of the week,

00:06:48.360 --> 00:06:50.100
they were really, or the middle of the week,

00:06:50.160 --> 00:06:53.240
they were just full of joy. They're always great,

00:06:53.240 --> 00:06:56.420
but they just seemed more joyful. And I said,

00:06:56.660 --> 00:06:58.639
what in the world happened to y 'all? And they

00:06:58.639 --> 00:07:02.769
said, well, Monty prayed for us and we were baptized

00:07:02.769 --> 00:07:04.889
in the Holy Spirit last night and I said, uh

00:07:04.889 --> 00:07:07.970
oh, you're going to lose your job, which they

00:07:07.970 --> 00:07:11.670
did not too long after that. But I became, I

00:07:11.670 --> 00:07:14.370
had this godly jealousy. I wanted that. I mean,

00:07:14.370 --> 00:07:17.009
I've always loved the Lord, but I wanted that

00:07:17.009 --> 00:07:20.290
joy that I did not have, that extra joy to come

00:07:20.290 --> 00:07:23.769
along with it. And so I kept going to the meetings

00:07:23.769 --> 00:07:27.870
and the last night of the revival, Monty had

00:07:27.870 --> 00:07:30.779
a friend named Kenny Graham, who lived over in

00:07:30.779 --> 00:07:33.680
Clearwater. I think he was 17 at the time, almost

00:07:33.680 --> 00:07:37.060
18. And I think he was a senior. And so he came

00:07:37.060 --> 00:07:40.399
over to the meeting so he could see Monty. So

00:07:40.399 --> 00:07:42.379
I'm up at the front of the church. I did not

00:07:42.379 --> 00:07:44.660
know Kenny, had never seen him before in my life.

00:07:44.980 --> 00:07:46.899
And he walks up to the front of the church and

00:07:46.899 --> 00:07:50.220
he said to me, God sent me here tonight to tell

00:07:50.220 --> 00:07:52.819
you if you marry the man you're engaged to, you'll

00:07:52.819 --> 00:07:55.060
be unequally yoked and he will not bless your

00:07:55.060 --> 00:07:59.379
home. I have to tell you that was Powerful I

00:07:59.379 --> 00:08:02.060
did not know what a word of knowledge was But

00:08:02.060 --> 00:08:04.139
I didn't need to know because the Spirit of God

00:08:04.139 --> 00:08:08.220
lived within me and I knew that was truth I immediately

00:08:08.220 --> 00:08:10.579
broke my engagement and that's a long story.

00:08:10.579 --> 00:08:14.759
I won't go through that but it was Just me and

00:08:14.759 --> 00:08:16.660
Jesus and I was just gonna get everything that

00:08:16.660 --> 00:08:20.519
I could I heard that Monty was gonna be two weeks

00:08:20.519 --> 00:08:24.199
later was gonna be speaking and Lakeland at Lakeland

00:08:24.199 --> 00:08:26.899
First Assembly and then Carpenter's Home and

00:08:26.899 --> 00:08:29.259
I went and I was the first one up there when

00:08:29.259 --> 00:08:31.180
they asked if anybody wanted the baptism in the

00:08:31.180 --> 00:08:34.500
Holy Spirit and I received the baptism in the

00:08:34.500 --> 00:08:38.000
Holy Spirit. It was an awesome time in my life

00:08:38.000 --> 00:08:41.759
and so I'm at home and I'm reading the newspaper

00:08:41.759 --> 00:08:44.840
and I see that Bill Davis is going to be in town

00:08:44.840 --> 00:08:48.779
again giving his testimony and I thought wow

00:08:48.779 --> 00:08:52.830
I did not know that he had been in Atlanta with

00:08:52.830 --> 00:08:55.490
Kenny Graham preaching in the streets of Atlanta

00:08:55.490 --> 00:08:58.710
on Peachtree Street. They saw miraculous things

00:08:58.710 --> 00:09:01.710
happen. So this was like Jody said, we're talking

00:09:01.710 --> 00:09:05.870
in the early 70s, late 60s, and God was on the

00:09:05.870 --> 00:09:08.509
move. And while he's driving back to Tampa to

00:09:08.509 --> 00:09:10.450
speak that night at the church, I was going to

00:09:10.450 --> 00:09:14.289
go hear him. Kenny's driving and the Lord spoke

00:09:14.289 --> 00:09:17.039
to Bill's innermost being and said, I'm going

00:09:17.039 --> 00:09:19.399
to introduce you to your wife tonight." And Bill

00:09:19.399 --> 00:09:21.879
said, I rebuke you Satan in the name of Jesus.

00:09:22.019 --> 00:09:25.340
All this is going on quietly inside. And Kenny

00:09:25.340 --> 00:09:29.200
says, about five, 10 minutes later, Bill, God

00:09:29.200 --> 00:09:31.139
just told me he's going to introduce you to your

00:09:31.139 --> 00:09:35.279
wife tonight. He said, oh no, God is gonna get

00:09:35.279 --> 00:09:38.620
me back for all those people I robbed all those

00:09:38.620 --> 00:09:40.799
drugs I took he's gonna give me the meanest ugliest

00:09:40.799 --> 00:09:42.919
woman on the face of the earth. Thank you God

00:09:42.919 --> 00:09:46.120
So he got to the meeting that night and he said

00:09:46.120 --> 00:09:49.279
he did not scan the audience to see Who his bride

00:09:49.279 --> 00:09:52.179
was because it was really powerful about 40 children

00:09:52.590 --> 00:09:54.730
their young people gave their heart to the Lord

00:09:54.730 --> 00:09:57.450
it was really powerful and when he got off of

00:09:57.450 --> 00:10:00.230
the stage coming down I was gonna go up to him

00:10:00.230 --> 00:10:02.529
and see if he now I heard it totally different

00:10:02.529 --> 00:10:05.830
this time I heard it knowing that God doesn't

00:10:05.830 --> 00:10:08.789
just save you he can deliver you and set you

00:10:08.789 --> 00:10:11.129
free yeah so the reason you had thought he was

00:10:11.129 --> 00:10:13.110
gross is because you didn't really believe he

00:10:13.110 --> 00:10:15.929
could change that much right did not have a clue

00:10:15.929 --> 00:10:18.129
that you could change like that did not know

00:10:18.129 --> 00:10:22.409
that and he was coming down the aisle And I'm

00:10:22.409 --> 00:10:25.070
walking towards him to see if he remembered me.

00:10:25.470 --> 00:10:28.950
Which was miraculous in itself, huh? As he's

00:10:28.950 --> 00:10:31.190
coming down the aisle, I see him do these funny

00:10:31.190 --> 00:10:33.570
arm movements and he told me later he was saying,

00:10:33.909 --> 00:10:36.669
yes, because the Lord pointed me out and said,

00:10:37.009 --> 00:10:43.330
that is your wife. And so I talked with him and

00:10:43.330 --> 00:10:47.429
I wasn't very spiritual of the gifts. And so

00:10:47.429 --> 00:10:49.110
everyone says, well, what did God say to you?

00:10:49.110 --> 00:10:53.659
Well, I don't know. It was just in a daze, you

00:10:53.659 --> 00:10:55.639
know. I'd just come out of a five -year relationship.

00:10:56.019 --> 00:10:58.580
I was baptized in the Holy Spirit. I was just

00:10:58.580 --> 00:11:04.139
kind of numb. So I met him that night. He asked

00:11:04.139 --> 00:11:07.750
if I could come to a pancake house and have Coffee

00:11:07.750 --> 00:11:09.830
with them and so I said yes, but I'm bringing

00:11:09.830 --> 00:11:12.929
all my girls So I was scared to go meet him by

00:11:12.929 --> 00:11:15.149
myself. I called all their mothers and asked

00:11:15.149 --> 00:11:18.549
if they could go with me to the restaurant and

00:11:18.549 --> 00:11:21.210
then I'd bring them home and They trusted me

00:11:21.210 --> 00:11:23.690
and they said yes And so we had an hour wait

00:11:23.690 --> 00:11:26.350
because he was going bar preaching with Monty.

00:11:26.649 --> 00:11:30.110
They were going to bars he would stand up on

00:11:30.110 --> 00:11:33.830
the stage and Give his story and he said drunks

00:11:33.830 --> 00:11:35.950
come to the Lord easily. So while he's doing

00:11:35.950 --> 00:11:39.149
that I'm at Jim and Donnike's house at the church

00:11:39.149 --> 00:11:44.269
parsonage and I wept and wept for the whole time

00:11:44.269 --> 00:11:48.190
and I had not a clue why. I asked the Lord many

00:11:48.190 --> 00:11:52.230
years later why I wept like that and he said,

00:11:52.649 --> 00:11:55.889
you were raised by a single mom, you were independent

00:11:55.889 --> 00:12:00.009
and you were going to be meeting a man. that

00:12:00.009 --> 00:12:02.850
you need to have that independence broken away.

00:12:03.769 --> 00:12:06.289
And so God just broke a whole bunch of, you know,

00:12:06.289 --> 00:12:09.490
he didn't make me totally not independent, but

00:12:09.490 --> 00:12:11.950
he just had to take away some ideas and things

00:12:11.950 --> 00:12:15.190
that had been instilled in me. At the restaurant,

00:12:15.309 --> 00:12:17.629
he said, I'm going to be in Sarasota speaking

00:12:17.629 --> 00:12:20.330
tomorrow. Can you come down? I'm going to be

00:12:20.330 --> 00:12:22.389
speaking at another youth revival. And I said,

00:12:23.509 --> 00:12:26.529
yeah, I guess. I'm geographically challenged.

00:12:26.889 --> 00:12:30.409
And so I and back then they didn't have GPS and

00:12:30.409 --> 00:12:33.570
Google Maps. And, you know, it was OK, you go

00:12:33.570 --> 00:12:35.690
on this highway and then you take a left there

00:12:35.690 --> 00:12:38.549
and a right there. And I made it. So after the

00:12:38.549 --> 00:12:41.710
meeting, it was really awesome. All these young

00:12:41.710 --> 00:12:44.210
people gave their heart to the Lord. And we were

00:12:44.210 --> 00:12:49.279
at Nancy's fiance's house, Susan and. Bill is

00:12:49.279 --> 00:12:51.299
sitting on the floor and I'm up on the couch

00:12:51.299 --> 00:12:53.000
and he turned around to me and he said will you

00:12:53.000 --> 00:12:55.340
marry me? And this is Saturday. I had met him

00:12:55.340 --> 00:12:59.519
the day before and I said yes. So yeah, so you

00:12:59.519 --> 00:13:02.399
became the wife of a traveling evangelist, which

00:13:02.399 --> 00:13:05.559
I mean that might seem glamorous and it might

00:13:05.559 --> 00:13:09.960
even seem, you know, holy and godly To some but

00:13:09.960 --> 00:13:12.460
but reality is is a bit different. What were

00:13:12.460 --> 00:13:14.720
those? first years like? I mean, you barely knew

00:13:14.720 --> 00:13:16.460
each other. You're getting to know one another.

00:13:17.340 --> 00:13:20.179
And your backgrounds were quite different. So

00:13:20.179 --> 00:13:23.139
what was that like? And, you know, everybody

00:13:23.139 --> 00:13:26.960
asks me why. And I can't really tell you, except

00:13:26.960 --> 00:13:30.139
that God orchestrated my life. He knows our beginnings

00:13:30.139 --> 00:13:32.879
from the end. But we did not get married for

00:13:32.879 --> 00:13:37.259
four months. But we don't recommend this to anyone.

00:13:38.860 --> 00:13:42.799
You need to get to know each other. get to know

00:13:42.799 --> 00:13:45.200
who it is that you're going to be marrying. And

00:13:45.200 --> 00:13:48.000
we didn't, and it led to a lot of problems. I

00:13:48.000 --> 00:13:53.220
don't know how we made it through that from June

00:13:53.220 --> 00:13:55.940
to November when we got married. He was out on

00:13:55.940 --> 00:13:59.460
the road ministering. So we only saw each other

00:13:59.460 --> 00:14:03.799
17 days. How do you get to know somebody in 17

00:14:03.799 --> 00:14:06.399
days? I think it's going to change. That's right.

00:14:06.720 --> 00:14:09.990
It was really difficult, but God was faithful.

00:14:10.250 --> 00:14:13.809
When we first got married, Bill, on our honeymoon,

00:14:14.289 --> 00:14:17.409
something happened and he got really angry. And

00:14:17.409 --> 00:14:22.370
I had never seen that during our 17 days of courtship.

00:14:23.429 --> 00:14:27.169
And he thought when God delivered him from everything

00:14:27.169 --> 00:14:30.909
else, he had delivered him from anger. But he

00:14:30.909 --> 00:14:34.110
had not. And so life was pretty, now Bill never

00:14:34.110 --> 00:14:37.440
ever has physically. attacked me a hit me or

00:14:37.440 --> 00:14:39.799
anything like that, but he was just angry and

00:14:39.799 --> 00:14:44.639
would say mean things and So I was working at

00:14:44.639 --> 00:14:47.899
a bank at this time and he was associate pastor

00:14:47.899 --> 00:14:50.799
this was before he started traveling ministering

00:14:50.799 --> 00:14:54.620
and he was associate pastor at a church and Since

00:14:54.620 --> 00:14:56.820
I worked I would leave the services right when

00:14:56.820 --> 00:14:59.299
they were over and he would stay sometimes an

00:14:59.299 --> 00:15:03.480
hour or two to minister to people and so I Went

00:15:03.480 --> 00:15:06.399
home and one night. I'm in this is that towards

00:15:06.399 --> 00:15:08.519
the end of the first year of our marriage probably

00:15:08.519 --> 00:15:13.879
and I was in bed sound asleep. He came home from

00:15:13.879 --> 00:15:19.259
church and he was angry. He woke me up out of

00:15:19.259 --> 00:15:24.100
a dead sleep hollering at me and I was scared

00:15:24.100 --> 00:15:27.340
and I'm a really pretty together person but when

00:15:27.340 --> 00:15:29.059
you're woken up out of a dead sleep you know

00:15:29.059 --> 00:15:33.720
you just kind of react and he was really angry

00:15:33.720 --> 00:15:38.419
and I said Lord Would you please shut him up?

00:15:39.899 --> 00:15:45.019
Well, God is faithful. Bill Davis fell over on

00:15:45.019 --> 00:15:49.299
our bed like a dead man. His legs were even stiff

00:15:49.299 --> 00:15:53.539
out in the air and his eyes were closed and I

00:15:53.539 --> 00:15:56.940
jumped up off that bed and I said, Oh Lord, I

00:15:56.940 --> 00:15:59.950
just told you to shut him up, not kill him. I

00:15:59.950 --> 00:16:01.950
really thought he was dead and then all of a

00:16:01.950 --> 00:16:05.490
sudden his eyes opened but he could not open

00:16:05.490 --> 00:16:10.389
his mouth to speak one word and I had a steno

00:16:10.389 --> 00:16:14.990
pad and a pencil on my dresser or pen and I Held

00:16:14.990 --> 00:16:18.470
it up and he wrote Darlene. I'm sorry. I'm sorry

00:16:18.470 --> 00:16:21.830
I didn't mean to talk to you that way and Then

00:16:21.830 --> 00:16:25.950
he closed his eyes and his legs were still out

00:16:25.950 --> 00:16:29.539
sticking off the bed up straight and I heard

00:16:29.539 --> 00:16:34.080
him say, Lord, is that you? So he went into a

00:16:34.080 --> 00:16:37.419
vision and I didn't know anything about this

00:16:37.419 --> 00:16:41.179
stuff. I was still petrified, but I was so thrilled

00:16:41.179 --> 00:16:45.379
he was shut up. And so I'm standing there and

00:16:45.379 --> 00:16:49.539
I hear him say, Lord, is that you? And then I

00:16:49.539 --> 00:16:51.620
hear him say, Oh, I'd love to hold your hand.

00:16:51.759 --> 00:16:54.399
And so Bill's hand went up in the air and it

00:16:54.399 --> 00:16:57.059
was clasped with fingers down. Like he was holding

00:16:57.059 --> 00:16:59.639
someone's hand and everywhere they walked his

00:16:59.639 --> 00:17:03.200
feet Removing like he was walking and the Lord

00:17:03.200 --> 00:17:06.359
showed him many things in heaven He showed him

00:17:06.359 --> 00:17:08.519
and he showed him all he had for him You know

00:17:08.519 --> 00:17:11.799
all of us that are followers of Jesus God has

00:17:11.799 --> 00:17:15.420
things for our futures, but it's our choice whether

00:17:15.420 --> 00:17:19.920
we choose to follow what he has for us and so

00:17:19.920 --> 00:17:22.380
the Lord showed him what he had for him and showed

00:17:22.380 --> 00:17:26.369
him lots of things and At the end, I hear Bill

00:17:26.369 --> 00:17:29.549
saying, no Lord, I can't see who that is. Can

00:17:29.549 --> 00:17:33.210
you bring them closer? And then he says, I still

00:17:33.210 --> 00:17:35.509
can't tell but she's beautiful and she's dressed

00:17:35.509 --> 00:17:39.609
in white. Can you bring her closer? So all of

00:17:39.609 --> 00:17:42.789
a sudden Bill began to weep and he said, oh Lord,

00:17:42.829 --> 00:17:46.619
that's Darlene and she's beautiful. And the Lord

00:17:46.619 --> 00:17:48.700
spoke to him. Now, Bill had to tell me what the

00:17:48.700 --> 00:17:51.420
Lord said because I could not hear. They had

00:17:51.420 --> 00:17:55.200
a closed conversation. So he told me what was

00:17:55.200 --> 00:17:59.059
going on when he came out of this vision. The

00:17:59.059 --> 00:18:01.700
Lord said, this is the wife that I've given you

00:18:01.700 --> 00:18:04.920
and you have mistreated her. And I don't desire

00:18:04.920 --> 00:18:09.160
that in your life any longer. And Bill began

00:18:09.160 --> 00:18:13.579
to weep and cry. And he the Lord. Dropped his

00:18:13.579 --> 00:18:16.900
hand and he sat up and he said Lord my heart

00:18:16.900 --> 00:18:21.559
is so hard Will you please help me and you know

00:18:21.559 --> 00:18:24.680
any of us when we cry out help to the Lord? He

00:18:24.680 --> 00:18:28.579
answers that because we are saying to him I can't

00:18:28.579 --> 00:18:31.460
do anything without you and that's what he's

00:18:31.460 --> 00:18:35.140
waiting for to come alongside and help us and

00:18:35.140 --> 00:18:41.180
So I saw bill put his arms out straight and he

00:18:41.180 --> 00:18:44.589
said that the Lord had a sword on fire and he

00:18:44.589 --> 00:18:48.309
came and pierced his heart and Bill let out a

00:18:48.309 --> 00:18:52.490
loud holler scream and the Lord spoke to him

00:18:52.490 --> 00:18:55.970
and said, tonight is the beginning and one day

00:18:55.970 --> 00:18:59.630
you will be able to love Darlene the way I want

00:18:59.630 --> 00:19:03.869
you to love her. Well he came out of the vision

00:19:04.220 --> 00:19:06.759
He told me everything and I thought, wow. And

00:19:06.759 --> 00:19:09.460
that action had some consequences for your family

00:19:09.460 --> 00:19:12.440
and for your life. Yeah, yeah, you know, we're

00:19:12.440 --> 00:19:15.299
in the, what is it, the drive -through lane of

00:19:15.299 --> 00:19:17.299
we want everything when, you know, somebody in

00:19:17.299 --> 00:19:19.319
front of you is ordering too much, you think,

00:19:19.339 --> 00:19:20.740
oh, what are they doing, ordering everything

00:19:20.740 --> 00:19:23.740
in the store? And I mean, everybody wants everything

00:19:23.740 --> 00:19:27.059
right now. And so I thought I had it right now.

00:19:27.359 --> 00:19:29.720
Well, the next day he went back to being an angry

00:19:29.720 --> 00:19:34.390
man and I never... for nine more years. I never

00:19:34.390 --> 00:19:36.589
told him he was an angry man. I didn't get in

00:19:36.589 --> 00:19:40.329
a fight about it. I just clammed up and took

00:19:40.329 --> 00:19:44.170
it all within and resented him. So, Darlene,

00:19:44.349 --> 00:19:46.990
all this time, you know, this is still early

00:19:46.990 --> 00:19:50.490
in your marriage, and Bill was still an angry

00:19:50.490 --> 00:19:54.769
man. You still were encountering that anger and

00:19:54.769 --> 00:19:57.789
it was it was pretty miserable So how did you

00:19:57.789 --> 00:20:00.009
get through that and and you definitely saw God

00:20:00.009 --> 00:20:03.089
working in your lives? But of course it wasn't

00:20:03.089 --> 00:20:05.049
necessarily when you meant kind of mentioned

00:20:05.049 --> 00:20:09.150
when you wanted it to to be over But finally

00:20:09.150 --> 00:20:13.309
it was over Tell that story because it's pretty

00:20:13.309 --> 00:20:17.839
remarkable. I went to a Bible study with Oh my

00:20:17.839 --> 00:20:20.740
dear friends, now we all went. Joanne Kent wrote

00:20:20.740 --> 00:20:25.019
amazing Bible study for years. And I went to

00:20:25.019 --> 00:20:28.599
the leaders meeting and then we had our groups

00:20:28.599 --> 00:20:31.859
later on in the week. I always got great answers

00:20:31.859 --> 00:20:36.380
because I love studying the Word. But the unforgiveness

00:20:36.380 --> 00:20:39.579
and the hate that I had for my husband overtook

00:20:39.579 --> 00:20:42.410
me and I could not even... concentrate when I

00:20:42.410 --> 00:20:44.670
was doing my Bible study and I'd get to the class

00:20:44.670 --> 00:20:47.430
and here everybody would have these great answers

00:20:47.430 --> 00:20:50.990
and I'd say, oh my Lord, God, why aren't you

00:20:50.990 --> 00:20:52.910
speaking to me anymore? What do I need to do?

00:20:53.430 --> 00:20:56.789
And he would say, forgive Bill. I say, oh no,

00:20:57.049 --> 00:21:01.309
I can't do that. He has hurt me too much. Go

00:21:01.309 --> 00:21:04.950
a few more months and go back to him again, hoping

00:21:04.950 --> 00:21:06.970
that he had forgot what he told me the first

00:21:06.970 --> 00:21:11.059
time. Lord, what do I need to do? To hear from

00:21:11.059 --> 00:21:14.019
you again, and he said forgive bill and it took

00:21:14.019 --> 00:21:19.440
the third time for him to To do that for me and

00:21:19.440 --> 00:21:22.500
to get through to me, so I said okay God I'm

00:21:22.500 --> 00:21:24.420
honest with you because you know my heart anyway.

00:21:24.420 --> 00:21:29.240
I don't feel like doing this But I'm a lover

00:21:29.240 --> 00:21:34.119
of your word and your word says we must forgive

00:21:34.119 --> 00:21:37.880
We don't have an option because the enemy wants

00:21:37.880 --> 00:21:40.609
you an unforgiveness because Man, if you're in

00:21:40.609 --> 00:21:42.609
unforgiveness with one person, you'll do the

00:21:42.609 --> 00:21:45.710
next one. It's a disease. And so I said, OK,

00:21:45.710 --> 00:21:49.170
God, I'm going to forgive him. I'm just going

00:21:49.170 --> 00:21:51.869
to say it. But you know my heart and I'm trusting

00:21:51.869 --> 00:21:55.470
you with my heart. And so I asked the Lord to

00:21:55.470 --> 00:21:58.650
forgive me for an unforgiving spirit. And then

00:21:58.650 --> 00:22:03.009
I listed, you know, the love chapter, I think

00:22:03.009 --> 00:22:05.650
it's verse five. It says love does not take into

00:22:05.650 --> 00:22:08.589
account a wrong suffered. Well, I had an account

00:22:08.589 --> 00:22:12.769
book. and his name was there and all the big

00:22:12.769 --> 00:22:16.470
times that I was holding against him of things

00:22:16.470 --> 00:22:19.369
he had said and done to me and to embarrass me

00:22:19.369 --> 00:22:24.210
at family reunions or whatever and I said okay

00:22:24.210 --> 00:22:26.450
Lord and I've listed all the ones that came to

00:22:26.450 --> 00:22:29.970
my mind very readily and then I said Lord if

00:22:29.970 --> 00:22:32.869
there's anything else I just choose to forgive

00:22:32.869 --> 00:22:40.480
him of those also and When I finished I did not

00:22:40.480 --> 00:22:44.819
feel any different. I didn't feel like now, oh

00:22:44.819 --> 00:22:47.200
boy, I've forgiven him. I'm restored. Everything's

00:22:47.200 --> 00:22:50.839
great. That's not the way it happened. But I

00:22:50.839 --> 00:22:55.160
wasn't looking to that. I was trusting his word.

00:22:55.440 --> 00:22:59.660
His word is true. And I know if I obey it, he

00:22:59.660 --> 00:23:04.880
will meet me in magnificent ways. And so I started,

00:23:05.380 --> 00:23:08.670
if he said anything, or something that would

00:23:08.670 --> 00:23:10.930
hurt me, immediately inside, I'd say, I forgive

00:23:10.930 --> 00:23:15.670
him. I choose to forgive him. And I, in all the

00:23:15.670 --> 00:23:17.470
years of the 10 years of our marriage up until

00:23:17.470 --> 00:23:22.329
then, I was so hurt, I never, ever put my arm

00:23:22.329 --> 00:23:26.109
around him unless people were around to impress.

00:23:26.509 --> 00:23:29.930
I never said, and I love you, unless he said,

00:23:29.970 --> 00:23:32.369
I love you first, and I would just say, I love

00:23:32.369 --> 00:23:37.089
you too. All of a sudden I'd find my arm around

00:23:37.089 --> 00:23:39.089
him or I'd find myself saying I love you Bill

00:23:39.089 --> 00:23:46.450
Davis and It just shocked me because God He's

00:23:46.450 --> 00:23:51.670
He is so honorable he always honors you if you

00:23:51.670 --> 00:23:54.589
will trust and do what he says and because of

00:23:54.589 --> 00:23:58.170
that bill was Being loved when he didn't deserve

00:23:58.170 --> 00:24:01.170
to be loved. He was being forgiven when he didn't

00:24:01.170 --> 00:24:05.259
deserve it. He didn't earn it and he just started

00:24:05.259 --> 00:24:09.220
changing. He was turning into the man that I

00:24:09.220 --> 00:24:11.460
thought I was marrying, but it took 10 years

00:24:11.460 --> 00:24:15.740
to get there. And so by this time, he's out traveling

00:24:15.740 --> 00:24:19.559
and he'd be gone six to 12 weeks at a time. And

00:24:19.559 --> 00:24:21.839
I'd be home with our four children, Shelly and

00:24:21.839 --> 00:24:26.559
Allison and Seth and Kent. And I would be there

00:24:26.559 --> 00:24:28.339
taking them to their ball games, their practices,

00:24:28.680 --> 00:24:30.819
you know, everything. He would send me checks

00:24:30.819 --> 00:24:35.140
in the mail. I remember People would say, oh,

00:24:35.160 --> 00:24:37.380
I'm so sorry, Darlene. I'll pray for you with

00:24:37.380 --> 00:24:39.880
him gone so long. And inside I was saying, yes,

00:24:39.880 --> 00:24:42.019
he's gone for six to 12 weeks. You know what

00:24:42.019 --> 00:24:45.240
I mean? That was terrible. So God really had

00:24:45.240 --> 00:24:48.619
to work on me with the forgiveness. So Bill and

00:24:48.619 --> 00:24:52.500
I, after I'd gone through what I did that night,

00:24:52.750 --> 00:24:56.230
forgiving Bill and you know Philippians 4 13

00:24:56.230 --> 00:24:59.509
says that I can do all things through Christ

00:24:59.509 --> 00:25:02.549
who strengthens me so that night when he called

00:25:02.549 --> 00:25:05.269
me to forgive Bill I stood up and I actually

00:25:05.269 --> 00:25:08.470
took a step over I had to physically say I was

00:25:08.470 --> 00:25:10.750
stepping into Christ Jesus and leaving Darlene

00:25:10.750 --> 00:25:13.430
over here and and that's how I forgave him I

00:25:13.430 --> 00:25:15.890
because I knew through him I could do anything

00:25:15.890 --> 00:25:19.740
so He said, OK, Darlene, all these churches I'm

00:25:19.740 --> 00:25:22.640
speaking at in the Midwest, all these ones in

00:25:22.640 --> 00:25:24.579
Minnesota, they want to have a women's conference

00:25:24.579 --> 00:25:26.799
and you're going to speak. And I thought, how

00:25:26.799 --> 00:25:30.599
can I speak? I hate my husband. So anyway, even

00:25:30.599 --> 00:25:33.619
though God was working, he hadn't worked enough.

00:25:33.960 --> 00:25:38.400
He that I was wanting to do that. So anyway,

00:25:39.380 --> 00:25:43.180
I said, OK, we get up there to Minnesota and

00:25:43.180 --> 00:25:45.960
I'm supposed to speak the next morning. We are

00:25:45.960 --> 00:25:50.759
in a bedroom with two maybe double beds a twin

00:25:50.759 --> 00:25:55.420
bed for the girls and we carried a Porter crib

00:25:55.420 --> 00:25:58.559
with us and I thought how am I gonna study with

00:25:58.559 --> 00:26:00.299
all of these kids and all of a sudden there's

00:26:00.299 --> 00:26:03.880
a knock on the door and it is a Bob and Linda

00:26:03.880 --> 00:26:07.380
toner I did not know them but bill did and they

00:26:07.380 --> 00:26:09.680
said We came to take your four children so you

00:26:09.680 --> 00:26:12.140
could study. I just kind of pushed them out the

00:26:12.140 --> 00:26:16.099
door with a complete stranger. They became very,

00:26:16.099 --> 00:26:19.779
very dear friends of ours. And Bill is getting

00:26:19.779 --> 00:26:21.960
revelation. He's on one bed. I'm on the other.

00:26:22.140 --> 00:26:24.119
I'm looking through and I'm trying to work up

00:26:24.119 --> 00:26:26.940
a message. And it was horrible. I mean, if God

00:26:26.940 --> 00:26:29.420
doesn't speak something to you, making up something

00:26:29.420 --> 00:26:32.460
is really the pits. So Bill kept saying, what's

00:26:32.460 --> 00:26:34.299
he saying to you? He's really speaking to me.

00:26:34.319 --> 00:26:37.910
And I kept saying nothing. So finally, He said,

00:26:38.089 --> 00:26:41.029
come here a minute. So we stood up and he said,

00:26:41.109 --> 00:26:44.210
Darlene, why don't you share with all those ladies

00:26:44.210 --> 00:26:47.650
what it's been like living with an angry man?

00:26:48.509 --> 00:26:52.210
I have never been so shocked in my life. I said,

00:26:52.690 --> 00:26:55.549
Bill, you would let me get up there and share

00:26:55.549 --> 00:26:59.490
what we've gone through? He said, yes. He said,

00:26:59.750 --> 00:27:02.150
there's probably a lot of other women that live

00:27:02.150 --> 00:27:06.519
with angry men. And so we held each other and

00:27:06.519 --> 00:27:09.799
cried for so long. I don't even I can't tell

00:27:09.799 --> 00:27:12.400
you how long it was. All I know is we felt this

00:27:12.400 --> 00:27:16.700
warmth and this like a holy bomb just coming

00:27:16.700 --> 00:27:21.240
over us and healing us. And so I got up the next

00:27:21.240 --> 00:27:26.299
day and I cried through my testimony. And it

00:27:26.299 --> 00:27:31.000
God met me in a great way and. I started sharing

00:27:31.000 --> 00:27:35.440
it at marriage seminars, and when we do them,

00:27:35.619 --> 00:27:38.359
we started doing them because God redeemed our

00:27:38.359 --> 00:27:41.220
marriage. Yeah, and you mentioned that transparency

00:27:41.220 --> 00:27:45.119
and that healing. It opened new doors for a marriage

00:27:45.119 --> 00:27:47.980
ministry for both of you. You learned a lot in

00:27:47.980 --> 00:27:51.460
those 10 years of marriage, and even since then,

00:27:52.180 --> 00:27:54.500
what are some of those principles that you lived

00:27:54.500 --> 00:27:57.319
and that you share about marriage that have helped

00:27:57.319 --> 00:28:01.910
others? maybe down the road six months I share

00:28:01.910 --> 00:28:04.049
this and people will come up to me women and

00:28:04.049 --> 00:28:07.690
say with you sharing this all the time why don't

00:28:07.690 --> 00:28:11.829
you start unforgiveness and hating them all over

00:28:11.829 --> 00:28:13.930
again and I said you know that's a great question

00:28:13.930 --> 00:28:18.349
I need to ask God so I asked God and he told

00:28:18.349 --> 00:28:21.210
me he said you remember that night in the hotel

00:28:21.210 --> 00:28:23.670
room When you felt that warmth all over you and

00:28:23.670 --> 00:28:26.410
I said I will never forget that I've never experienced

00:28:26.410 --> 00:28:30.369
anything like it before or after and he said

00:28:30.369 --> 00:28:36.769
I poured a holy anointing oil all over you both

00:28:36.769 --> 00:28:42.049
and where there were wounds and scars I put new

00:28:42.049 --> 00:28:46.250
flesh and I think the only scars we're allowed

00:28:46.250 --> 00:28:48.670
to walk around with are like Jesus, you know

00:28:48.670 --> 00:28:51.049
the ones that from Jesus you know like he had

00:28:51.049 --> 00:28:53.369
scars and you remember things but he did not

00:28:53.369 --> 00:28:57.670
want me thinking of all those terrible times

00:28:57.670 --> 00:29:01.470
he wanted me to know I had forgiven and that

00:29:01.470 --> 00:29:05.009
he gave us a new marriage and it's amazing what

00:29:05.009 --> 00:29:07.549
he did I know I've talked about it but I can

00:29:07.549 --> 00:29:10.069
never talk about it too much but forgiveness

00:29:10.069 --> 00:29:15.170
is is the key and Bill and I say forgiveness

00:29:15.170 --> 00:29:19.089
is a gift we give each other every day because

00:29:19.089 --> 00:29:22.630
you know we're going to say something unintentionally

00:29:22.630 --> 00:29:24.309
or maybe intentionally and we're going to hurt

00:29:24.309 --> 00:29:30.650
each other and we need to be a recipient of God's

00:29:30.650 --> 00:29:34.869
love instead of getting all upset and going back

00:29:34.869 --> 00:29:37.849
into unforgiveness. We just have to you have

00:29:37.849 --> 00:29:40.049
to be on top of it because in a marriage there's

00:29:40.049 --> 00:29:43.049
many opportunities. I mean I had mentioned it

00:29:43.049 --> 00:29:47.599
before but unfulfilled expectations. I mean all

00:29:47.599 --> 00:29:50.460
of you out there that are listening and you know

00:29:50.460 --> 00:29:53.519
your husband's not all he's said he would be

00:29:53.519 --> 00:29:57.579
and all you just need to continue praying for

00:29:57.579 --> 00:30:00.960
him never give up praying because God's faithful

00:30:00.960 --> 00:30:05.259
he is faithful and um words of encouragement

00:30:05.259 --> 00:30:10.599
bill is a person who encourages But he also needs

00:30:10.599 --> 00:30:15.720
encouragement. He's just amazing at helping me.

00:30:16.559 --> 00:30:20.740
And he always, if I'm down on myself, he is an

00:30:20.740 --> 00:30:23.460
encourager. He just kind of turns it all around

00:30:23.460 --> 00:30:26.359
and makes it for the good. And you mentioned

00:30:26.359 --> 00:30:28.759
to me the other day that, uh, you know, people

00:30:28.759 --> 00:30:30.960
come up to you and say, Darlene, don't you ever

00:30:30.960 --> 00:30:33.299
get tired of Bill saying, I love you and how

00:30:33.299 --> 00:30:36.559
beautiful you are. What a total change from your

00:30:36.559 --> 00:30:42.539
early marriage, right? Yeah, exactly. Exactly.

00:30:43.079 --> 00:30:46.079
It's I, I almost get embarrassed if we're around

00:30:46.079 --> 00:30:48.700
people that I know, you know, Midwesterners are

00:30:48.700 --> 00:30:52.220
not real verbal that way. And I don't mean that.

00:30:52.460 --> 00:30:55.339
any bad sense because some of our dearest friends

00:30:55.339 --> 00:31:00.200
are Midwesterners. But I if I I'll hit him and

00:31:00.200 --> 00:31:02.920
I'll say, Bill, don't don't do that in front

00:31:02.920 --> 00:31:05.940
of this couple. You make her feel bad. He said,

00:31:06.079 --> 00:31:09.500
Well, I want to make him feel bad that he should

00:31:09.500 --> 00:31:14.680
be doing it. But he is he is an encourager and

00:31:14.680 --> 00:31:18.799
he loves to bless me and take care of me. He's

00:31:18.799 --> 00:31:20.819
amazing. Well, as we close, Darlene, would you

00:31:20.819 --> 00:31:23.380
share about a woman in the Bible who's inspired,

00:31:23.680 --> 00:31:27.640
encouraged, or taught you something? Yes. I love

00:31:27.640 --> 00:31:31.720
Abigail. You know, when I first read this, I

00:31:31.720 --> 00:31:34.900
did a teaching on it and I haven't in years and

00:31:34.900 --> 00:31:37.539
Bill said, I hope you're going to share about

00:31:37.539 --> 00:31:42.640
Abigail. And so Abigail, this is in First Samuel

00:31:42.640 --> 00:31:45.319
25. If some of you are not real familiar with

00:31:45.319 --> 00:31:48.000
this story, you can go and read all the details.

00:31:48.079 --> 00:31:51.559
I'll just tell you why Abigail is so special

00:31:51.559 --> 00:31:55.299
to me. She was married to a man named Nabal and

00:31:55.299 --> 00:31:59.559
they say about him that he was surly, mean and

00:31:59.559 --> 00:32:03.920
bad -tempered and unfriendly. So kind of sounds

00:32:03.920 --> 00:32:06.940
familiar, you know, how what God did with Bill.

00:32:07.980 --> 00:32:11.940
when he was in that way and it says that David

00:32:11.940 --> 00:32:15.039
and his men had been out in the fields near Carmel

00:32:15.039 --> 00:32:18.400
where Nable was with all of his men it was sheep

00:32:18.400 --> 00:32:23.279
shearing time and so David made sure that they

00:32:23.279 --> 00:32:25.279
were safe the whole time and nothing was gone

00:32:25.279 --> 00:32:29.160
from them and so all their men were hungry and

00:32:29.160 --> 00:32:35.509
so he sent His ten of his men David to Nabal

00:32:35.509 --> 00:32:38.029
and asked if he could send some supplies and

00:32:38.029 --> 00:32:42.930
they said we are men from David's camp and Nabal

00:32:42.930 --> 00:32:49.410
just brushed him off he wouldn't do it and The

00:32:49.410 --> 00:32:54.690
men went back and David was mad that Nabal would

00:32:54.690 --> 00:32:57.309
be this way to him and one of the servants went

00:32:57.309 --> 00:33:00.430
up to Abigail knowing that she's just wonderful

00:33:00.430 --> 00:33:03.970
godly woman and told her what was happening and

00:33:03.970 --> 00:33:06.650
David had told his men to put on their swords

00:33:06.650 --> 00:33:10.029
we're gonna go and destroy the entire house of

00:33:10.029 --> 00:33:14.690
Nabal and so Abigail got together I mean I wrote

00:33:14.690 --> 00:33:19.710
it down it's an amazing amount of food and wine

00:33:19.710 --> 00:33:25.150
put them on donkeys to take them to the men so

00:33:25.150 --> 00:33:29.430
David saw her coming And he told her, if you

00:33:29.430 --> 00:33:33.089
would not come to me, I was going to just wipe

00:33:33.089 --> 00:33:36.130
everybody out. And she said, but she told him,

00:33:36.569 --> 00:33:39.309
save yourself from bloodshed. So when you come

00:33:39.309 --> 00:33:42.369
into your kingship, you will not have blood on

00:33:42.369 --> 00:33:47.809
your hands. And so she was wise woman. And so

00:33:47.809 --> 00:33:52.079
she went back. But they were having a feast and

00:33:52.079 --> 00:33:54.640
Nabal was drunk so she decided not to tell him

00:33:54.640 --> 00:33:57.140
anything until the next morning. So she went

00:33:57.140 --> 00:34:03.819
into him the next morning and she said what she

00:34:03.819 --> 00:34:07.299
had done. She told them. And the fear came on

00:34:07.299 --> 00:34:10.920
him and it says that his heart died within him

00:34:10.920 --> 00:34:14.139
and he became as a stone and that ten days later

00:34:14.139 --> 00:34:18.860
he struck Nabal and he died. when David heard

00:34:18.860 --> 00:34:22.599
he's he sent for Abigail to propose to her and

00:34:22.599 --> 00:34:27.579
become his wife and Bill the Lord did not kill

00:34:27.579 --> 00:34:31.980
Bill, but he changed his hard heart and he put

00:34:31.980 --> 00:34:38.639
a heart like David in him and God Just as he

00:34:38.639 --> 00:34:42.480
is faithful back just know that he's gonna be

00:34:42.480 --> 00:34:46.000
faithful to you back in the Bible all the Places

00:34:46.000 --> 00:34:48.559
and people he was faithful. He is going to be

00:34:48.559 --> 00:34:51.800
faithful to you hang in there Jesus tells us

00:34:51.800 --> 00:34:54.820
in Matthew 6 15 But if you do not forgive others

00:34:54.820 --> 00:34:56.739
their sins your father will not forgive your

00:34:56.739 --> 00:34:59.880
sins Forgiveness isn't optional in the life of

00:34:59.880 --> 00:35:02.940
the believer. It's a command But here's the amazing

00:35:02.940 --> 00:35:05.840
part when we're faithful to forgive not only

00:35:05.840 --> 00:35:08.900
does it release us into God's peace and freedom

00:35:08.900 --> 00:35:12.340
It also releases those we've forgiven so God

00:35:12.340 --> 00:35:15.550
can work in their lives Forgiveness is powerful.

00:35:16.130 --> 00:35:18.909
It's transformative. It softens hardened hearts,

00:35:19.250 --> 00:35:22.610
restores relationships, and creates space for

00:35:22.610 --> 00:35:26.570
God to do what only He can do. Maybe today you're

00:35:26.570 --> 00:35:28.789
feeling the weight of holding on to an old hurt,

00:35:29.210 --> 00:35:31.269
or maybe God's nudging you to take that first

00:35:31.269 --> 00:35:34.170
brave step toward forgiveness. Friend, I encourage

00:35:34.170 --> 00:35:37.170
you, trust God with this. You don't have to figure

00:35:37.170 --> 00:35:39.989
it all out or fix it all by yourself, but if

00:35:39.989 --> 00:35:43.940
you forgive, you open the door wide for His healing,

00:35:44.039 --> 00:35:46.519
both in your life and in the life of the one

00:35:46.519 --> 00:35:48.599
you're forgiving. Darlene, would you take a moment

00:35:48.599 --> 00:35:50.780
and pray for everyone who listens to your amazing

00:35:50.780 --> 00:35:55.480
God story? Father, we are so grateful for your

00:35:55.480 --> 00:35:57.980
love, your great love for all your people, Lord.

00:35:57.980 --> 00:36:01.380
And I ask, Lord, that every woman that is listening

00:36:01.380 --> 00:36:05.639
to this, if she is in distress, if she's hurting,

00:36:05.760 --> 00:36:11.260
if she has been rejected, whatever State that

00:36:11.260 --> 00:36:14.280
she is in father. I asked that something that

00:36:14.280 --> 00:36:18.260
I said today would bring healing to her father

00:36:18.260 --> 00:36:23.239
and That the enemy would be put at bay so that

00:36:23.239 --> 00:36:27.179
she can grow into the woman of God The wife the

00:36:27.179 --> 00:36:31.139
mother that you have intended for her to be father

00:36:31.139 --> 00:36:34.949
use whatever We have gone through whatever I've

00:36:34.949 --> 00:36:37.250
gone through, Lord, and you have brought me to

00:36:37.250 --> 00:36:40.309
victory. I ask that you would do the same because

00:36:40.309 --> 00:36:44.369
you have no favorites. And we just thank you

00:36:44.369 --> 00:36:48.389
for that in Jesus' name. Amen. Now I bless you

00:36:48.389 --> 00:36:50.690
with an adaptation of the beautiful words from

00:36:50.690 --> 00:36:55.010
Isaiah 61 3. May the Lord bestow on you a crown

00:36:55.010 --> 00:36:59.210
of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead

00:36:59.210 --> 00:37:02.380
of mourning. and a garment of praise instead

00:37:02.380 --> 00:37:05.119
of a spirit of despair. May you walk forward

00:37:05.119 --> 00:37:07.500
in the freedom, healing, and restoration He has

00:37:07.500 --> 00:37:10.000
prepared for you. And friend, don't forget, you

00:37:10.000 --> 00:37:12.539
can visit hergodstory .org for today's show notes,

00:37:13.019 --> 00:37:15.480
the scriptures we shared, and a free six -week

00:37:15.480 --> 00:37:17.860
devotional on Women of the Bible to help strengthen

00:37:17.860 --> 00:37:20.300
you in your walk with the Lord. If you want to

00:37:20.300 --> 00:37:22.639
help make a difference for others, check out

00:37:22.639 --> 00:37:24.659
the Widow and Orphan Fund on our website and

00:37:24.659 --> 00:37:27.599
consider joining us with a gift today. And if

00:37:27.599 --> 00:37:30.460
you need prayer, we are here for you. Just call

00:37:30.460 --> 00:37:35.280
or text anytime on our 24 -7 prayer line at 855

00:37:35.280 --> 00:37:39.739
-459 -CARE or email us at prayer at somebodycares

00:37:39.739 --> 00:37:43.340
.org. Until next time, keep trusting God, keep

00:37:43.340 --> 00:37:46.429
walking in forgiveness. And remember, he is still

00:37:46.429 --> 00:37:49.489
writing your story. Her God Story is a ministry

00:37:49.489 --> 00:37:51.710
of Somebody Cares America and International.

00:37:52.110 --> 00:37:54.309
To find out more about or support the ministry,

00:37:54.570 --> 00:37:56.230
go to somebodycares .org.