Once I wrote a story about the book, ěThe Prayer of Jabez.î This was based on First Chronicles 4:9-10. In this verse, Jabez called out to the God of Israel asking Him to bless him and enlarge his territory. After reading that book in my healthier days, I had adopted that verse asking the Lord to ěexpand my territory.î
So one may wonder what that means. For Jabez, I expect he meant his fields and livelihood. When I first prayed for God to expand my territory, I meant places that I could travel to speak for him at Christian Womenís Clubs.
My friend, Debbie, bought me a lovely plaque with this verse on it and it has rested in my living room for several years now. Recently, I heard a pastor speak on this book. I rode my power wheelchair to the table and sat their having a conversation with the Lord. He knows I have not been praying this prayer for an expansion of territory due to my physical limitations.
But in prayer once again, I left it in the Lordís hand to take me where he wants me to go. I had no idea what the results would be! But as it says in one old hymn, ěIím leaning on Jesus.î As one pastor said, I trust Him to hold me up on my ěleaning sideî which is due to multiple sclerosis.
That week I received a phone call from a correspondence writer with Stonecroft Ministries in Kansas City. That is the home office of Christian Womenís Clubs which became an international organization after two women began praying in oneís home. This lady left a message that she wanted to set up a 30-minute telephone interview so she could write an article about me and my card ministry.
We talked for an hour and a half and now my ěbioî is on the international newsletter and web site of Stonecroft Ministries. When that came up two weeks in a row on the internet, I was so flabbergasted at how God had ěexpanded my territoryî and all I had to do was talk.
That same week I read in the Rowan Baptist newsletter about the wants and needs of some folks who are out of work and low on income. My German friend and I had been talking about things with which we needed help so I called the office and told the secretary about those needs and our willingness to pay for help. Within two hours, a man whose power was about to be turned off came to see exactly what I needed to have done.
Now my gutters have been cleaned, my windows were washed, and a large plant has been moved to a bed where I will be able to get around all sides of it next year. We had agreed on $10/hour but he did such a good job that I went ahead and paid him $50. The only reason I could afford to pay him that was because a check for my ěblood moneyî had just arrived (thatís a whole different story)!
I worked out an arrangement between him and my friend so he could earn some more money to pay on his power bill. I drove him to China Grove and took a nap in my van while he worked for her. Then I took him for a breakfast treat and all three of us were blessed with ěmy expanded territory.î
Later in the week, I received a letter from a lady in Wisconsin who wanted to know more about me and the card ministry. I replied and sent her some samples of cards and material with which she could ěplay.î I thought maybe she had read about me on the internet but actually she had come across a magazine (Afterglow) that was several years old. She found my name, address and hobby in a column about pen pals. This magazine had been given to me by the visually impaired organization after I had seventeen days of blurred vision. It became obvious to me why she had printed in very large letters like a child might do.
She wants to share a Bible study by mail and asked if maybe we could study the book of Ruth. I had written a story called ěA Relationship like Naomi and Ruthî a long time ago so I sent her a copy of that story along with more card materials.
Of all the states in our country, I actually have had three friends who have moved here from Wisconsin. It is a long distance from here but once again, God has expanded my territory through the postal service. She does not have the internet but seemed to feel very blessed that I answered her letters. Iím excited that I have some Christian leaflets I can forward to her.
Cards to be recycled keep pouring in and once again I was becoming a little overwhelmed. My new friend, Marcia, had never been to the Singles Club so we went together one night. The next thing I knew, I was scheduled to have the program two weeks in a row. God had prepared the ěharvest of workersî I needed and they even donated some money towards mailing the cards to the soldiers.
And finally I was able to get new mailing addresses for the NC National Guardsmen (300) who are at war. Six hundred more will be going in November so the one loose string is donations for the cost of mailing. (THANKS TO THOSE WHO HAVE HELPED WITH THIS ON-GOING NEED!)
To top it all off, my 18-year-old grandson, Billy, left for Fruitland Bible College in Hendersonville, the land of the waterfalls. When he was a little fellow, I wrote a story about how he was my ěbudding evangelist.î I pray that God will lead and guide him in this direction it if His will for him. Several children followed Billyís examples and if he has to go away, I canít think of a better place.
Billy and I prayed together the night before he left and I gave him a copy of Psalm 9l to put in his wallet just as Jimmy Stuartís father did before he left for World War II. I pray that God will keep him safe as He did one of my favorite actors.
This story became quite long and sometimes space is limited, but I needed to share how God continues to use this old handicapped ladyÖand He can use those who read this if you pray for His will to be done.

Linda Beck lives in Woodleaf.