My Journey - Deliverance

Many years ago, around 1996 , I was at home and the phone rang. It was my Pastor's daughter. She asked if I would be interested in replacing her at a church member's cafe. I wasn't looking for work necessarily, but the thought of working for a Believer for the first time certainly enticed me. I went at met the owner. She was very nice and warm. She ran the cafe which also did catering. Also employed there were her 2 sons and eldest daughter. The youngest daughter was there and helped in between doing her home schooling. I was hired. Officially I was the dishwasher. I did other things as well as time went on. I helped bus tables, ran the register, ran deliveries, helped with catering, baked. I enjoyed it. I have to admit however, I complained quite a bit. I'd complain about the heat, after all, I was in front of 3 boiling hot sinks (talk about humidity), and behind me were ovens and burners running all day. Oy! I do NOT like heat or humidity. I complained if I didn't feel good. Being raised as an only child, I could be pretty selfish and want my way. I definitely always looked at how things affected me. I'm not saying I was rotten. I had some good points, but I surely needed some work smoothing off my rough edges. Among my other attributes were my often bitey comments. I meant them in joking of course, but I often wouldn't think about how the other person's day may have been going, or what outside things may be affecting them. Being offended and hurt every time I wasn't invited to something. I took everything personally. Still, I loved working there with that family. They were kind and fun.We could joke together. We'd pray together every day before opening. We played instrumental or Christian music. The atmosphere there was great. We went to movies together. Well, one day my sweet boss had about all she could take of my attitudes. After we closed, she told me she was cutting my hours back for 3 weeks. How dare she?! , I thought to myself! This is a job, not a Christian training camp for perfect behavior. This can't be legal! I was outright pissed off! Still something told me, she cared about me. She wasn't a mean or vindictive person. She was always fair. She kindly suggested I read Neil Anderson's book " The Bondage Breaker". She suggested I may learn a lot from it, and that after I read it, she'd like to pray with me if I was willing. I took her challenge. I found the book , bought a copy and devoured it. I learned from it that different things we involve ourself in can open doors to let the enemy come into our life. I learned how deliverance works. I learned the authority I had in G-d to take control over those things,and that I didn't have to let them control me. There is more in there, but you will just have to read it yourself. After reading it cover to cover, I informed my boss I had finished the book, and was definitely willing to let her pray for me. We picked a day after work and met in her office, myself, her, her eldest daughter and her daughter in law. We stayed in there 4 1/2 hours! Hours of answering questions about things I had done in my past, repenting of them, rebuking their affects on me and their spiritual strongholds. It was gruelling and exhausting! Talk about vulnerable! These were things no one else knew about me, things too hard for me to have shared with anyone else at that time. Confessing in front of people whom I"m sure never even thought to do these things themselves. Confessing my rotten attitudes. Drug use, alcoholism, and things I dare not print.
Four and a half hours later, I left that office, not just tired and wrung out, but feeling really different for the first time in my life. Not that salvation didn't make a change in me, but this was different. I felt lighter. I didn't feel like I was being run around. I didn't feel aggressive. The flashbacks I used to have of things I had done, were gone! Oh , that was the sweetest moment, when I realized the flashbacks left! How glorious not to be haunted by those memories and images running through my head. I hated seeing them every time they would replay in my mind against my will. That was so hard an event.So very humbling to the very core of my being, but so very worth it. I can never thank her or her family enough! What a wonderful gift to share with someone, freedom, spiritual freedom. Now that is love! They layed down their life for me in a way that day. No greater love hath a man for his brother, than to lay down his life for him. After being delivered, my attitudes surely changed for the better. Bitterness left. The need to condemn others left to make myself feel worthy,  left. Those mean comments disguised as jokes, left. I had joy! Shortly after , on a trip to Idaho, my car broke down at 3-something a.m. The nearest rest area was 3 miles away. I got out and helped push the car 3 miles, laughing the whole time! Prior to my deliverance, I'd have been mad as all heck! Probably would have griped the whole 3 miles and kicked the car. I told my boss about it when I got back, and she smiled the biggest smile. She knew that in itself was a testimony of what had taken place in her office the day I decided to surrender all. That song, I surrender all, has a special meaning to me because of that day, and I don't think I've made it through without crying once since then. I'm thankful for those tears. I'm thankful to feel normal and free. I've since had the pleasure of sharing that wonderful gift with some over the years, and what an awesome privilege, to see the change in someones countenance afterward. I thank G-d for the times He's used me to share it. What an wonderful, caring, gentle G-d we serve. He loves as as we are, but loves us enough NOT to let us stay that way, for that I am ever so grateful!
Here's a video that depicts how Satan runs us around, and we are often unaware, and how our glorious L-rd fights for us, to give us freedom if we will accept it. It's very dear to my heart. Please, prayerfully watch it.