The following Redemptive Living Story is a personal testimony set in the context of the Pattern of Seven. It also serves as a practical natural and spiritual life application “commercial break” following the Armor of God ~ Feet Fitted with the Gospel of Peace article for the Teacher portion of the redemptive gifts.
As I shared in the Armor of God feet article, it was while on sabbatical in 2021 that Ephesians 6 and the Armor of God became an extended study. It was a period that Holy Spirit, as Teacher that He is, used to link together a personal pattern of seven that had been part of my spiritual development in the land of my life –
“Years of ‘footwear’ in the natural were illuminated as to the representation of their spiritual significance. Like the sheet of paper where I charted the Armor of God in context of the pattern of seven, I sketched out a ‘my feet’ chart of what my Redeemer’s hand had been engaged in throughout my life. His words to me some time previous of “increase and release” culminated with the seventh phase in the ‘my feet’ pattern with another brief but powerful dream on November 21, 2021.” ~ For the sake of not writing a book, this abbreviated testimony is fueled by the knowledge that we are fully known by the living, active Word of God working behind the scenes of our lives. This “my feet” testimony is personal, of course. God’s pattern of seven is His wisdom’s gift to creation. His pattern is in your story too.
“My Feet” – Prophet Portion
At the end of my Welcome page is a little purple tab entitled My Story. There I relate the penchant as a toddler for getting into my mother’s closet and putting on her high heels. This photo places me somewhere between 1958-59. I did learn to walk, despite the oft-told story of how long it took me to want to.
From ten months old up to the next segment I’ll introduce shortly, my life and those of my two sisters were set in the sights of the enemy, not to mention my mother’s and father’s lives. Medically, all three of us were either not expected to live or would do so with great mental handicap and/or physical limitations. Personally, I survived a hospitalized case of roseola (internal measles) as a baby. Only to be followed by a full-blown case of the hard German measles at four years old, leaving me with encephalitis (inflammation of the brain) and Grand Mal epilepsy the next five years.
Many of my Wellspring and Ishshah’s Story writings have captured the emotions, attitudes, and mental thought processes that these illnesses alongside many other childhood experiences, left imprinted over my God-given design. Purpose and Truth would awaken much later. Yet my Prophet portion was being expressed as I grew; and decades later, even at present, Holy Spirit confirms and causes me to understand more deeply.
“My Feet” – Servant Portion
During my young years of childhood, I longed to take ballet lessons. Something inside me yearned to dance. That longing was filled to a degree in the natural as a teen in 1973-75. I tried out for and earned a coveted place on my high school drill team of 32 young women. For two years, drill team practices, performances, competitions, and camaraderie provided the longed-for dance outlet. Along with a lot of service projects to help raise our personal portion of funds. Our feet, my feet were busy and sometimes, very sore feet.
With clarity beyond the fond memories, I note the alignment and synchronization that 64 feet in white boots with red tassels perfected. We were individually responsible for our part; together we were superb and won the trophies to prove it. The epitome though was when we pulled off the perfectly executed ‘wheel’ in our own gym during a basketball game halftime performance. Sixteen, shoulder to shoulder faced one direction; the other sixteen mirrored the other direction. The two tallest in the middle served as the pivot of the wheel. I was the fourth shortest of the 32, which made us the ones who had to cover the longest distance with the shortest strides. One long line, 32-strong in perfect alignment. Our drill team instructor videotaped it from the balcony. Proof that all those early morning hours of practice did pay off!
Photos from then are in my yearbooks and stowed away dusty bins. The boots and uniforms are in my hope chest. We Ike Hi-Steppers looked sharp and performed so well. My Servant portion still loves the seventies. What I love most of all, though, is when the Lord fills a yearning desire Himself. I got to dance with Jesus.
“My Feet” – Teacher Portion
To say I devoured books while growing up in my family home would be an understatement. I have no doubt my love for writing bloomed from reading. There was one book I took note of on my mother’s nightstand in the year or two before I got married at 19. I did not read it, but remembered the intriguing title when, in 1990 and feeling dead inside, I stepped into our neighborhood Christian bookstore with my husband. He went off looking for something. I lingered near the front door, empty and unenthused. That’s when I saw it…
A small paperback version of Hinds’ Feet on High Places stacked among other titles on a display table. I opened it to the beginning and read a few sentences. There I was – Much Afraid with her lame feet and twisted mouth. I bought the book. And since then, many copies for others and the sturdier one pictured. I was 33 years old then and am 66 years old now. Thirty-three years have passed from 1990 to 2023. It was way back then that Habakkuk 3:19 became inscribed on my heart as the Lord’s intimate promise to me –
19 The Lord God is my Strength, my personal bravery, and my invincible army; He makes my feet like hinds’ feet and will make me to walk [not to stand still in terror, but to walk] and make [spiritual] progress upon my high places [of trouble, suffering, or responsibility]! – [Amplified Bible – AMPC]
Years later and still to come in the timeline, the lessons learned in the past and in the ongoing, would serve my Teacher portion well in the writing the Lord intended to bring forth. It is why The Teacher & The Healer in the Teacher category is such a foundational principle full of life-giving truth and healing. It is bonded with Fine Lines: Teachable vs Impressionable, written in my coaching years as Holy Spirit’s prelude to now.
“MY FEET” – EXHORTER PORTION
Sixteen years passed before the shadow of breast cancer hovered over my life. Triple negative breast cancer threatened first in 2006, then again four years later in 2010. By now, my husband and I were in our third decade of marriage. Shammahs Field LLC was thriving with Wayne’s counseling and I was still at what would be my final employer before joining him in Shammah Ministries.
Sandwiched between was October 2008 when a coworker and I planned, hosted, and led the Shoes Retreat for a dozen women, us included. How it came about is recorded in the same little purple tab of My Story. The retreat was prepared in long off-duty hours and divided-up busy details over the course of six months. It was certainly no coincidence (because I shared my heart with my visionary coworker about my life “shoes” up to that point) that our retreat theme was “If Shoes Could Talk” with personal ministry elements.
These photos capture our last act at the retreat, just before we adjourned a most powerful weekend. The throwing of two cement blocks into Priest Lake, with our 12 names and the date. Which ‘just happens’ to be October 5, 2008. Today’s posting date,15 years later. Triple grace years for sure.
During my life, the Lord has given me many dreams of spiritual significance and prophetic heads up for my own life and for the Body of Christ. One of them was at the outset of my inner healing journey and caused me to know it would be the long way around to get to “the hospital in the valley” where healing awaited. Years later, a dream I had prior to the second more severe cancer diagnosis presented two choices: one harder and deeper yet, but with a glorious outcome. I understood the two pictures represented me or Him.
Looking back, I believe the choice my spirit made while in that dream resulted from the act pictured here. With five names and my own written on the cement block, that act was a personal prophetic declaration. Wellspring began May 2, 2010 – just weeks before my second diagnosis. My Exhorter portion started flowing.
Though my host coworker is not shown in the picture, she is sharing in the tossing of the other cement block.
“My Feet” – Giver Portion
Three years into the Wellspring of Life blog, I introduced Vineyard Days; the ongoing spiritual development and growth experiences of the Shulamite in Solomon’s Song, coupled with the vineyard truths of John 15. A man I consider my spiritual father, Wade Taylor, had written The Secret of the Stairs about the Song of Songs. His, too, was a testimony of the written word becoming the experiential (in life’s outworking) Word of God.
I still remember Holy Spirit’s powerful impact when I recognized Jesus, the Word of God, as a Living Word. The Bible was not dry and wearisome and hard to understand. Instead, it came alive because He is alive. That is when I became a persuaded heart that my very life was etched in the Word of God. I love His written word. Step upon step, higher and deeper into Christ’s heart.
Begun in April 2013, Vineyard Days continues the Shulamite’s journey ten years later. She lived her life a day and a season at a time, just as we do. There is more, and the most glorious part of her story – and ours – is yet ahead. She models us, His becoming Bride. – Bridal Veil Falls, Oregon
“My Feet” – Ruler Portion
In the early morning hours of December 14, 2016 (12/14/16) I had the dream of the gift of hinds’ feet. It was five years to the month since I left my last employer. Five years of grace, both hard and rewarding. It is not easy or swift to learn and grow in dominion to rule over one’s soul. It is achingly true that the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak. And in between is our soul, desiring to command our mind, will, and emotions.
At this point, it is no wonder that Ephesians 6 and the Armor of God has made such an impression in my spirit. It is full of confirmation of all these years of “my feet” covering acre after acre of the land of my life.
I wrote out the dream and posted it on Wellspring December 15, 2016. There are times to give up – not something I usually advocate! But once again, in the perfect faithfulness of God’s timing, I give up in surrender to His ways and timing that are at work without an agenda on my part.
Wayne and I shared in our September 30 newsletter of the soon closure of our counseling and coaching practice of the past twenty-plus years. Our chosen end date we determined a while ago? December 15, 2023. His timely seven-year cycle.
“My Feet” – mercy Portion
The dream I referenced on November 21, 2021, was brief but powerful. It was early on a Sunday morning. But first, a day earlier …
That Saturday, my husband and I had driven over the state line to a local Idaho Costco. Stacked in a display were boxes and boxes of women’s suede ankle-high winter boots. In ecru. Ok, and in black too, which I bought from a more practical standpoint for wearing in our grimy winters. What I didn’t miss was the ‘ecru suede ankle boot’ reminiscent of the perfectly suited gift of hinds’ feet given to me in my significant dream five years earlier.
The timing of the Costco excursion was after a full-on meltdown of emotion in our bathroom while getting ready that morning. I had experienced three days of battle from the enemy regarding family. Doused in feelings of futility, my voice rang out with, “Do we get to see some harvest in our life this side of the veil?? as I have been proclaiming and writing for such a long time now??” Within minutes, a communication from a family member came in before our Costco run that let me know He had heard my futility-ridden cry. I still didn’t know of the ecru suede boots that awaited my attention as a prelude to next morning’s brief dream:
In a span of mere seconds, I saw two cement blocks busted off my ankles, blown to smithereens! There was no encasing, cement-like substance that remained. All that was left was a cloud of fine dust that looked just like the photo in my Vineyard Days Flawless series.
It was a year 13 promise of the cement blocks faithfully come to pass – October 2008 to November 2021.
abreakey-foodproductphotographer-goldmakeuppowder
Many details are not related here; they don’t need to be. Some are private; much has been written before. The next assignment from my Lord is hinds’ feet with hands trained for battle, in full swing since June 2022.
~ Nancy / Gracefully Free
Hands trained for battle.
This is a close one for me.
He allows me to feel in each ten fingers bondage in individuals. They natch up to the 10 commandments.
Knuckles are markers for generations registering along each of the knuckles to illustrate # of generations.
Have diagram if you would like?
Blessings
garry
North Idaho
Hi Garry ~ thanks so much for reading the “My Feet” testimony, along with resonating with the hands trained for battle!
Our physical bodies are part of our triune being – spirit, soul, and body. Thank you for relating what you did about your own sensitivity to the Spirit in your fingers.
Yes, I would like to receive a shared copy of your diagram. You know my email address! ~ blessings in return, Nancy
Wow
Thanks for sharing! Powerful cement blocks being busted! May your new pair of shoes be beautiful and honoring to Him!
Love CP
You’re welcome ♥ I am so glad you clicked to read it ~ I thought of you being present and “the rest of the cement blocks story”! Love back, CP