Won't You Take My Hand

By Wanda Fiscus

I havent always been a Christian, but through a series of extraordinary events, I became one. The Lord has shown Himself to me in so many beautiful and special ways, I could not ignore the power of his acceptance, love, and grace. Through Him I have touched the lives of many, just as they have touched my life. I want people to know that when He gives you a story, you should share it with as many people as you can. Spread the word of His love and sacrifice to all you meet. You might get some strange looks, but I will tell you one thing: those you meet who enjoy your message and are open to the workings of the Lord will be your forever friends. I wrote this book to tell everyone how He has affected me throughout my life, even when I was too stubborn to give Him a second thought. He can change your life too; you just have to be open to Him. Take His hand! I did, and I have never been happier. I have faith and trust that I will, some glorious day, look upon his face.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Inspiring Voices
• Release date: Jan 27, 2014
• ISBN: 9781462408030

Wanda Fiscus

*Combined in About the Book*

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Won’t You

Take My Hand

Wanda Fiscus

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Copyright © 2014 Wanda Fiscus.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the publisher except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

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ISBN: 978-1-4624-0802-3 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4624-0803-0 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2013919341

Inspiring Voices rev. date: 01/24/2014

Contents

Dedication

Introduction

Prologue

Background

The Italian Lady and the Oil

A Different Life Again

How I Met My Husband

The Telephone Call and Joe’s Friend

My Life Changed Forever

Take My Hand

My Redeemer, My Friend

The Clover Flower

If My People

Harold

The Story of Harold

The Lady with the Snow White Hair

Snow White Hair

Corrie Ten Boom

Corrie’s Song

Grandma Swiss

Look to the Sky

Pittsburgh Charismatic Conference

The Harvest Song

My Hook-Up, Tim

Greater Is He

The Pastor’s Wife

My New Love

The Worm

A Lesson Learned

Something Wonderful

My Trip to the Mayo Clinic

Let Me Help Others

My Trip to Nebraska

Papillion

Life’s Busy Highways

The Truck Driver

Thank You Lord For Your Love

Billy Brown

Billy Brown

Shadrack, Meshak & Nabednego

Shadrack, Meshak and Nabednego

Karen and Jonathan

Washed In the Blood

Joe’s Injury

Do You Know My Jesus

Mrs. Frasconi

Keep Your Eyes on Jesus

The Promise

The Black Lady

A Walk Through Hell: Tom

I’m Calling

A Walk Through Hell: Richard

I Come to You

Far Away

The Aftermath

He Came to Us

My Doctor’s Christian Men’s Meeting

Guide Me, Lord

The Prayer Meeting / The Light

A Spark of Light

The King’s Return

Parting Thoughts

Jesus Set Me Free

Soon

Dedication

I would like to dedicate this book first and foremost to my Dear Lord and Savior, Jesus the Christ, the one who asked me to take His hand over forty years ago and showed me a whole new way of living, loving and just being, a world of wondrous miracles, pure and unquestioned love and faith that no matter how terrible a situation is He is right there beside me, holding my hand and making me stronger in the end.

I would also like to dedicate this book to my husband, Joe (Herman), and my son, Dick (Richard). May they ever be at peace with the Lord in Heaven.

Thank you also to my granddaughter, Megan, for taking the time to edit this book and for helping me get it done. I love you Dear One.

Introduction

I was walking through my living room at about 2:30 AM. I often did this, as it helped to alleviate pain in my legs. I was 40 years old. Suddenly I heard the voice (which is how I’ve come to refer to it), and it was beautiful. It said, Wanda, why won’t you take my hand? I had been hearing this voice over the past few weeks, and to say I became more afraid each time I heard the voice is putting it mildly.

I was sure I was losing my mind, because instead of merely calling my name, he was asking me to take his hand. When I was young, and would be present while adults would talk about women who heard voices, I would hear the adults say, She must be going through menopause. Well, what else could I think but that menopause was happening to me too? But mostly, I was scared out of my wits. When I heard the voice, I ran into my bedroom, jumped into bed and threw the sheet up over my head, hoping I would not wake my husband and have to explain why I was in such a state. What I did not know at the time was that hearing His beautiful voice was the first act of a long and fantastical journey that has changed my life forever.

My life up to age 40 was mostly devoid of religious faith, and I feel as though, reflecting on past events in my life before I became a Christian, I had tried very hard to keep it that way. I was closed off to the idea for a number of reasons. Those reasons now seem so petty; I was so closed minded. Through the years before I became a Christian, many things happened to me that might have made a more open minded person see the beauty and kindness that our Lord bestows upon us when it is most needed, but I was hardened and resentful from many losses. My young life was difficult and at times very scary, but I had my brothers and they kept love in my heart. We all worked together to help our little family survive. You’ll hear a little bit about that later.

In the following pages I will tell you of many lives, not just my own, which have been affected by the power of God’s love. I want you, dear reader, to understand that I am not a perfect person. As it stands now, I have been a Christian for more years than I have not, but half of this life was spent away from his Grace. The contrast in the two halves of my life is like night and day. However, it isn’t as though I no longer suffer, as you will see in the stories I have to tell, it’s just that I now know there is nothing I cannot overcome, no wound I cannot soothe as long as I have faith in the Lord. There are also songs, which the Lord has seen fit to bestow upon me, so that I might translate the power of his love and mercy to anyone who would hear them. The songs have become a positive influence in the lives of many people I know, and some I’ve never met. I hope you find affirmation and perhaps even solace in my songs and my story, the story of my life.

Prologue

I am a talker. I speak to those I know and those I don’t. Any chance I get to spread the word of God, I’ll do it! It is because of this drive that I have found many a friend in the Lord and these friends have been forever telling me I should write a book about all of the amazing things that God has made me a witness to. I never really gave it much serious thought, since I had a family to look after.

That was until my husband Joe (Herman) passed away. We had been married 60 and one half years, and the thought of what to do without him in my life both saddened and terrified me. As my sons were out in our kitchen discussing what should be done next, I went to the bedroom to lie down. Feeling empty and lost, I asked the Lord, What am I going to do now? The Lord spoke to me, reminded me of the people in my life who had told me to write a book. Unfortunately, even with his provocation then, I did not get started on the book. I was even made immobile for weeks by a broken arch in my left foot and a torn Achilles’ tendon in my right leg. I had plenty of opportunity to have gotten it started, but I didn’t.

However, God did not give up on me. I had just returned home from surgery and recovery to correct the aforementioned bodily trauma, and as it was a beautiful day, I decided to sit on my patio to read. I was walking out the door, when suddenly and violently I fell on the cement patio. I hit my tailbone pretty hard, and my head hit the brick on the outside of the house. I pushed my First Alert button, and the ambulance and my son came to take me to the hospital. At the hospital, the attendants grew wary of the situation once they found out my age. They said they needed to perform some tests on me. They had me on a gurney with my back strapped to a board, and my head in a brace, so that I wouldn’t be able to injure myself any further. As I was waiting in the hallway, seemingly by myself, I was approached by a pretty young lady who asked me if I was alright. I replied, Yes, honey, the Lord is here with me. She remarked that it is very nice to come upon a Christian and hear them respond in such a way. I bet you’ve been a Christian all your life, she said. I told her no, and explained that I had become a Christian only 42 years before our meeting. She asked me to tell her the story of my conversion, so I obliged, thinking all the while that she would never believe it.

My attendants came to wheel me away for testing, but just before they did, she drew herself across the bed and said You should write a book. I believe that she was an instrument of God, sent to remind me of a purpose to devote myself to. As I mentioned before, he has an interesting way of getting your attention. And now, he finally had mine, undivided.

Background

I was born January 11, 1929 to Hugh and Theo Manley. My parents lived with my grandmother and her second husband, Henry. My grandfather died at the age of 27 from kidney failure. Grandma also had four daughters and Henry had a son. We, my father, mother, Hugh (my baby brother) and I, had a good life. Our aunts and grandma doted on us. My father got a job at the Weirton Steel Mill and we all moved into a better home, after which my brother Keith was born.

My grandma was the center of my life. She was always hugging and kissing me, giving me love and affection. She made me so happy. This was all to change suddenly when I was about 5 years old. I woke up to a commotion in my grandma’s room. I hurriedly got dressed, but by that time men were already carrying my grandma out to an ambulance. As I rushed