Island Splashes

By Crystal G. Reece

What is important is the circles of influence that have helped me to become who I am today. God has used each splash to divinely order every step to ripple through every part of my life, ministry, and story. I pray to continually make splashes with those impacts from here to the uttermost parts of the earth, by living out each lesson learned. Never forget that regardless of the size of the splash, each one of them continues to ripple across the ocean of life.

Crystal Reece, Author

Her story is our story. Its the life of contrasts the writer of Ecclesiastes told us about. Sadness and joy, tears and victory, grief and dancing, crawling and flying its all there. But, unlike so many, the fragile segments of Crystals life are held together by the God-thread of unwavering trust. It is this very thread that reaches out and weaves you into the amazing tale of a life of selfless devotion to the God of the universe. More than a memoir, this is a story that can become yours if you let it.

Melani Shock, Pentecostals of Alexandria, and author of Eat This Book

If you expect this book to be about a young womans call to do missions work, it is. Do you perceive it to be about prayer? You are correct. Do you view this as a how-to book on finding Gods will and experiencing His provision? Right again; its all this and more! This book illustrates how God strategically places influencers in our lives to splash us, as Crystal so ably states, causing ripple effects. As you read, may your heart be stirred, causing you to splash others with the all-encompassing love of Jesus Christ!

David and Kathy Brott, missionary envoys; Global Missions UPCI

• Language: English
• Publisher: WestBow Press
• Release date: Jul 12, 2013
• ISBN: 9781490800653

Crystal G. Reece

Missionary Crystal Reece, whose name means “follower of Christ,” is originally from Selmer, Tennessee. She is a graduate from the University of Tennessee with a bachelor of science degree in social work with an aviation minor. She served the United Pentecostal Church International for seven years in Vanuatu and the Kingdom of Tonga on their Associates in Missions program. During these years she worked as a Bible school administrator and teacher and assisted the church leadership in many ways with focuses upon campus, children, and youth ministries. Crystal is an ordained minister with the United Pentecostal Church International and is a 2009 graduate of Urshan Graduate School of Theology, where she received a master’s degree in theological studies. In 2010, Crystal received intermediate missionary appointment to the Kingdom of Tonga, where she continues to work in many capacities, serving as the Bible school administrator and global association of theological studies coordinator. Crystal is currently working toward her doctoral degree in missiology. Visit her online at www.globalmission.com.

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Crystal G. Reece

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Copyright © 2013 Crystal G. Reece.

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.

WestBow Press books may be ordered through booksellers or by contacting:

WestBow Press

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1663 Liberty Drive

Bloomington, IN 47403

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Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Cover image by Bryan Huff.

ISBN: 978-1-4908-0064-6 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4908-0065-3 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2013912068

WestBow Press rev. date: 07/01/2013

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Contents

Acknowledgments

Forward

Chapter 1 Introduction

Chapter 2 First Impressions

Chapter 3 Learning to Walk

Chapter 4 Acts of Kindness

Chapter 5 The Black Rock Experience

Chapter 6 Walking by Faith

Chapter 7 The Vision of Calling

Chapter 8 Pursue the Calling

Chapter 9 Major Changes

Chapter 10 Heartstrings

Chapter 11 Learning to Pray

Chapter 12 Prayer Walks

Chapter 13 Daddy’s Time

Chapter 14 VIEW

Chapter 15 ‘Little Missionary’

Chapter 16 AIM—The First Target

Chapter 17 Change of Fields

Chapter 18 Second AIM

Chapter 19 A Higher Calling

Chapter 20 A Sickening Feeling

Chapter 21 Godly Counsel

Chapter 22 Then What?

Chapter 23 The Miraculous

Chapter 24 Appointment with Destiny

Chapter 25 A Sure Place

NOTE: (About the book)

Works Cited

About the Author

This book is dedicated to the many family and friends who have impacted my life—whether in large or small ways, it does not matter…

Thank you for making a Splash in my life.

Blessings and love to you all!

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Acknowledgments

The Lord has used a host of people throughout the years whose impact has shaped my life. I want to thank those who provided faithful encouragement and support to me while I was writing Island Splashes such as family and friends that demonstrated their constant support through prayers and text messages during this process. I wish I could list everyone by name; however, there are a few I would like to acknowledge: Crista Bell, Ashley Chew, Bryan and Lavonia Essary, Tonya Maxedon, Connie Hurst, Jamie Keasler, Nancy Norris, Doris Reece, Danita Sykes and Pat Vick. I appreciate your time reading the manuscript and providing valuable input. I want to especially thank Dr. Cindy Miller for the lessons she taught within her course, Friendship Counseling, as well as her support during this project. I also want to thank Norm Paslay II and Diana Reed for their encouragement and for helping me to take this project to the next level, as well as David and Kathy Brott and Melani Shock for their endorsement along with their faithful prayers that cover me. And finally, to the team who has help make this project a reality: Bryan and Jessica Huff of Huffoto Photography Studio in Selmer, Tn for capturing my heartbeat for the Island splashes cover photo. Brynne Jones for her creative input of the cover and inside images, your friendship and encouragement has been a pillar during this project. And Lisa Taylor for her assistance as well as hours of editing, God has gifted you. I greatly appreciate your friendship as well as your amazing gift. And I especially want to thank the entire project and production team at Thomas Nelson/Westbow Press for your direction to complete the journey. Most of all I want to give thanks to the Lord (and his boarder patrol angel) whose presence in my life has been a constant strength and reminder throughout every step of this journey.

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Forward

I first met Crystal Reece as a fellow-student at Urshan Graduate School of Theology. The class was Early Pentecostal Movements with Dr. Robin Johnston. In the course of that class we were assigned to present our personal Pentecostal story. I was moved to tears to realize that Crystal’s family came to the wonder of Pentecost under the ministry of my parents Norman & Mary Alice Paslay during the old time camp meetings that were so powerful and fundamental to the growth of the church in Tennessee. That connection historically put us on a trajectory for further commitment and partnership. I felt under-God to pursue our friendship and be an encouragement to a precious young woman that was navigating God’s call on her life and future.

I was immediately impressed with her excellence of spirit and quality as a person. It was also very clear to me that God’s call and anointing were on her life. We developed a friendship of mutual respect and fellowship as I began to inquire as to her calling and the direction she felt God was leading her in. She shared her story of an initial pursuit of medicine that was being submitted to another venue of healing. My spirit bore witness to the calling she shared with me- and encouraged her to pursue her license with the United Pentecostal Church and a Mission’s assignment.

This book is an epic account of her life and how God has ordered her steps to bring her to the place of being a fully-appointed missionary of the UPCI. Crystal does a great job of connecting the dots between events of her life and the providence of God in directing her path. This presentation is a great read to encourage those who are wondering if their life can find eternal significance and how the events during the course of life play into that discovery.

The beautiful metaphor of splashes and the ripple that life, events and the people in our lives carries will resonate with those that are looking for purpose and discovering their destiny in fulfilling the will of God for their life. It is an honor to count her as a friend and co-laborer in the Harvest. She is called of God and her anointing is serving the Church in powerful and compelling ways. Her God given vision to reach her field of assignment is unfolding in the power and demonstration of the Spirit.

Read this book and be encouraged to realize that our lives matter and we connect to people in ways that become a part of a Divine Design with eternity in mind. Island Splashes will encourage and empower those that are seeking significance in the service of the Lord and His Church.

Norm Paslay II

Pastor, The Calvary Church, Cincinnati, Ohio

Pastoral Board Member-Global Missions

United Pentecostal Church International

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Chapter 1

Introduction

Have you ever stopped long enough to watch a drop of rain fall into a puddle or have you ever observed someone skipping rocks across a pond? Drop after drop, skip after skip, splash after splash, the water which had been placid only moments before is suddenly aroused by each impact. Technically, a splash occurs because an object strikes a liquid form with enough force to create a splattering along a surface. As the impact point begins to settle, a ring spontaneously forms around the affected area. Growing larger and larger from the impact until ripple after ripple can be seen moving between the initial plunge and the circle moving away from its influence. Moreover, it is interesting to note that this phenomenon is not just a one-time occurrence, but rather is a process that happens over and over again with each splash.

I learned how to skip my first rock on the banks of the Tennessee River. My father, and rock-skipping teacher, taught me the importance of picking the correct rock, which must be lightweight and smooth. I was always amazed at how easy he made it look. To illustrate the proper form, he would hold the rock a certain way in his hand between his thumb and forefinger, so as to achieve the proper angle and spin. I watched with amazement as he would then lean back into a throw, and with just the right force and angle, he would sling his arm forward hurling the rock toward the water. As the smooth rock cut through the stillness of the air, for a split second everything seemed to stand still until suddenly the rock lightly skipped across the water’s surface…one, two, three, maybe four times, each skip impacting the calm water with tiny splashes.

Once I learned how to do this, I enjoyed seeing how far my rock could skip across the water. This usually became a fun competition with family and friends. Who could achieve the most skips and the most distance between skips? Of course Daddy would always win or so it seemed.

Besides the fun of rock-skipping, I was also intrigued by the concentric circles created by the various shapes and speeds of the rocks impacting the water. The rings rippled across ultimately touching and intersecting with other rings from previous splashes. The movement of these rings never seemed to stop until they reached the shoreline. This father-daughter lesson is a beautiful illustration of how people and events impact the water of every human soul creating long-lasting and life-changing splashes.

God’s divine timing and mighty hand uses such splashes to guide, mold, and shape each one of us. All throughout human history, He has allowed individuals and sometimes angels to pass through and intersect with other lives in particular moments and for particular reasons. Their impact likely brought a much needed direction with its circles of influence whether for good or bad. For example, positive splashes into one’s life often bring inspiration, wisdom, knowledge, understanding, or even confidence. Likewise, negative splashes may have the opposite effect if they are not seen through God’ grace, thus leaving a person’s life journey full of questions and doubts. Whether positive or negative, these splashes are all a part of life, and we must learn how to deal with the effects caused by their passing wake.

Everyone has a story of how splashes and circles of influence have impacted their own individual lives. No doubt each of us could share stories about various sources such as mentors, school teachers, co-workers, friends, ministers, pastors, parents or other family members, who have made the biggest impacts in our lives. Take a moment, to think about how even the tiniest of splashes matter on this journey. In her book, Flavia and the Dream Maker, Flavia Weedn wrote: Some people come into our lives and quickly go. Some people move our souls to dance. They awaken us to a new understanding with the passing whisper of their wisdom. Some people make the sky more beautiful to gaze upon. They stay in our lives for a while, leave footprints on our hearts, and we are never, ever the same. Each individual and event touches our lives in some way that creates a lifelong impact regardless if it is a passing moment or permanent structure.

Furthermore, as each ripple moves across our lives, the expanding rings begin to connect with circles from other people’s lives thus creating a greater impact than its initial splash. As lives are intertwined by the rippling affect, our response to these various splashes becomes even more valuable. These impacts may often feel like momentary ripples, but in reality, they become a part of life allowing the effects to pass through every one we meet as well as reaching into future generations.

At other times these splashes and ripples become a guiding path leading us in this journey of life. Even when we feel stranded on a deserted island in the middle of the ocean, the splashes can be a guide. Such feelings of loneliness and isolation are very real even though we are surrounded by thousands of people every day. Feelings of being out of place, or being a miss-fit, or being misunderstood by those around us, and even feelings of rejection can cause us to feel very alone. Truthfully, however, we are never alone on this island of life even though it feels like it in the heat of the moment. Everyone is somehow connected. We are all part of a larger cause through these lifelong ripples that connect us.

The great sixteenth-century English poet, John Donne first wrote these words in his Meditation 17: No man is an island entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main… How true Donne’s reflections are. Although the earth’s surface is covered by oceans and seas, the one thing that connects every island or landform is water. Every splash of the waves upon the shores, or the effects of the tides’ pull, connects every piece of land regardless of how large or small the land mass. So it is with every human life as the circle of influence connects and pulls upon each heart’s shore. As French author, Francois Mocuriac said, No love, no friendship, can cross the path of our destiny without leaving some mark on it forever. Thus, each life is changed by the other lives with which it comes into contact. I would encourage you, if you feel all alone on a deserted island of life, to start looking at the multitude of splashes God has in places in your life every day. They are there!

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Chapter 2

First Impressions

My personal story is just one of many stories that demonstrate the influences and splashes connecting our lives. It’s this story I would like to share with you.

One cold December evening in 1971, Memphis, Tennessee was all shook up, not because of Elvis Presley, who was my uncle’s and my father’s childhood playmate, but rather because W. D. and Doris Reece disrupted a Wednesday night service with the news that a little 7lb and 8oz baby girl had been born, adding to their family of three. Since my sister, Charlotte, was born on a Sunday morning, Pastor Reed joked that they could not have any more kids on a service night because everyone keeps leaving for the hospital to visit the newborn added to the family. Splashes within a human heart often begin during the earliest of the developmental years. For me, these splashes began at birth by my parents and then proceeded out as my young life was touch by other family members. This recalls the African proverb that suggests, It takes a village to raise a child which was certainly true for me.

In my case the impacts made on my life reach much further than my grandparents, parents and sister. Rather, my young life came in contact with many influences such as my piano teacher, school teachers, Girl Scout leaders, the band leader and a special couple, the Williams who had no children. The Williams attended the Church of God of Prophecy, and each summer they saw to it that I was able to attend Vacation Bible School hosted by their church. I could go back to events, places, and words where each one of these people mention impacted my life with their influence. They will never know how grateful I am for their splashes upon this Island life within my heart.

My family made the biggest splashes, yet I was not only being influenced by them but also by the ripples coming from splashes within their own lives. Fred Foster, Norman Paslay, Sr., their pastors W. M Greer and E.E. McNatt, youth pastors Lee and Becky Sherry, Pearl Groves, Marvin and Catherine Hansford, Agnes Rich, C. N. and Julia Luna to name a few…However, I would not sense the impact or rippling effect from their circle of influence upon my parents’ lives until many years later, when I was older.

The greatest influence upon me came from a mother and father who loved the Lord with all their heart. Those splashes taught my sister and me to make the most out of each moment, put the things of the Lord first in our lives, love with all our hearts because we may not have tomorrow, and work hard as unto the Lord in all we do. Such splashes changed how we thought about life, as well as our relationships with others and with the Lord.

Professor David Norris asked me in class one day, What is your earliest memory of church? I do not recall a whole lot about living in Memphis since I was six years old when we moved to Selmer, yet I do remember my earliest memory of First Church pastored by T. Richard Reed. He was the minister who dedicated me when I was an infant, along with my Uncle Danny’s help. The old, four-story, brown brick building trimmed in white and built in the early 1920’s was originally owned by a Presbyterian congregation who sold this traditional church building to the United Pentecostal Church in 1963. With its steeple standing tall, this church located at the corner of Young and Barksdale became a testimony to the Cooper-Young community.

The church had a fellowship hall and commercial kitchen on the lower street level. A coke-machine was located in the fellowship hall and this was where second-Sunday singing dinners were served. Meanwhile, the church’s second level housed the auditorium which seated about 250 people, and the third and fourth levels contained classrooms and offices. I remember how the fellowship and worship drew many into the house of the Lord. The second-Sunday singings especially became an outlet for many to fill up on the wonderful gospel message and the food that was often provided. Pastor Reed also had a Sunday radio ministry which lasted over fifty years, called Blessed Old Bible Hour airing on KSUD 730 AM in West Memphis, Arkansas.

Upon growing up and knowing about the history of the church, I came to understand the importance of Pastor Reed’s impact in my life. The anointed leadership of men and woman of God like Pastor Reed were huge in my life. The impact from the early Pentecostal movement and the ripples from their examples and influences on my life created a foundation for me to grow upon.

Those early memories of giving and servant-hood teachings by Pastor Reed have stayed with me to this day. I can distinctly remember the time I was laying underneath the pew one Sunday evening holding my offering ever so tightly. Song service proceeded and everyone was worshiping and praising the Lord. I slipped my offering into an empty bubble gum wrapper that I had found in the songbook rack to insure I would not lose it. I was holding my bubble-gum wrapper offering in the air above my head as I lay under the pew, waiting for the moment to give unto the Lord as I had been taught. Suddenly, the money fell out of the wrapper and into my mouth. I scooted out from under the pew to stand up, and to my surprise, I accidently swallowed my offering. The money was gone. Ironically, at that very moment, my father, who was standing at the pulpit praying over the offering, said the final amen so the ushers could begin their collection. My mother thought I was getting up to give my offering. So, when the usher passed by she encouraged me to put my offering in the plate. I did not know what to do because I knew where the offering was. Yet, Mother proceeded to ask, Where is your offering? I replied that it was gone. She knew I had not put it into the offering plate, so she continued to prompt me. I pointed to my mouth to indicate where it had gone. When Daddy came off the platform, she proceeded to explain to him the situation. Immediately, he took me to get something to drink while Pastor Reed began preaching. What is so humorous about this episode was his message that night just happened to be on tithing. My lesson was two-fold: give your offering instead of playing with your offering under the pew.

The other early memory I expressed to Professor Norris’ class was about servant-hood. I always enjoyed going with my daddy many places especially to that big old First Church building whose steeple seemed to touch the sky. Daddy had gone by to check on some things, but while he was there, he wanted to reload the old Coke machine so it would be ready for any activities the church may be having. Even though I was only four years old, I always tried to help out, and this particular day was no exception. I wanted to help refill the machine, but unfortunately, I was too short. I recall that to reach the place where the bottles went into the machine, I had to stand on the wooden Coke crates, the kind that held the original, metal-capped glass bottles I would stand on the small stack of crates beside Daddy, and as he loaded the machine, I would push the bottles into their place after he put them into each slot. One day, while standing on top of a full crate of Coke bottles, the bottles shifted trapping my leg between them. I quickly pulled it out not knowing any better, and the metal caps cut my leg in the process. Bleeding from the deep wound, daddy rushed me to the emergency room where I ended up with stitches and tetanus shot to show for my servant-hood.

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Chapter 3

Learning to Walk

Learning to walk is vitally important for a child, and just as vital is learning how to walk by faith through things we do not understand. At the age of five, Daddy was sent to a hematologist after his doctor biopsied a bruise he had received that would not go away. The hematologist immediately sent him to the emergency room at St. Joseph Hospital where they promptly admitted him. Although Daddy’s situation was serious, he was more concerned with the Sunday school staff Christmas party taking place at church that evening. Since he was the Sunday school superintendent, he insisted that mother leave him at the hospital and go on to the church to carry out his wishes at the banquet which was being held that evening to honor the teachers. She complied with his wishes, but once she was sure everything was properly prepared and in good order and she was satisfied that the staff would have a good party, she returned to the hospital to be with Daddy.

The next day the doctors received some of the blood work results. Dr. Helen Van Fossen told my parents, The blood contains elevated white cells. We cannot keep count of how many cells are growing because they are multiplying so fast. The doctor soon came back with a diagnosis of Acute Granulocytic Leukemia (AGL) which is a cancer of the blood and affects the lymphatic system and bone marrow. Replicating an excess amount of abnormal white blood cells and not enough red blood cells meant that AGL was killing everything in its path including the platelets. AGL affects the transportation of oxygen throughout the body as well as the blood’s ability to clot. The doctor’s told my parents, There is no cure for leukemia, only treatment. My father’s leukemia is why, to this day, I have such a fascination to study the function and purpose of the blood, especially its spiritual implications.

As our family was learning what all these unfamiliar splashes meant to our lives, my father’s white cells continued tripling. Thus, the doctor informed my mother that due to the severity of his condition, we had three to six weeks to prepare the family for his inevitable death. Many years later, she would tell us how her world stopped with such news. Tearfully, as she drove home that night, she knew in her heart that God could heal him completely for she was raised to believe that God performed miracles.

Arriving home and falling across her bed, my mother tearfully pleaded with the Lord for a healing touch. She prayed, Lord, he is the father of two small children. We know You can spare his life by healing him if You choose to do so, and in so doing, we will give You the glory. However, if You choose not to heal him, we are still going to serve You.

Mother felt the Lord speak to her in that moment. If I had wanted him I could have taken him instantly. She knew in her heart that the Lord could have taken him through any means be it a car wreck, heart attack, or anything else if He had desired.

She replied, Lord, the girls need their daddy and they need to know him, and he needs to see them grow up. So at least let him see them graduate high school.

She felt a sense of peace settle upon her, as the Lord whispered once again into her hurting heart. My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness… (2 Cor. 19:9). Since that night, she held on to this Scripture and felt she could no longer cry over the outcome whatever it may be, for she knew the Lord had all things under His control. She knew that regardless of the outcome, everything would be alright because our Lord is faithful. Later in life, in the middle of my own trial, I would pen the following words to a melody the Lord gave me:

The burdens are heavy on my shoulders

The trials they seem so hard to bear

Oh, but my God stretched mercy out to care

Because…

His grace is sufficient for me

His grace is sufficient for me

His loving arms open wide

A place where I can abide

His grace is sufficient for me

I realize that I could not make it

Without my God so ever close beside me

And now I have the strength to carry on

Because…

His grace is sufficient for me

His grace is sufficient for me

His loving arms open wide

A place where I can abide

His grace is sufficient for me

In the end, my father lived nineteen years battling leukemia through both the acute and chronic stages. My family doesn’t understand why the Lord chose not to heal my father, but He kept His promise to my mother that His grace was sufficient through every day. Furthermore, during those nineteen years, eighteen of them involved taking chemotherapy treatments. So growing up was more than just a splash here or there, rather it was about learning to walk by faith for every breath and every moment we had together.

Death was not something we spoke of in our home, nor did we ignore the fact that Daddy lived well beyond the three to six weeks the doctors had originally given him. We knew the inevitable could take place any day, and Daddy could be taken from this life. However, instead of dwelling on the negative, we were encouraged to touch Jesus for our father daily. We learned to live each day to the best of our ability, as well as to make every moment special, because no one knew when our last moment together would be. So, just as I had to learn to walk as a child, I also had to learn to walk in faith daily. Furthermore, it was my parents, which made such splashes into my life so as to exemplify such a walk of faithfulness.

When my father was diagnosed with leukemia, he was a young man striving to provide for his young family. Perhaps most viewed him as an average man, but to us he was very special, a man of God whom most people called ‘friend’. He was a loyal man who not only loved his family but also loved his Savior. However, my sister and I were privileged to call him Daddy, but I also called him my best friend. I do not remember a lot about those early days, but because he was in and out of the hospital when I was young, I fortunately got to spend a lot of time with him.

Because of the way my birthday fell on the calendar, I had to wait a whole year before starting school. During that special year, I learned some powerful lessons from Daddy. Many days when he did not feel well he would relax in the recliner and I would be playing quietly nearby. I remember there were times I would hear him call out my name. I would go to him as if he was calling me to do something but once I came near I would hear him say, "Lord, keep your