Railroad Crossings to Restoration: Looking Back and Pressing Forward: Rejection -Renewal-Restoration

By Larene Sanford

Hope is like a light shining in the distance where once laid darkness. In faith, though doubting and crying out to a God of love, hope springs up and grows increasingly with trust until the light bursts through the small opening in the trees. Now when you see clearly, life takes on new meaning.

In Railroad Crossings to Restoration: Looking Back and Pressing Forward, Larene speaks from the heart in truth and love, remembering the journey she had traveled in the darkest moments of her life. This journey would not be like the last. It was not one where she knew the landmarks and where God would show her the paths to take to get there, filling in the blank spaces between. No. This journey was different. With no landmarks on the map and no knowledge of where she was going, she would need to trust God as He took her uncertain hand and made this new journey a mystery, an adventure, a venture into a newfound land of faith.

• Language: English
• Publisher: WestBow Press
• Release date: Nov 30, 2017
• ISBN: 9781973609339

Larene Sanford

Larene Sanford was born in Banning, California. Larene is the author of Railroad Crossings to Restoration ~ A Childs Cry for Help, Living for Jesus ~ Restored to Believe, and Railroad Crossings to Restoration ~ Looking Back and Pressing Forward. She currently lives near her hometownStagecoach Town USA, Banning California.

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Copyright © 2017 Larene Sanford.

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 author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

This book is a work of non-fiction. Unless otherwise noted, the author and the publisher make no explicit guarantees as to the accuracy of the information contained in this book and in some cases, names of people and places have been altered to protect their privacy.

WestBow Press

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ISBN: 978-1-9736-0934-6 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-9736-0935-3 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-9736-0933-9 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2017918159

WestBow Press rev. date: 11/30/2017

Contents

Foreword

Preface

Introduction

CHAPTER 1: I Am a Child of God

CHAPTER 2: Through the Fire

CHAPTER 3: Look How Far You’ve Come

CHAPTER 4: The Father Calls Out to You

CHAPTER 5: Holy Spirit Rain Down

CHAPTER 6: Thankfulness

CHAPTER 7: Called to Purpose

CHAPTER 8: Get Ready for the Ride of Your Life

CHAPTER 9: Restored to Believe

CHAPTER 10: Glorious Unfolding

Endnotes

Scripture taken from the Holy Bible, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. All rights reserved worldwide. Used by permission. NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION® and NIV® are registered trademarks of Biblica, Inc. Use of either trademark for the offering of goods or services requires the prior written consent of Biblica US, Inc.

Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1979, 1980, 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture taken from the Amplified Bible, copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.

Scripture taken from the Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright ©1952 [2nd edition, 1971] by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture taken from the Holman Christian Standard Bible ® Copyright © 2003, 2002, 2000, 1999 by Holman Bible Publishers. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, Copyright © 1996, 2004. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.

Scripture taken from the New Century Version. Copyright © 2005 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture taken from the Good News Translation® (Today’s English Version, Second Edition) Copyright © 1992 American Bible Society. All rights reserved.

Scripture taken from The Message. Copyright © by Eugene H. Peterson 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group.

Larene has impacted my life deeply through her way of showing God’s mercy and love into her everyday life. Larene has an unbelievable ability to convey how God really feels about us. Her teaching style throughout the book delivers the simple message and truth that God undeniably loves us. Larene’s story has the ability to not only impact you in a personal and divine way, but also in a way that gives you hope that God will never leave you nor forsake you. This is a book you will want to read over and over to uncover the Grace of Jesus. Larene once again reminds me of these things in a powerful follow-up to her book, Railroad Crossings to Restoration, A Child’s Cry for Help.

—Steven Rose Youth Pastor of Community Christian Church Hemet, California

I dedicate this book to my son, Israel, and daughter, Rebecca, who in each phase of life have been my inspiration and determination to keep pressing forward. My world changed when they each came into this world with all of the smiles, adventures and tender moments. Israel—a constant reminder that all will be okay from the time he was a toddler saying, Issokay. And still today lets me know, God is in control, it’s okay. Now a grown man, a husband to precious LaRanda and father of Rocky and Scotland, I am proud to call him son. And my Becca—she has grown into a loving wife to Steven and mother to Caleb, Noah, Luke and Elizabeth. She is an inspiration and mentor to me and has been my strength even as a young teenage girl. Once being her mentor, the roll has reversed in many conversations where her advice has directed me to which way I should go. Her godly wisdom, gentleness and love touches my life as well as many others that she has inspired and mentored. And it is not because her life is easy. Her bravery amazes me as I watch her persevere through trials of her own. The love we share is un-matched.

I also dedicate these words to all of the hurting people who have made a decision to read this book. I pray you find courage, hope, peace and love so powerful, that you will be changed and continue in that for a lifetime and on into eternity.

Acknowledgements

Thank you Mom. You amaze me with the many ways you go out of your way to show your love. I can only hope to be the person you have become. You are faithful. You are kind. You are strong; courageous. You are a woman of faith I can hold standards to. You give me the courage to keep moving forward; always believing in me and praying for me.

Thank you to my brothers and sisters. Sharon, my protector and encourager. Lanette, my confidante and guide to reason the Truth. Ruth, just as the example of Ruth in the Bible, you have made our family yours. You are my supporter and constant reminder to believe. Thank you Chris, for taking care of Mom. As you told us, God has called you to this ministry of taking care of Mom. I thank the Lord that He has shown His great love by giving you an assignment of love for our mom.

Thank you Israel and Rebecca and your precious families, for all that you’ve contributed to the writing and publishing of this book. I couldn’t have done this without you!

And a special thanks to my brother Gary (who has gone on to be with the Lord). I still think of how you would be determined to make me laugh. Even now I remember when I was a small girl how you would tickle me until I would cry, and how you would do some crazy and wild stunt to make us all laugh. And sometimes you would make us laugh when you didn’t mean to. Like the time you wanted to show us how you could walk across the room on your hands. But you went down hard, skidding across the carpet, leaving a track down your forehead and nose. Then that serious side which amazes me still today, how you wanted to share Jesus and the stories of God’s grace keeping you. Your patience. Your faith. Your strength.

Foreword

Do you struggle? Have you suffered loss? Have you gone through traumatic experiences? Do you want victory? Wouldn’t you love to have joy in spite of it all?! Do you want to find purpose? Do you want peace?

If you answered yes, to any of these, then this book, Railroad Crossings to Restoration: Looking Back and Pressing Forward, is for you!

I have known the author her whole life and have known her for all but eleven months of my own life. Larene is my baby sister. Ok…we are only eleven months apart! But even though she is only eleven months younger than I, I have always considered myself to be her big sister. For as long as I can remember, beginning at a very young age, I wanted and tried to take care of her and keep her from hurting.

I’d like to tell you a story about two little girls. This story takes place in the 60s. These two little girls are very young; maybe five and six years old. An exciting thing has happened! The family dog, Queeny, has given birth to puppies! So much fun for little girls to experience! Their father calls to them from the bathroom, calling out that he wants to show them something. They go into the bathroom, anticipating what he might show them. Their father has them watch as he flushes live, newborn puppies down the toilet! One sister, the youngest, cries out, screaming for him to stop! The other, the older, stays quiet, holding all emotions inside. Their father takes great joy in this whole ordeal and especially delights in the tears of his youngest daughter. He laughs out loud with the joy of tormenting his daughters. The once joyous moment of newborn puppies was now crushed and turned into one of the girls’ most horrible memories.

On another occasion, the family was headed out to go on one of the family’s many camping trips. Again, a very exciting time for two little girls. On this occasion, the girls are sitting in the back seat of a Pontiac station wagon on their way to the campground. The family stops at a rest area to use the restroom. The girls and their father finish and return to the car. Mommy has not yet returned to the car. Their father decides to have a little fun and upset his daughters. He states that Mommy is taking too long and he is going to leave her there! Again, the younger daughter cries out to him demanding vehemently that he not leave her Mommy. On this occasion the older daughter, no tears, but worried about her little sister, reaches over and tells her little sister, Rene, don’t cry. He’s not going to leave her. He just wants to make you cry.

You see, at such a young age, the older daughter had figured out that their father just wanted to make them cry for his own enjoyment, and she made the choice not to give him that satisfaction. The younger on the other hand, at such a young age, had decided to stand up for herself and speak out against his actions.

As you may have deduced, these girls are me and my sister Larene (the author of this book). And these are only two of the many experiences we have shared. And in sharing such experiences in both childhood and also in adulthood (what she goes through, I go through, and vice versa) we have a strong bond. As part of this bond, Larene is not only my sister; she is also my close friend.

We are now adults, and have long since forgiven our father and she no longer needs me to take care of her. And truth be told, she most likely never did.

As you read this book you’ll see that she is a confident woman of God who has learned to be strong in Him. Larene has endured many struggles. She has suffered great losses. She has been through traumatic experiences both in childhood and as an adult. She has continued as she began so long ago to stand up for herself and fight head on those things that come against her. And in spite of it all, she has discovered how to obtain and sustain great joy and peace!

As sisters and close friends, we lean on each other and take care of each other. And just as when I go to her for support in my daily struggles, as I read this book I found encouragement and inspiration repeatedly throughout.

In this book Larene shares how she came through her struggles and shows you how you can do it too.

She tells you how she learned to call on God and lean on Him. She says, One of the crucial lessons I learned when dealing with loss, is that there is a point where we will not have the strength or power to stand under the pressure that is too overwhelming. When tragedy hit, all the determination I could muster would not control the situation. I was determined in the beginning to fight back at the attack on the mind with full force. But when I realized I could not control the situation my world began to crumble. Slowly and painfully I watched all that I thought to be a full and happy life begin falling apart. No matter how hard I tried to win back what I had lost and put all the pieces back together—shattered dreams and hopes of a future I had planned so meticulously—I found myself falling short. But she says, God can replace anything you lose! He will either return that which was lost, replace that which was lost or remove the need for what was lost.

She explains that sometimes the healing and restoration comes partially, sometimes ultimately, sometimes gradually, sometimes immediately. And however the restoration comes, she says, Joy comes from the assurance that God is in control.

This book is packed with powerful inspirational stories, encouragement and passages from the Bible. Larene shares how these stories came alive for her and helped her come through tough times. And she shares them in a way that assures you that they can do the same for you.

If you take her lead you will be transformed, as she explains, by the renewing of your mind, just as a caterpillar is transformed into a beautiful butterfly. She explains how the Master Potter will transform you into His beautiful creation.

As Larene will tell you, Jesus can, in His mighty power, remove the hatred, remove the anger, and even remove the pain.

She says, I have walked through many fires moving forward from that day. Fires that could have destroyed me as it once threatened, now only make me stronger, and all-the-while transforming me. As I take a look back and realize just how far I had come, I find peace. Through the fire, I am changed.

As the second part of the title of the book, Looking Back and Pressing Forward suggests, she shares how having made it through the things she has experienced, she now uses those experiences as encouragement and faith to carry-on, hanging on to God and God’s word to move forward, knowing that if He did it then, He will do it again. And she explains that if you learn to do what she has, you will have those experiences to draw faith from on as well.

You will learn what it means to take Christ’s yoke upon you with Jesus as the strength and God as the teamster. She says, Jesus took on the weight of sin so we don’t have to. He takes on the burden of this life’s struggles and walks with us closely. Being bound to Jesus brings peace, and freedom, not slavery. Jesus is placing Himself in the yoke to take the burden off of us and onto Himself.

As Larene shares her story, she says, Seriously. Aren’t I the one telling you my story? It’s about how it all began and what I went through and what I’ve learned, so it seems it should be my story I’m telling. But wait. Am I just a character in a bigger story? My story being told in a book written by God?

You can be a character written in God’s book, too!

If you read this book you will find joy in the mourning. You will find true happiness/joy and peace, not like that of the world, and will be able to experience it in the midst of the storm. In the midst of the pain. In the middle of your sorrow. You will find purpose; victory! The Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit will be there with you to help you.

So, as Larene says, Choose to believe. Choose to keep walking forward.

Read this book!

—Lanette Godsey Pastor’s Wife, Remnant Church, El Centro, CA Assistant Christian Conference Center Manager, Rough Acres Ranch Christian Conference Center, Boulevard, CA

Preface

She gazes at the railroad crossings where she had once prayed and asked God to take her life. She remembers how she sat on the tracks, the pain being so deep that her heart felt numb in an effort to survive.

No majestic train saved her from the madness that day. But something happened. She cried out to the only one who could see through all of the tears, reach down and touch her heart and unfold a different plan to end this pain. Somehow. Someway.

Looking at the girl she once had been—defeated, hopeless and broken-hearted, she remembers a small whisper in her ear, "It’s not over. I will restore you."

This visit to the archive of memories still brings tears to her eyes, but with just as strong a memory comes the vision of a God who loved her so much that He came to her rescue.

Jesus said, Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. (Matthew 11:28)

Give all your worries and cares to God, for He cares about you. (1 Peter 5:7–11 AMP)

I look back at that time of my life where I faced my greatest fears. There were many days I would rather have died than to deal with the pain. I share this not to bring attention to self but to point you to God to see just a glimpse of His glorious plan. And now I can say with a strong heart, though tears are still falling, I can live again. There is hope and a future—one that is good and filled with the peace and glory of God.

Jesus came to give us life and to give us life in abundance, to destroy the works (or power) of Satan. And Jesus is on our side (Psalm 56). Satan, then, has no power over us. He can only lie to us and try to make us believe he is in control. But he is not! He comes about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. He knows that if he can roar loud enough and make us afraid, he may succeed if we run from the one who can help us. If we run away from the Lord, Satan has got us. Don’t let go of the hand that can save you!

God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.

(Psalm 46:1)

Introduction

Railroad Crossings to Restoration

Looking Back

And Pressing Forward

By Larene Sanford

How can we place our sorrows into the hands of Jesus? Is it possible to cross over from tragedy and step into restoration and live a life of joy again? If we were to look back on these moments in life that seemed to come only to destroy us, what would you see? What would you remember? Might our perspective be changed with a heart now transformed?

This book is about perseverance and determination. It’s about a girl who doesn’t give up. As my son, Israel, has said, End with the beginning in mind. I look back to the One who was there when it all began (not only at the time of my sorrows, but at the beginning of all time) and I press forward to the day this world comes to an end. Tis the goal. I must take this look behind to understand the path of today and look forward to the end of the road I long for.

Life—in all its agony and brokenness as well as all its glorious moments is where I live. And it’s where you live today whether you are aware of it or not. But I remember—I remember where it all started; that day when my life changed and I realized this life’s struggle is only temporary. When all of the tragedy, and the pain that is so great is filtered through the cross, through the holiness of God, the difficulties of this life are meaningless. The more I see God, the smaller this world becomes.

I realized Jesus had already restored me as restoration took place on the cross. He is not bound by time. Therefore, what He did then has accomplished restoration in me and you in this very moment, in the now, just as you and I will be restored then in heaven. We cannot comprehend how something that seems to be, is not, and what seems not to be, is so.

When I realized how incredible God’s grace and love is and had come to understand His will for me, my perspective changed. I no longer looked to the things of this earth as my only hope and security.

Our only reasonable response to such a love is to love Him in return—this being the first commandment of Christ. Our lives are then changed, living on the other side of that moment of realization and commitment. We then begin this new life that is to fulfill the second commandment of Christ—to love others.

Taking this journey back to the place where Jesus met me in my greatest time of need, I realize now just how significant that moment was, for it formed my faith and gave me the capability to press forward. I had crossed the railroad tracks from one side of tragedy to the other side of restoration, and it was only the beginning of this transformation of the heart as it opened up my understanding to the greater picture of restoration for eternity.

I reflect on the journey that I took over two decades ago, remembering clearly how I saw Jesus in a moment