The Hands of God: A Collection of Short Stories about God's Intervention in Human Lives

By Judith Martin Alford

God is active today doing miracles, signs, and wonders in His world. Here is some of His proof in these true short stories!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Covenant Books, Inc.
• Release date: Aug 13, 2020
• ISBN: 9781646708666

Book preview

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The Hands

of God

A Collection of Short Stories about God’s Intervention in Human Lives

Judith Martin Alford

ISBN 978-1-64670-865-9 (Paperback)

ISBN 978-1-64670-866-6 (Digital)

Copyright © 2020 Judith Martin Alford

All rights reserved

First Edition

Hand etching by Neil Winslow.

Tim Keppler’s hands were photographed for these etchings.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods without the prior written permission of the publisher. For permission requests, solicit the publisher via the address below.

Covenant Books, Inc.

11661 Hwy 707

Murrells Inlet, SC 29576

www.covenantbooks.com

Through Him This Book Was Written

Acknowledgments

Throughout my life, God has sent me many people to mentor my Christian walk. I am so thankful to the following ministers and colleagues listed from my younger days to the present: Rev. Louis LaGatta, David Brazelton, Rev. David and Beth Stains, Rev. Dr. James Ivey, Rev. Henry (Todd) Davis IV., Rev. Wayne Smith, Revs. Kelly and Matthew Snelgrove, Rev. Kathy and Walter Griffin, Rev. Carolyn Malphrus, Rev. Peggy Brightwell, Rev. Billy Burke, Rev. Karen Radcliff, Apostle Samantha Sunkins, Apostle Patricia Allen, Dwayne Pace, Rev. Kathy Hudson and Rev. John Elmore. Jr.

Personal friends who have deeply influenced me by their love of Christ and patience with my spiritual journey include Marilyn and Don Badger, Lynn Unangst, Edna Williams, Linda and Nathan Stegall, Brian Snipes, Catherine and Jack Kilpatrick, Susan and Rob Livingston, Lester and Lynn Gosnell, Jim and Bonnie Bever, Art Weldon, Dan and Judy Cox, Ginny and John Wilson, Myrna and Don Mutka, Adele and Joe Winney, and Kay Dowling.

Special thanks for suggestions on the hand drawings of God go to Tim Keppler for allowing me to photograph his hands; to Jeff McCulloch for his wisdom and guidance; and to artist Neil Winslow for his incredible hand drawings.

Last mentioned but far from least are my family members who have always been my biggest support and encouragers from oldest to youngest: James Alford, my deceased spouse, John Martin, Sr., Jean Meade, Peter Mathieu, and Ross and Susanna Mathieu! My love for all of you is beyond what my words can ever express.

May God bless all of you forever and ever! Thank you all so very much. xoxo

Introduction

The greatest joy that I have had in life is watching and seeing what the Hand of God has done and is doing. This book is a collection of true short stories about what I have observed Him doing throughout the seven decades of my life. I have changed the locations and the names in most of these encounters but they are all true stories. I have been blessed by God to have had these experiences and I decided to write about them to share them with you and with future generations.

The lives that we as humans have endured on this earth have not been easy for any of us. We have all experienced the greatest joys and the deepest heartaches. We have seen beauty and misery. We have felt love, hatred, and even indifference. Some of us have been in wars, survived earthquakes, hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, and frigid snow storms. We have fought poverty, abuse, addictions, mental challenges, sicknesses, human prejudices, ethnic and gender discrimination, and watched loved ones die. The list could go on and on but the point is we have survived. How well we have managed this journey is our story.

Survival is important, but of greater consequence is what we have learned, how we have matured, who we have helped along the way, and who has helped us. Have we learned compassion, gratitude, patience, kindness, or have we allowed the negative times to harden us? What place has God had in our lives? Do we know Him? Have we blamed Him for the bad times? Have we spent time with Him in worship, in prayer, in reading His Word, or have we simply ignored His being? God exists. He is alive and well. He made you and He made me. The saying is true that: Our life is a gift from God and what we do with it is our gift back to Him. How well wrapped is your gift?

Our personal death is inevitable, unless as Christians believe, Jesus comes back before that day! When death overtakes us, our bodies will die, our minds will be no longer but there is one part of us that will live on forever. During life, we feed our bodies with food and take care of it with cleanliness and exercise. We feed our minds with knowledge, reading, experiencing life, and education. Two questions remain: Do we know God and what have we done to develop our soul? Our spirit lives on and this is the gift we give back to God. Our heavenly Father offers us an eternal life in His heaven just for believing in Jesus, His Son. It is not our deeds, degrees, and accomplishments in this existence that give us the key to heaven’s gate. It is an individual’s choice to believe or not. God has given us a free will to choose. Where do you stand?

This author’s sincerest prayer is that these stories will open your heart to see the very Hand of God working in the lives of these incredible but ordinary people. Each person has deeply touched my life and I hope their stories will do the same to you.

May God’s blessings be with you forever. Amen.

Between Heaven and Earth

Today I was told of a great uncertainness tomorrow would hold.

Fear encompassed my soul and for a moment I saw darkness.

But then as comes the dawning of a new day,

I saw on one side of me, the beauty of the earth,

the splendor of God’s Hand.

And on the other side of me, the fear of death no longer held a hold

Because I saw God’s heaven and the eternity of my soul.

—Judith Alford

Chapter 1

God’s Missionary Hands

Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice!

Let your forbearing spirit be known to all men. The Lord is near.

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.

And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, shall guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

—Philippians 4:4–7

Be still and know that I am God. (Psalm 46:10)

Clickity, clack, clickity, clack…the mesmerizing sound of the railroad tracks was luring me to sleep. Swish…shh…a cold blast of air ran across my face as the conductor opened the car door, letting another armed guard in to check our passports once more. It amazed me how many countries one traveled through on a train from Prague in the Czech Republic