Trella's Story
By: Hanny Lynn Stearns
Fish N
Loaves Ministries, Inc.
“Multiplying
God’s Word Around the Globe”
Yesterday, Saturday I surpassed my final goal on my weight –
glory to God! I had reached two previous goals, but the Lord had a “final” goal
for me to reach. By His strength, it happened! Hallelujah! I can do all things
through Christ who strengthens me.
I had opened to the words saying “watch
and pray lest you enter into temptation.” I did not read those words
until the end of the day. Instead, I got busy trying to get things done before
a scheduled appointment we had. It was one of those days when I planned my
Bible time for later in the day so I would not have to hurry. But that proved
to be a wrong choice.
Interestingly, a bird showed up from the lake, and “Anhinga.”
We first saw her in the afternoon standing there with a “gecko” in her mouth. We
didn’t think much about it. We knew the Lord had provided her lunch and on we
went with our walk and our day. I went to lunch with my husband at a restaurant
called “Geckos.” I felt I had the liberty to eat a really big salad with lots
of protein and cheese on it. I had surpassed my goal after all – I could afford
it on my food budget for the day – or so I thought.
Later in the afternoon when we returned home, this bird, was
still by the lake and she still had the “gecko” in her beak. By now this was
catching a bit more of our attention. My husband and I really love God’s
creatures and are both extremely sensitive to them. So when we see something
unusual with the little beasts, it gets our attention. We marveled at the fact
that she was still there and that she still had the gecko in her beak. We
wondered why she had not swallowed it yet. Back home, we rested and went about
our business.
As evening drew near, we could see that she was on our side
of the lake, right by our apartment. We were really paying attention now. She
still had the gecko in her beak. This is now hours after our first encounter
with her. My husband began to get so concerned about her. We thought she might
be sick. I went to the gym late in the afternoon and when I got out my husband
was really concerned about this bird. He wanted to go pick her up and bring her
in the house.
As the evening continued on, she made her way up from the
lake and parked herself beside a fallen palm branch just outside our apartment
lanai where we could easily see her. She still had that gecko in her mouth as the
darkness of nightfall was drawing near. She stayed there the whole night. My
husband cried and cried over her. He so longed to bring her in and help her.
Finally I said, “let’s pray and ask the Lord to help her.” So we did. I had to
keep my mind off of her as much as I could to keep from crying myself, though I
did shed a few tears. Seeing my husband’s love and care for her was what really
touched my heart.
Several times throughout the evening, my husband went outside
to check on her. He was so close to calling a vet to come help, but Holy Spirit
stopped him. The Lord warned him not to touch her because it would frighten
her. He reminded my husband that we had prayed. Now we needed to step aside and
trust Him. There was nothing our flesh could do. If we interfered, we would
have messed things up.
When we woke up on Sunday morning, this sweet bird was still
parked outside our apartment. She still had the gecko in her mouth. She would
lift her head from time to time and then reach back across her feathered body
to tuck her head back under her wings to rest. As time passed, before we left
for church, our feathered friend had moved back over toward the water’s edge –
away from the fallen palm branch where she had taken refuge for the night. We
had hope that all was well, knowing that the Lord was helping her. My husband
was hearing from Holy Spirit that she had eaten something she should not have
but that she would be alright. We wondered about such a matter, not knowing
much about these birds or if they could even do such a thing as get a hold of
some “bad food’ like people sometimes do.
A young man and another young child came along with a stick.
We were very concerned about what they were doing. We did not want them to
scare or hurt her. We knew a little of the young man, having seen him and said
hello on our walks with our puppy. We knew he was a very nice young guy. We
watched as he prodded her along a bit. It was as if he were nudging her along to
encourage her to get going and be on her usual way.
We had to leave for church, trusting that whatever was going
on, our gracious heavenly Father would step in. Upon our return home from
church and going to a restaurant afterwards, we saw that she had left. My
husband heard from the Lord that she will be back and she will know us and we
will know her.
I had a struggle in the afternoon with my flesh. I wanted to
eat. I was hungry. But I wanted to grab the wrong thing because it was a “quick
fix” to satisfy my hunger. Instead I went to my office and opened the word and
asked the Lord to help. I cried and cried as Holy Spirit prompted me to just
“get it out,” and I did. When the evening came, my husband and I began to get
revelation from Holy Spirit about this whole bird experience we had just
witnessed. There were applications to my husband’s life, but for the purpose of
this message, I will only share my side.
What we were seeing in the Spirit was that she had that gecko
in her mouth – the very name of the restaurant where we had gone to lunch that
day. I realized that I had eaten something that did not agree with me. I had
too much. The temptation to eat too much was there because of reaching my goal,
and I had not received what I needed from Jesus in the morning so I would be
prepared. This bird had come from the Lord with a message.
I could not fight this temptation on my own. It would only be
Him who could help. We couldn’t help the little bird, and I can’t help myself
where dealing with eating issues (or any other challenges) are concerned. Later
I will show you the verses I opened to as I went through this 24-hour period
that turned into a sign and a wonder from the Lord to teach us something. God
knew that He did not have our attention in the morning. We had succumbed to
“busyness” rather than drawing near to Him before charging into the day.
As a result, He had to send us a precious bird that He knew
would get our attention. Our concern for her was so intense. In this we could
see the Lord’s concern for us. As we cried and cried over this little bird who
seemed to be struggling, we suddenly could sense the Father’s tears over us as
we struggled and needed His help. We couldn’t help that bird, and we couldn’t
help ourselves. He was trying to compel us to come to Him for help. Only He
could comfort us and help us when we were tried and tempted.
Something else that came to us is that this type of bird is a
“deep diver”. She does not exist on things that are on the surface. Neither can
we. We have to feast on manna that is from above. This is the deeper food that
all Christians must have to survive in this life successfully. The Lord brought
that song to me when I had awakened on Saturday morning before this whole
episode played out.
In that song, it says, “I’m feasting on manna from heaven,
and that’s why I’m happy today.” I sang that song as I busied myself all
morning. I was so excited about surpassing that final goal and the joy was
bubbling over in my heart.
But the Lord was trying to warn me that danger was ahead. I
was about to go eat something that was not going to agree with my eating plan.
The devil was right there waiting to draw me away from the plan of God, causing
me to doubt His love, provision and comfort for me. More on that in the
scriptures in a moment.
The other thing that Holy Spirit brought to us is that this
type of bird is a worshipper. I consider myself to be a worshipper of God and I
desire to go into the deep with Him. But Jesus showed me in His word some
interesting things that I needed to be reminded of. Let’s take a look…
In church on Sunday, our pastor delivered a “spot on” message
for what we faced this weekend, of course. As Jesus’ disciples, we should have
seen plenty of His miracles and experienced enough in His presence by now to
keep us from doubting another minute. Jesus asked His disciples why they
doubted and why they were so full of fear.
Saturday night before going to sleep, I opened to John 17 in
the Bible that I always keep next to my bed. I saw once again that Jesus prays
for us. Our pastor said it today. Jesus is praying for us. I thanked the Lord
for praying for me on Sunday morning before leaving for church.
The Lord showed me this scripture…
Psalm 94:17-19
Unless the Lord had been my help, my soul had
almost dwelt in silence. When I said, My foot slippeth; thy mercy, O Lord, held me up. In the multitude of
my thoughts within me thy comforts delight my soul.
AMP
Unless the Lord had been my help, I
would soon have dwelt in [the land where there is] silence. When I said, My
foot is slipping, Your mercy and loving-kindness, O Lord, held me up. In the multitude of my [anxious]
thoughts within me, Your comforts cheer and delight
my soul!
Then He took me to this…
Zechariah 4:6-7 ERV
He said, “This is the message from the Lord to Zerubbabel: ‘Your help will not come from your
own strength and power (Hanny). No, your help will come from my Spirit.’ This
is what the Lord All-Powerful says. That tall mountain
(desire for food) will be like a flat place for Zerubbabel (Hanny) . He (Hanny)
will build the Temple (her body), and when the most important stone is put in
place (the final goal is reached), the people (Hanny) will shout, ‘Beautiful!
Beautiful!’”
I
didn’t get here (passing my final weight goal) by my own strength and I won’t
stay here by my own strength. Only the Lord’s strength in me could get me there
and keep me there. I must not give in to the flesh. The devil will try to tempt
us but we must watch and pray.
As I proceeded through the word, the Lord
brought me this…
Luke 14:33
So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all
that he hath, he cannot be my disciple.
I told the Lord that I want to be His disciple. I really,
really do. Here is another verse the Lord reminded me of…
1 Corinthians 9:24
Know ye not
that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run,
that ye may obtain.
Then
He asked me the following questions…
“Do
you want the prize Hanny or do you want the fat? Do you want to be a disciple
Hanny or do you want to be left on the sideline while others run your race and
get your rewards? Do you want the broken-down body, the sickness and loss and
devastation? Do you want to go back to that horrible feeling that you had when
you were in disobedience and completely out of control? It’s all right there if
you want it. Or, do you want the better thing? You saw the words in church
today”
Luke
4:4
And Jesus
answered him, saying, It is
written, That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.
Continuing
in the word, the Lord said this…
John
6:58
This is
that bread which came down from heaven: not as your fathers did eat manna, and
are dead: he that eateth of this bread shall live for ever.
Also,
reading further…
John
6:63
It is the
spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak
unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.
Moving
on…
John
6:64-69
But there are some of you that believe not. For Jesus knew from the beginning
who they were that believed not, and who should betray him. And he said, Therefore said I unto you, that
no man can come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father. From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with
him. Then
said Jesus unto the twelve, Will ye also go away? Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou
hast the words of eternal life. And we believe and are sure that thou art that
Christ, the Son of the living God.
Many
have chosen to turn away from the true Bread from heaven and walk with Him no
more. They thought His ways were too hard.
He didn’t try to force them to stay either. They get to choose who they will
follow. In the church service our pastor said that the disciples made a lot of
mistakes that we do not have to make. If they were here today they would say,
“Hey guys, you have the Bible. Use it! Don’t do what we did! Don’t fear and
doubt. Give Him your all and you will receive His all.”
Praise
God that Peter didn’t do everything wrong. In this passage, he knew that Jesus
is the Son of God and that He has the words of eternal life – hallelujah! Like
Peter I have denied Him many times during my walk with Him as I stumbled along
trying to follow Him, but glory to God, Jesus prayed for me that when I
returned to Him I would be out there strengthening the brethren.
So
the question is; do I want food more than helping others come out of bondage? We
had communion at church. We did eat His body and drink His blood. I am a child
of God. I have His Spirit in me. Nothing is impossible with God. I can speak to
the mountains in my life. In fact, I opened to this passage upon getting home
from church…
Matthew
17:20
And Jesus
said unto them, Because of
your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of
mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder
place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.
Later
in the afternoon as we talked about all these things, Holy Spirit brought me
the song, “Standing on The Promises of God.”
I
spoke to the back pain I had this am and it has gone. We can speak to the flesh
when it screams and say, “Peace! Be Still in Jesus name!” It has to obey. Jesus
spoke to things – so can we! Hallelujah!
We
don’t have to take these attacks and temptations lying down! No! We have the greater One living on the
inside of us and greater is He who is in us than he who is in the world. Praise
the Lord! And He always causes us to triumph in Christ Jesus!
Then
I saw this….
Matthew
9:22
But Jesus turned him about, and when he saw her, he said, Daughter, be of good comfort; thy faith hath
made thee whole. And the woman was made whole from that hour.
It
was my faith in His word and in His power that got me healed and to my goal and
it will be our faith in His power and in His word that will keep us until He
comes back to get us. We must fight the good fight of faith.
Look at Psalm 126…
When the Lord turned again the captivity of Zion,
we were like them that dream. Then was our mouth filled
with laughter, and our tongue with singing: then said they among the heathen, the Lord hath done great things for them.
The Lord hath done great things for us;
whereof we are glad. Turn again our captivity, O Lord, as the streams in the south. They
that sow in tears shall reap in joy. He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing
precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves
with him.
Today I bore seeds of tears and faith and I
was able to reap a harvest of righteousness and peace because of putting faith
in God’s word – hallelujah! That’s what we have to do to stand against the
wiles of the enemy – no matter what our past strongholds have been.
Look at Hebrews 11:4, 17
By faith Abel
offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained
witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts: and by it he being
dead yet speaketh.
By faith Abraham,
when he was tried, offered up Isaac: and he that had received the promises
offered up his only begotten son,
A person has got to walk with the Lord and see
His mighty power for themselves so they can be in a position to offer up to Him
the most valuable thing they have. In this case, it was Abraham’s son. We must
forsake all in order to be His disciple - no matter what or who it is.
This sign and wonder was sent to my husband and I to get our
attention. It took more than 24 hours for us to fully “get the message.” When
we finally did, we repented for our lack of faith and asked for His
forgiveness. We thanked Him for doing such an awesome thing by sending that
precious bird (we named her “Trella”) to deliver a powerful message to us.
My desire is that this message will inspire you, my friend,
on to greater faith in the One who can make the seemingly impossible entirely
possible in your life. If He can do it for me, He can do it for you. God is no
respecter of persons. Be blessed as you receive all His love and power and
riches in glory now and forever in Jesus name. Amen!
