Welcome to installment #8 in a series called Making Scripture Your Own. (Read intro post here.) I attended a retreat with Meggie Kornelsen a few years ago, and although I didn’t get to spend any real time with her, I’ve since followed her avidly on social media. She’s interesting and creative and brave and kind and there’s just something about her that makes me want to know more about her… so I asked her if she would write a post for me, and she said yes! What a beautiful testimony… Her anchor is strong and sure. When we lean on the Word of God, we can’t go wrong.
It all started with my father. He had to make a life-changing decision for his whole family. What should he do? For weeks he prayed day after day. Then one night he decided to pull a scripture card from a small box set of scripture cards the family owned. He prayed God would give him confirmation one way or the other.
He reached into the box and pulled one out. Here is what he read:
“Do not be afraid, for I have ransomed you. I have called you by name; you are mine. When you go through deep waters, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown. When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you. For I am the Lord, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.” Isaiah 43:1b-3a NLT
This was his confirmation to go ahead and start the application process for emigration from the Soviet Union to Germany.
Fast forward approximately 15 years. It was my engagement party. At the end of the evening my father stood surrounded by all of us and recited a poem in German. Someone had interpreted these words from Isaiah 43 and put them into rhyme. Little did my father know this poem and these words from Isaiah 43 would become the anchor for my faith.
That poem and these words from Isaiah 43 kept me upright on one of my darkest nights when I saw the taillights of my ex-husband’s vehicle disappearing at the end of our driveway. I stood at the living room window and screamed at the top of my lungs because I had no idea how I would survive this rejection and being left behind. The agony of being alone with the responsibility of raising my three little children aged five, three and one was overwhelming.
God more than kept his promise to me. I am living proof that…
- He was with me when the devastation threatened to consume me;
- I did not drown when I had to cross rivers of difficulty;
- I was not burned up, the flames of fires I faced did not consume me;
- The LORD, my God, the Holy One of Israel, was, is and always will be my Savior.
Standing at that window, looking out into the dark night, I was reminded of the last two lines from my father’s favorite poem:
“Und alles nimmt dir einst der Tod, nur Eines bleibt dir: Ich, Dein Gott.“ Translated: One day death will take everything from you. The only thing that will remain is I, your God.
I’ve memorized this Scripture since then. The power of these words has not faded. In fact, they mean more to me today than ever. My God and I have a long history anchored in these words. “For I am the LORD, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.”
MEGGIE KORNELSEN has lived on three continents (Asia, Europe and North America) and has traveled to over 20 countries. She’s been a single mother for the past 25+ years and has worked as an Executive Assistant for several Executives at international companies in Europe and North America. She was also employed as an Office Administrator at a church in Winnipeg, Canada for over 12 years. Her love for Jesus and the Scriptures led her to women’s ministry, and she’s been facilitating women’s Bible studies ever since.
In her free time Meggie loves to write and read, but also design and execute her own knitting and sewing projects. She has a passion for travel and learning and looks to combine these whenever she can. Her current writing project is a compilation of her family’s stories and God’s faithfulness over four generations. She resides in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.
Follow Meggie on Instagram or Twitter, and check out her website.