Page 10 - Good News September 2005 paper

MEETING GOD AT EVERY TURN year, Peter asked her to marry him. maintain. Her journal became a spiritual
Continued from p. 1 She wrote, "For three years I had been solace where she recorded her talks with
entire life. "I was learning that the price of a hopelessly in love with Peter Marshall God and the hope He faithfully provided.
relationship with God is a dropping of all our and now had come the biggest moment in One night while staying at her parent's
masks and pretense. We must come to Him with my life - a proposal from the man of my house, she was awakened with a sense of
stark honesty 'as we are' or not at all. My honesty dreams. And I hesitated. Why? At that God's closeness. "I knew that Jesus was
brought me relief; it washed away the guilt, it moment I became aware in a new way of smiling at me tenderly, lovingly... His
strengthened my faith." how God operates in human lives, and in attitude seemed to say, 'Relax! There's
Catherine went to Agnes Scott. And it was there that moment of awareness, I did a lot of not a thing wrong here that I can't take
she met and eventually married Peter Marshall, growing up. care of.'"
who later became chaplain for the U.S. Senate. "Almost from our first meeting I had a "The unforgettable truth of David's Psalm
Though meetings between the two were brief in strange sense of a God-given destiny 23 came alive in my experience. This was
the beginning, Catherine sensed she was falling in about Peter. That made it of prime a period of equipping - of spiritual
love with the Scottish pastor. However, Peter's importance to be certain that I was meant preparation - for a tumultuous life of
speaking schedule coupled with the duties of the to be a part of that destiny. changes, of great, high moments to
pastorate left little time for dating. "I learned that because God loves us so follow and plunging low points."
Once again, God was pressing her to lay aside any much, He often guides us by planting His X-rays taken a short time later revealed a
personal desires. Only after giving the outcome of own lovely dream in the barren soil of a marked improvement. Within six months,
the relationship to Him in prayer did the love human heart. When the dream has the doctors pronounced her completely
between them grow. And at the end of her senior matured, and the time for its fulfilment is well.
ripe, to our astonishment and delight, we "From the vantage point of the years, I
find that God's will has become our will, can see now that my being forced to lie
and our will, God's." down in the green pastures beside very
On November 4, 1936, Catherine and still waters - indeed the isolation of our
Peter were married. She was only twenty- bedroom - was a time of training. Day by
three when she and Peter moved to day God was the Teacher and I, the pupil. I
Washington D.C., where he became would need Him every day for the rest of
pastor of the New York Avenue my life and more, throughout eternity."
Presbyterian Church. A short time later when news of Peter's
In January 1940, Peter Jon, their only sudden death came, God provided the
son, was born. By then her husband's hope she needed. "'Surely, goodness
reputation as a deeply committed man of and mercy shall follow you all the days of
God was growing. Congressmen, your life,' was His personal pledge to me
senators, and people from all walks of life and to a son who would now sorely miss
attended the worship services. At the his father."
peak of their ministry, Catherine was Realizing she now had a much greater
diagnosed with tuberculosis. The only responsibility and purpose, Catherine
treatment at that time was total rest. went on to become a noted Christian
Doctors assured her she would be well in author and speaker. A Man Called Peter,
three or four months, but two years later her husband's biography, is one of her
her situation remained unchanged. best known books. Until her death,
She fought feelings of depression as she Catherine Marshall remained a vibrant
watched her son and husband living a life witness of God's unending grace.
separate from the one she was forced to [www.intouch.org]
SOMETHING TO

THINK ABOUT

What is the shortest chapter in the Bible?
Psalm 117.
What is the longest chapter in the Bible?
Psalm 119.
Which chapter is in the centre of the Bible?
Psalm 118.
There are 594 chapters before Psalm 118.
There are 594 chapters after Psalm 118.
Add these numbers and you get 1188.
What is the central verse in the Bible?
Psalm 118:8!
Does this verse say something significant
about God’s perfect will for our lives?
The next time someone says they would
like to find God’s perfect will for their lives
and that they want to be in the centre of His
will, just send them to the centre of His
Word!
“It is better to trust in the LORD than to put
your confidence in man.” Psalm 118:8
(NKJV).
Now isn’t that odd how this worked out (or
was God in the centre of it)?