DO 2742 12/91

—Dad's Plea to the Family!

—"God forbid that I should sin against the Lord in ceasing to pray for you!"—1Sam.12:23.

1. Just think, for the first five years of the Family, we didn't have any of these little dictation machines & tape recorders that can just so effortlessly take down what I say as fast as I can say it! When we first got started, Mama had to take it all down in shorthand. That's all we had back then‚ & she took all of those early Letters down by hand, whether it was in the day time‚ class time or the middle of the night! She can actually write in the dark, God bless her!

2. That's a good thing (Dad weeps), because now she can't see. It's still easy for her to write in the dark. A lot of times when we're lying there in bed & we're supposed to be asleep, & I'm trying to keep very quiet so she can sleep, she'll grab her notebook & I can hear her scribbling some note in the dark, something that she thought of that she needs to tell someone about. She was able to write in the dark like that long before she went blind.

3. I hope you pray for her. I've never seen or known anybody in this whole World who ever took their affliction so cheerfully & without discouragement, with never a complaint, never a murmur, always on top of it, always cheerful‚ always praising the Lord! You who work close to her know that's true. She doesn't lament her loss of sight. In fact, I lament it more than she does! She's always having to encourage me.

4. I still have my ups & downs. I always did have a terrible inferiority complex. There was a day when if I had to face even a small group like this, I would have been absolutely terrified, & would have run out the door!—Which I actually did upon occasion. Once, when I was nine years old‚ I even ran out on my own birthday party! I walked into the room & all those people suddenly rose up & shouted, "Surprise!" And it turned out that they were more surprised than I was when I ran out the door & deserted the whole thing!—All the gifts & the cake & ice cream & games they'd planned.—Poor folks!

Do You Pray for Mama?

5. Well, I wanted Mama to be in this meeting too, but even when she has her dark glasses on & her eyes are closed‚ the light still bothers her eyes. Also, I think she's a little embarrassed. She feels like she makes others suffer when they see that she's unable to see them.

6. Do you pray for her? I have prayed all that I can pray, I've wept all I can weep. She's convinced that the Lord's going to heal her. I don't know anything about Mama now that would cause the Lord to possibly withhold healing. I can't think of any woman on Earth who's more willing & yielded & cheerful & faithful, who encourages everybody else, even when she's blind. She just laughs when she makes a little mistake or when she stumbles, whereas I'd probably sit down & cry. I've always been a cry baby.

7. I don't know if I was born with such an inferiority complex or what, but I just couldn't face people, I couldn't even face myself. Only the Lord, by His Spirit, helped me overcome all that. But I still have my testings & temptings.

8. (Spits in a wastebasket) I don't keep my tears in a bottle like some of the kings used to. I just suck'm in & spit'm in the waste basket. But I figure the Lord's already seen'm, so praise the Lord! But I weep for you, I weep for the Family. And I think I've wept more for Mama than almost anyone. Sometimes I've even wept for myself. I think if it hadn't been for you all to hold up my hands & help me, encourage me & keep me going, if I didn't know you were dependent on me & feel that you needed me & maybe couldn't do without me for a little longer, I probably would have asked the Lord to just take me Home.

What Is He Trying to Teach You through Mama's Blindness?

9. (Dad blows a kiss to one of the girls:) I still love you women!—And I especially love these women who can run this kingdom! You're doing a tremendous job! (Dad speaks into the intercom:) Amen, Mama, I love you! God bless you! I don't think Mama could stand any improvement except her eyes. I guess the Lord must be teaching her something. (Mama replies over the intercom: It's been well worth it! I've learned so much, & am still learning!)

10. Well, it comes to me quite clearly that she's not necessarily enduring this affliction for her own sake any more. Once upon a time she did have a few things to learn—not to try to do everything by herself, not to try to read every report by herself. But I think she's learned those lessons now. And I think the Lord is now trying to teach you something. What is He trying to teach you by Mama's blindness?

11. I used to think I deserved all that's happened to me, I have no objections, I know I'm at fault. But when I would ask the Lord to forgive me & I'd get things pretty well straightened out with Him, & I'd still be sick, it dawned on me that He was doing it for your sake, to teach you to pray‚ to get you to get down to business with God. You all love me so much‚ what more could He do to get you to pray than to make you feel sorry for me? I always did like sympathy‚ & now I'm getting a whole World of it! But it's sure doing me a lot of good. Your prayers have been answered, thank the Lord! I never have that terrible bowel trouble any more, I don't have that back pain any more, I hardly ever have that side pain any more unless I do something wrong.

12. The scientists say the appendix is just a vestigial organ left over from evolution, that maybe we needed it once upon a time but not any more.—Ha! My Dad used to say, "You need it every meal you eat, to teach you not to eat too much & not to abuse your body!" Well, I hardly ever have a problem with that any more either, thank the Lord. My eyes are just about as good as ever, as is my hearing. I've noticed Mama's hearing has been getting better since she's been blind. She can hear sounds I don't even hear now, she'll notice them.

13. Well, no sweeter person than Mama was ever born, I never knew a better person. She is a saint! If there was ever a saint that needs to be canonised‚ she's it! After all, she had to be to put up with me all these years! (Mama over the intercom: Honey, you've been nothing but an absolute blessing! Your great love covers my multitude of sins!) Well, there may have been a few little rough spots along the way, but I've been polishing away on her for so long, everything is now shining bright & polished‚ & there's nothing rough any more. TTL! She has really learned. So when you're praying for her, remember you're praying for a saint!

Please Pray for Mama!

14. So please do pray for her, that the Lord will relieve her of her blindness as soon as possible so she can enjoy life a little more & not have to grope her way around the house by reaching out & feeling the walls & doors & furniture & things like that. She can catch a little flicker or glimpse here & there‚ but it would sure be a lot easier on her if she could keep her eyes open & use them more.

15. It's not because she needs to be blind for her sake any more. I think even Saint Paul said something like that, that his affliction was for others' sake (2Cor.1:6)‚ & he had his "thorn in the flesh," as far as we know‚ till the day he died. (2Cor.12:7-10.) Apparently it was some kind of a harassing demon. Some people think it was his eyes, & that he was nearly blind. He said, "You would have plucked out your own eyes for me." (Gal.4:15.) I told Mama once, "I think I could stand to do without one of mine, at least."

16. She really does need your prayers. It would be a lot easier for her if she could see. She has to grope her way to the bathroom, she has to grope her way in & out of the bedroom & to the door, mostly just by feeling what's in front of her. So please pray for her. (Weeps.) Let's say a special prayer for her right now, shall we? It would make life a lot easier for her if she could see. Maybe she's still blind for your sake, to make you pray. Who feels led‚ especially burdened to pray for her right now?

17. (Family: Lord, if there's anything that You are trying to show us here‚ or us as a Family, if there's anything more we can do, we really desperately come before You, for Mama's sake, for her eyes' sake‚ in Jesus' name. We have prayed, Lord, & if we haven't prayed enough, we'll gladly pray more. We just really ask that You please bring about the miraculous breakthrough that we desire‚ for her sake, & for Dad's sake‚ for Thy Family & Thy Work's sake, in Jesus' name!

18. (Thank You for how You have miraculously kept Dad & Mama through all these years, in more miraculous ways than we can probably even imagine. We thank You for all the wonderful, beautiful gifts that have been brought to the fore as a result of Mama's blindness, but please, Lord, we pray this doesn't have to go on much longer. Please bring Thy Queen Thy deliverance, Lord, speedily, in Jesus' name! TYJ! Please bring her deliverance according to Thy Word, according to all the precious promises that You've sworn in Your Word!—In Jesus' name, amen.)

19. Have mercy, Lord! Have mercy on these Thy people, Lord‚ that they will not sin in failing to pray for her! Thank You Lord! If you won't pray for her for her sake, pray for her for my sake. I'd be a lot happier if she could see again. We used to spend many happy times together when she could see.

20. If the whole Family could see her & know what a trial it is, that she has to feel her way around, & sometimes will bump into the door or bump into this or that, I'm sure they'd pray more for her. Would you please pray for her for my sake, because it would make me a lot happier if she could see again? Please do!—Not only for her sake, but for my sake, too.

21. If the Lord wants her to be blind until the Rapture, well‚ the Lord knows, but I certainly hope she doesn't have to be. I think that now that she has learned a few lessons, she could accomplish a lot more if she could see again.—If she could be trusted not to get back to reading every letter & every word & every single report. But I think she's learned those lessons. So please pray earnestly for her. Amen? Thanks! I love you!—Dad.

Postscript from Mama:

22. (Mama: This has been one thing that's been pretty hard on Dad, not being able to share many things with me in the last several years‚ like being able to enjoy our walks together, watching videos together, having me read to him, going out together, etc. Of course, I've felt quite bad about that‚ but have consoled myself that at least it's helped me to get a lot of work done because I've had to pretty much stay put in one place most of the time. But Dad has certainly been really sweet & really precious & very cheerful through it all, God bless him!)

Copyright (c) 1998 by The Family