As I finish out my term as president of PWOC International, I would like to share a few stories with you about what the Lord has shown me over the past four years.
I have been a treasure hunter my whole life. I find it interesting that this trait has been within my DNA since birth. I have always tried to figure out how things work or search for hidden things waiting to be discovered. My mom says that my curiosity used to get me into trouble, because I would wander off trying to figure out the unknown things that I encountered along the path of life. Little did I know that God’s plan for me would take me way beyond the curious exploration of my childhood, on into adulthood where He uses this trait for His Kingdom purposes.
Early in my first term as president, the Lord would share with me a very important Scripture, which describes the kingdom treasure finding journey that I would be on in this season of leadership.
…”No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love Him”—but God has revealed it to us by His Spirit.” 1 Cor. 2:9-10 (NIV)
The Color Turquoise
I was invited to travel to Seoul, Korea to attend the 2007 FaithLift conference shortly after becoming president in 2006. To my delight I learned that Kim Worrell, our immediate outgoing PWOC International president, would be attending this conference as well. We had no idea the incredible things the Lord would show us while we were there.
After the conference was over, the conference planner arranged a tour of the largest full gospel church in the world and also the South/North Korean Demilitarized Zone (DMZ). As Kim and I prepared for our trip to the church, I looked at her and made a comment about her jacket, which was the same color of a jacket that I had recently purchased—it was a beautiful turquoise color. I said, “Perhaps this could be a new color for PWOC”. She commented that she had worn it all over the world during her term in office.
As we boarded the bus, we began our trip to the world’s largest church. On our way there, we noticed several buildings, structures and signs all in this same color. We looked at each other and said to each other, “wonder what this means?”
We arrived at our destination and had to weave through all the masses of people in order to enter into the seating area of the church. As we were standing in line, I felt impressed to look at my new anniversary ring my husband had just given me for our 25th anniversary. I thought about where my new diamond ring came from—Tiffany & Co. Suddenly, it occurred to me the color of the beautiful little box it came in was turquoise! My eyes began to well up with tears as I sensed that my ring was not only a gift from my precious husband, but from the Lord as well. I knew in my heart that the Lord was telling me something very significant in regards to the color turquoise, but I didn’t quite know what He was up to.
The following day, we went on a tour to the DMZ. Prior to going on my trip to Korea, the Lord impressed on me to take a beautiful gold key that I had been given by a speaker at my first Vision Week board meeting. As we were getting ready to leave for the DMZ tour, I felt led to take it with me. I knew there would be a special prayer assignment connected with this key.
Kim and I were on the bus once again, taking in all that we could see. We approached the main entrance to the Demilitarized Zone and noticed the turquoise color once again; only this time there was another color next to it—sky blue. As we drove forward, we began noticing that the turquoise color represented the free side of South Korea and the sky blue color represented the oppressed side. Many times, the sky blue color was behind barbed wire fencing; evidence of those bound up, oppressed and controlled in North Korea.
I immediately used my handy PDA to see if I could locate a Biblical reference to the color turquoise. To my delight, it was there. Kim and I knew that the Lord was trying to show us something, but it would not be completely revealed until after we returned to the United States.
We drove onward, far into the DMZ, where the tour guide shared the history and names of each specific area. We arrived at a location within the DMZ that was called the “Freedom House”. I looked in the area and noticed that one of the buildings had a turquoise roof on it! That was my cue. Kim and I looked at each other and then got up and went to the back of the bus where we began proclaiming in prayer Isaiah 61:1-4 (NIV) for the women of PWOC:
“The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion—to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of His splendor. They will rebuild the ancient ruins and restore the places long devastated; they will renew the ruined cities that have been devastated for generations.”
As we prayed, I took the gold key and began unlocking the self imposed prison doors that many of women in PWOC lived in and then pulled open the pretend door and said, “come out, you are free!”
To be continued…
© 2010 Brenda Marlin
This has been a busy season for me. My various roles in PWOC have meant a lot of traveling, some by air but most by car. Today is another day on the road as I prepare for the Southeast Region Leadership Weekend at Fort Benning, GA. It will be a blessed time of fellowship and learning.
