At the end of March 2016 I attended a one-day conference in Winnipeg promoting First Nations Christian Writers. There were many Aboriginal people from all across Canada. It was an extreme encouragement to all in attendance.
One of the guest speakers was Les Stobbe from North Carolina. He has many years’ experience in the world of editing and literature review as an editor and literary agent. His talk was encouraging to me because it focused on all the “God Moments” in his life. He encouraged people to work hard but to let God do what only God can do in our life and career because He is the one in charge and He knows what’s best for us.
I wanted to encourage you with some of the “God Moments” in my life that only God could have worked out. I also want to encourage all of us that if we let God do what only God can do, that not only will it lead to open doors and opportunities that only God can work out, but it will also help heal our hearts. Heal our hearts with regards to any damaged emotions we may have experienced in this journey of life we are all on. There are far too many “God Moments” that have happened in my life to sum them all up here, but I will do my best to summarize some of the main ones.
The first “God Moment” is when I was adopted by the Stelters when I was a baby. I had been moved around to twelve different locations before the age of two and although it is tragic that I wasn’t able to be raised with my biological family, God saw that I was in trouble and he heard my cries from the crib and rescued me by placing me in a Christian home with loving siblings and parents who did their best to raise me in a stable home.
The second “God Moment” was when my adopted mother, who died when I was 12, helped me believe in Jesus Christ and welcome Him to be a part of my life. Although it took me years to know what that truly meant, it planted a seed that has lasted until this day. It was the prayers of my family that started with my adoptive mother that made all the difference in my life and helped protect me through all the ups and downs I’ve gone through.
The third “God Moment” was bringing me back to my family and my people from Alexander First Nation. It was through that experience that I was to meet my family that I was separated from but it was also through that experience that God showed me I had Treaty rights and through that I could get an education that was sponsored through my band.
To make a long story short, I dropped out of high school three times as a teenager, but now I have a High School Diploma, College Diploma, Bachelor Degree, Master’s Degree and I am currently enrolled in a Doctorate of Ministry Program.
The fourth “God Moment” was when I met my wife Angeline. We are best friends and we know each other like no other people know us. God is the only one that knows us better than we know each other. We love and accept each other through the good and the bad and through sickness and health. What God has brought together God does not want to separate. She is the mother of three of my children and she is my wife. She is a hard worker and she has many gifts and talents.
The fifth “God Moment” was when I was introduced to the First Nations Alliance Church over 15 years ago. This is where I met my Angeline and this was where I was introduced to many Aboriginal Christians. God has blessed me beyond measure as a result of now being the pastor of this church. My doctoral studies are linked with my position at this wonderful church and I love the people and they love me. We walk with each other through the good and the bad, just like in a marriage.
God has used “His God Moments” to change my life and to heal my heart from all the hurts and pains that have happened along the way. “God Moments” are what we need to be encouraged and uplifted in a broken world and my people need more “God Moments.”
Parry Stelter is originally from Alexander First Nation and is founder of Word of Hope Ministries and lives in Edmonton, Alberta. http://www.wordofhopeministries.ca
