We were heading to Norfolk, VA for a kids crusade in August of 2023. I was excited and nervous to head back to the church I spent my earliest memories at. I hadn’t visited since I was 12 and hadn’t lived there since I was 8 . This entire week was full of memories for me as we visited the houses I grew up in, the playgrounds I had played, the Walmart’s my dad managed, the Sunday school room I attended, and the graves of my infant siblings. As much as these memories stood out to me, nothing else stood out like the story I’m about to share.
As a 7 year old girl attending this little church in Norfok, VA, I had a dream. It wasn’t much different than any other dream I guess, except for the fact that it was so very realistic to me. I remember discussing it with my parents multiple times and it just really affected me. The dream itself didn’t seem special at all at the time. In the dream, I was in my church on the opposite side that we usually sit and I was looking to my right. I looked directly down one of the front pews and to my amazement, it was cram packed and full of kids sitting down of different nationalities. These were not normal church kids in my dream though, they were obviously street kids by their clothing and appearance. As I’m telling you this dream, I can still see this exact scene from my dream 22 years ago. I remember my parents telling me “well, maybe God’s going to send lots of kids to church and they will get saved” I also remember being super excited at the idea but less than 2 years later, my dad went full time into the ministry and we would leave our home in Norfolk, VA, to only return for occasional revivals and the idea quickly vanished.
Every few years, while growing up, something would trigger the memory of the dream and would cross my mind as a passing thought but nothing else. Well, until now, that is.
If any of my readers have ever been to Norfok, VA, you know that it is not just any ordinary town, nor ordinary little church. It’s not. Pastor Jim Morris and his dear wife, Sister Wanda literally have a mission field right here in America. The town is a rough town with a navy base and full of mixed nationalities. Growing up, my family never lived directly in Norfolk, although we always attended Missionary Full Gospel. My dad refused to live in the same town as our little church due to safety issues and we always drove a little ways to come to church.
With that said, Brother Burdine can vouch more than we can that kids crusades at Missionary Full Gospel are much different than your average kids crusade. They are much more challenging but they also hold a special blessing within them that you don’t see other places. You have never seen anything until you are praying with children who’s parents are locked up in jail, who haven’t had a bath in weeks, and can’t read at age 10. My heart broke this week as I was reminded just how privileged I was to be raised in a Godly home with Godly parents.
With all that in mind, the first night of kids crusade had began and we had no idea how many kids would be there. At this specific time the church’s children were few (numbered at 2-3 children) but the outreach for the community children had been in progress and our hopes were high for a good crowd to share the gospel with. Before service had ended, we had over 30 street kids filling the pews. They would hear something going on while walking down the streets and just kept piling in the sanctuary, all the way up till dismissal!
We had made it all the way to the altar call when I looked over from the “girls” side across to the “boys” side, which happened to be the side of the church I was raised on. It was then I saw it! I was looking at the exact scene from my dream, it was the exact angle, the exact area, the exact, church, the children had the same types of clothing and were the same nationality. I couldn’t believe it! I raised my hands and began to weep, I didn’t even know what this meant but it was so emotionally overwhelming . I asked God a simple question with my hands raised. “Why, God?” Instantly, I heard Him speak the answer to my heart. “I Know”.
What kind of God would give a 7 year old a dream and 22 years later, bring that dream to pass, just to show her that He knows! God knew right where I would be 22 years later, He knew I would marry a boy from Kentucky which I had yet to meet. He knew we would eventually evangelize, He knew we would be hosting kids crusades in August of 2023. He knew I’d be back to the church of my youth after 17 years of not even 1 visit. He knew which kids would be born and would line the pew that day, and He knows my future!
My mind goes back to what Brother Finney Jacobs told me a couple months previous. “Little sister, you have nothing to worry about”. Friend, if you are a child of God, I am no better than you. God knows your future Just like he knows mine and you also, have nothing to worry about!