The Inside Story - July Edition

An inside look at the stories of those behind Aglow Australia.   

The Inside Story takes an inside look at the lives we love, perhaps only heard about, or may not even know at all. Mentors, leaders, valued Kingdom partners, and most of all you, of whom, together, are forming the wider, magnificent story of Aglow Australia today.   Riekie, we just love featuring members of our Aglow family and value all that you, as our National Mentor Coordinator, ceaselessly bring to the ministry. As always, thank you for sharing a little about yourself and your journey!

FAMILY

I am the eldest of eight children in a typical Dutch migrant family. We came to Australia in the mid-1950s, shortly after my eighth birthday. Eventually settling in a tiny country town, I grew to love the bush, and I still live with the sound of magpies and kookaburras chortling in the early morning.

I have three adult children and three grandchildren: Ben is 21, Caitlyn is 19 and Christopher is 17. They are all the children of my youngest daughter, Tanya, and her husband.

MY SPIRITUAL JOURNEY

I was raised Catholic in Holland; however, once we arrived in Australia, we didn’t attend church very often.

My earliest memory of an encounter with God was while we were still living in the migrant hostel in Melbourne. There was a small kiosk that stocked a variety of sweets and other items. One Easter, it had a selection of Easter eggs that I desperately longed to buy for my family, but I needed two shillings, which is equivalent to 20 cents today.

I never saw money at all back then, so it was only a dream. My mother carefully handled every penny my father brought home. As I walked home across a grassy field, I was thinking about those Easter eggs and how much my family would enjoy them.

Suddenly, I saw a coin on the ground in front of me. It was a two-shilling piece! With great excitement, I picked it up and bought a box full of Easter eggs. I could barely manage the box! I hid them under my parents’ bed until they were discovered by my mother a few days later. I then faced fierce interrogation about where the money had come from.

I share that story because it laid a strong foundation within me that our God is Jehovah Jireh. He has always provided, as many of you have heard through my testimonies.

Years later, throughout the 1970s and 1980s, I was married with three children, and life continued to be a struggle, as it is now in many ways. I was not attending church and had been in hospital for painful surgery, which was not healing as quickly as expected, when my father suddenly died.

It was a difficult time, yet I began to feel drawn to God again. We started attending the local Uniting Church because one of my children’s teachers attended there.

WHAT LEAD ME TO AGLOW

That same teacher then invited me to Aglow. I loved it! My thirsty soul soaked up the worship, singing in the Spirit and strong biblical teaching. I knew the presence of God was there, just as I had when I found the two shillings.

Shortly afterwards, during one of the worship sessions, I heard the audible voice of God asking me to follow Him 100 per cent. This was in 1984. I was born again when I said yes to Him and was baptised in water shortly afterwards!

I was very fortunate to have an excellent community of believers to mentor me. One of them was Dorothy Jones, whom I honour.

My baptism in the Holy Spirit was another encounter with God. It happened while I was alone in my bedroom and my husband was at work. That is a story for another day.

IDENTITY AND CALL

It was approximately two or three years later when God clearly called me to lead the Aglow branch. I knew nothing about leading anything; however, the Holy Spirit assured me that I knew and heard Him, and that was all I needed.

I was very introverted and felt unworthy among these beautiful, mature women. Fortunately, I had the support of the committee—strong Christian women who were willing to trust God and love me. Others thought I was too immature to lead and left. I agreed with them, but I was simply being obedient to His call.

A few years later, I attended an International Aglow conference in the USA. I don’t remember where it was held. I only remember Joni Eareckson Tada speaking and hearing Dutch Sheets for the first time. He said that some of us had a lifetime call to Aglow. He asked us to stand and then prayed for us. I was one of them.

Knowing that you are called to a particular part of the Body is so important during difficult times. That knowledge has held me through the significant changes we have seen, and I believe it is a key to growing into a mature son or daughter of God.

It is like being a tree that is stable and firmly planted, with deep roots, rather than being kept in a pot, constantly replanted or becoming root-bound. Today, I am continually overwhelmed by God’s kindness in planting and grounding me in good soil.

I know that my relationship with the Holy Spirit is foremost, as He teaches and guides me. I love the Spirit of wisdom.

I am called to be a visual aid and a forerunner — a pioneer. I am a beloved daughter of my Father, and He is well pleased with me. No performance is required.

I am seated in heavenly places with Christ Jesus. This is my position in Christ, without conditions. His sacrifice settled it.

YOUNG SELF: HINDSIGHT

My childhood was difficult and lonely. There was a sense of not being known or seen. I grew up without having choices. My life centred around helping my mother care for my siblings.

I was taken out of school at 14 to work on a local farm and earn money that I never saw. No one asked whether I wanted to be there.

If I could tell my younger self something, I think I would simply tell her that Jesus knows her, sees her and is there with her. I would hug her and reassure her that all will be well.

Most importantly, I would tell her that it will all be worthwhile. Through personal experience, she will come to know the love of God, which surpasses all understanding, and the One who is able to do immeasurably more than she could ever ask or imagine.

Ephesians 3:20

Thank you for asking me to share my story. I hope you are encouraged.

Riekie Dalm