Running from Miracles

Praise for Running  from Miracles

––––––––

Some people say there is no God, but you’ve come too late for me to believe that because I’ve felt his love, experienced his faithfulness and goodness, saw his beauty and miracles and I have walked with his angels. I love you and I pray that your book will be a blessing to you and to others and I pray that it will lead someone to know our loving Father and the hope that we always have in him. Love you, Momma

–Robin Decker

Mother of Shawn Decker

––––––––

As I read through the pages of this book, I can remember some of the events and the way Shawn has come through them. There are two things that stick out to me. One is the never- ending grace and love of God for us all; and number two is the courage that Shawn has shown in the dark times to keep going. I have been encouraged and motivated to start again by this book. I pray as you read this book, let God show you the way out as He has shown Shawn. I am very proud of the Man of God you have become, and He isn’t done yet! Let’s all reach for the higher goals in life.

–Dr. A.E.Crabtree

President of Eddie Crabtree Ministries

and Senior Pastor of Valley Word Church

––––––––

This book is a great read about real life. In his transparency, Shawn has shared his vulnerability. Yet in being vulnerable Shawn has exhibited inner strength; a strength that only God can supply. This book reveals that God can perfect himself in imperfect people and can accomplish his will and purpose in our lives when we allow him to. For with God nothing shall be impossible (Luke 1:37).

–Rev. Stephanie Long-Scott Nothings Impossible Greeting Cards www.nigreetings.com

Shawn uses his own personal life stories to give readers a perfect view of God’s unrelenting love. One message that im-pacted me was what Shawn shared about misplaced passion. He uses the example of how a fire in the living room fireplace brings warmth to the home, but that if that same fire was lo-cated on the living room floor it would burn the house down. He ends by saying that ‘Passion not in its proper place can de-stroy your life.’ That one example has challenged me to reeval-uate many of my personal, business and ministry choices.

–Sandra Bird Aldridge, Minister

Who Will Go For Us

Running from Miracles

––––––––

It’s Time to Come Home

––––––––

Shawn E. Decker

––––––––

––––––––

International

PUBLISHING, INC.

––––––––

Chesapeake, Virginia

Copyright © 2018 by Shawn E. Decker

All rights reserved.

Editor: Emily Mowry

Cover Design & Layout: Patricia Goedeke

Printed in the United States of America.

International

PUBLISHING, INC.

Published by International Publishing Inc.

Chesapeake, VA

ISBN-13: 978-1-946917-07-2

ISBN-10: 1-946917-07-9

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means without the prior written permission of the publishers, except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages in a review to be printed in a newspaper, magazine or journal. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form by any means—photographic, electronic or manual—in whole or part without permission in writing from the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews.

Scripture quotations throughout this book are taken from the Holy Bible, from the following translations: New King James Version, New International Version, The Message and New Living Translation.

Contact us at shawnedecker.com

First and foremost, I dedicate this book to God.

––––––––

Without him, his love, and his constant sustaining Grace, I would have never been able to make it through these things in my life. Secondly I thank God for my family, wife, sons, and all the others that have brought both pain and pleasure to my life. Because without them, I would not be the person that I am!

––––––––

I would also like to give a special thanks to Dr. A.E. Crabtree for his teaching because without it, the book would be an impossible feat to me at the time, and I don’t believe I would have ever had the courage to start!

––––––––

Most importantly, I would like to thank my wife, Amanda Decker for her ridiculous amount of patience with my lack of literacy, bad spelling, horrible grammar, and my constant frustrations with my first book! She has been a constant guide, steady hand, and always stood true, even when she wanted to beat me black and blue.

Table of Contents

Foreword

Introduction

Looking for God

A Little about My Mom and Her Past: Told from Her Perspective

Mom, Dad and How They Met

From First Date to Marriage

Story of My Birth

It Gets a Little More Complicated

Moving to Idaho

Dominick–The Old Italian

Here Come the Cops

Here Come the Bills

Shawn’s First Memories

Moving to Savannah

Saved but Not Sanctified

More Fires

The Too Much Garden

Bell’s Palsy

Pushing the Limits

Slippery Slope

Car Accidents

Almost Impossible

Not Quite Good Enough

The New Me

The Military Life for Me

My Reputation Proceeds Me

Still Not Talking

Fisher – Car Catching on Fire

She’s Different, but I’m Not

Going Back

New Life, New Wife, New Child

Traveling the World

Home, but No One is Here

The Time She Met God

Getting Out

New Job Doing Appraisals

A New Start

The New Place

Just a Paycheck

Finally Going Back to Church

Meeting Charles

No More Bars

Losing Blood

A Job but No Money

Interview Gone Right

No Job and No Money

A Shift

The Proposal

Reuniting with a Friend

The Power of Value

Blood is Thicker than Water, But Love is Thicker than Blood

Married: Not Happening

The Engagement

Give More

Amanda’s Journey of Faith through Work

Vacations

A Good Man, His Wife and a Lawn Mower

New Connections

Creation and Crisis

From the Ashes

Count it All Joy

Bonus Chapter: The Blessing Jar

Salvation Prayer

More Traditional Salvation Prayer

Foreword

––––––––

I was truly honored when asked to write the foreword for this book. Shawn and I have been friends now for over ten years. My husband and I first met Shawn when he was as-signed to do an appraisal on our house for a loan to refinance. He was a friendly, down to earth guy who immediately connected with us in general conversation and by the end of the appraisal, we had connected spiritually. It did not take long for us to discover that Shawn was a talker and once he discovered I was too, his initial purpose for visiting our home changed. Through questions he posed regarding the appraisal, I began sharing why we decided to refinance. Without hesitation, I enlightened him about our story and testimony of losing our first and second born sons to stillbirth, full term and almost a year a part. I am an individual who demonstrates radical faith and before you knew it, all three of us began testifying to the goodness of Jesus and all He had done for us. There we were three strangers, standing in tears, glorifying God together and instantly a friendship occurred. Not only did we share in our personal struggles and triumphs, but we also began sharing our individual passions, dreams and visions.

For everything there is a season, a time for every activity under heaven. –Ecclesiastes 3:1 (NLT)

One thing I do not believe in is coincidences. I believe God sets individuals in our paths for a reason some are for a season and some are for a lifetime. Through the years, it has become more apparent on that day, the Lord predestined the three of us to be standing together in my basement encouraging one another through His word. Upon Shawn’s departure, we ex-changed numbers and email addresses and began working together through our individual ministries. My husband Byron and I had been studying more about finances and breaking the curse of poverty. We were studying and focusing on biblical prosperity and how to see it manifested in every area of our lives. We had put together a workshop titled, Breaking the Curse of Poverty and discovered Shawn had been working on a workshop and series titled the Power of Value. I introduced him to my Pastor and the relationship expanded. He ended up hosting a workshop at my church and his Power of Value DVD remains to this day in the library of our church and school.

So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord—who is the Spirit—makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image. –2 Corinthians 3:18 (NLT)

––––––––

Through the years, we have watched one another grow stronger in the Lord. We both have become more knowledgeable of the Word of God and have become vessels for the Kingdom. Revelation 12:11, informs us that we overcome by the blood of the Lamb and the power of our testimony. It was our testimonies of faith and victory that connected us the day we met, it has been our testimonies of God’s grace and mercy that has equipped us to aid others and position them for purpose and it has been the testimonies of God’s daily miracles in our lives that led to the purpose of this book.

I remember reading a quote that states, Your story is the key that can unlock someone else’s prison. Being transparent is not something that people are eagerly willing to do. Most individuals are not diligently running to share their mistakes, to share their fears, to share their struggles, to share their doubts and sins. As a leader, I have learned transparency is respected by those you are trying to lead, and it makes you more relatable to people. Of course, all things must be done with wisdom and as believers, we must seek the Lord for discernment. Shawn is a man whose passion is to let his own life’s story be-come a witness to others. He is not afraid to uncover his own setbacks and downfalls for the benefit of saving someone else from undergoing the same pain, misery and despair. I have always appreciated his honesty and genuineness as it is what connected us when we first met.

Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a dream fulfilled is a tree of life. –Proverbs 13:12 (NLT)

This book, Running from Miracles is a book of hope. So many people walk in defeat because their hope has been shattered. Life happens and the effects of it can leave you broken and feeling lost. Psalm 34:18 tells us, The LORD is close to the brokenhearted; he rescues those whose spirits are crushed (NLT). This book sheds light while providing hope to those who may feel they are in a hopeless situation. Our Heavenly Father longs for each of us to be in the right relationship with Him. When the cares of life weigh you down, you can easily lose focus and instead of drawing closer to our Creator, we can be driven farther away. No matter what state we are in, God is always there. He is omnipresent, He is omnipotent, he has unlimited power. Whether you are a believer or a non-believer, this book will inspire you. Through stories and testimonies, through life reflections and personal prayers, it will allow you to see the presence of God and how His unfailing love sustains and keeps us all even when we are unaware. It is the Lord’s desire that we all return to Him.

- Elder Charnika Elliott, M.Ed.

––––––––

You have shown me the way of life, and you will fill me with the joy of your presence. Acts 2:28 (NLT)

Introduction

––––––––

Of all the things I have learned in my life, the most important is that God disguises miracles. In fact, if you’re not looking, you may just call it a coincidence. I have had a life full of coincidences, but I have learned that miracles are only seen in the details.

I believe that God will use even some of the worst things that we have gone through for the good. Throughout the bible, I noticed that there are many times that God hid his people. While God was hiding them to protect them, these years were hard for them; they saw them as desert years. Though the bi-ble does not include details of these years, we know that they happened. I have seen desert years in my own and others’ lives; just as God’s people in the bible had dark years hidden in a cave, so do we. For much of this book, I will show you what I have seen God do in my dark and/or hidden years! I expose myself, but I do not condone the bad, wrong, or even horrible actions that I have seemingly done over and over. I aim to show the love, grace, mercy, and compassion of God that taught me lessons that I did not want to learn!

I am sure that there will be many stories about my life that will make you laugh, cry, and even motivate you. However, my real hope is that, as you read this book, it will inspire you to have hope, no matter what you are going through. I hope that my words will motivate you to give God a chance to work in your life because it is not over. It is only the beginning of the good life that He has for you, but it is a journey! Throughout my life, I have struggled with sexual addiction, pornography, bad relationships, depression, cutting, poor self-image, drugs, smoking, drinking, bankruptcy, divorce, estrangement from my son and wife, alienation, thoughts of suicide, anger, fighting, and sexual orientation. Then I learned about a loving God that I could rely on like never before. He was a God that was, and is, with me always, no matter where I am in life. And He will do the same with you!

Gen 28:15 NIV 15 I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go, and I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.’

Gen 28:15 MSG 15 Yes. I’ll stay with you, I’ll protect you wherever you go, and I’ll bring you back to this very ground. I’ll stick with you until I’ve done everything I promised you."

That same God that said these things to the Israelites has watched over me and watches over you. My hope is to impart the lessons I have learned throughout my life to you so that you might grow in your relationship with Christ, that you may

see a God that loves you, and that you will stop Running from Miracles and run to the miracle maker!

I do not believe that there is one person in this world that cannot relate to some part of this book. After every insightful, horrible, inspiring, terrifying, terrific, compelling part of my life, I spent the time to think about what I had learned. My hope is that you would do the same thing after reading this book.

CHAPTER 1

––––––––

Looking for God

––––––––

Have you ever felt like God was right there, even though you didn’t believe He was responsible for anything going on around you? Well, in 1 Kings 19:11-13 (NKJV), it says there was some wind, but God was not in it; an earthquake, but God was not in it; a fire, but God was not in it. But the still small voice, He was in!

––––––––

11  Then He said, Go out, and stand on the mountain before the LORD. And behold, the LORD passed by, and a great and strong wind tore into the mountains and broke the rocks in pieces before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earth-quake; 12 and after the earthquake a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire; and after the fire a still small voice.

13  So it was, when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood in the entrance of the cave. Suddenly a voice came to him, and said, What are you doing here, Elijah? (1 Kings 19:11-13, NKJV)

Later, in John 12, it says that Jesus was talking to the Father and God responded back to Jesus. Some said they heard thunder, others thought it was an angel, but Jesus said that God responded audibly for [their] sake.

28 Father, glorify Your name. Then a voice came from heaven, saying, I have both glorified it and will glorify it again. 29 Therefore the people who stood by and heard it said that it had thundered. Others said, An angel has spoken to Him. 30 Jesus answered and said, This voice did not come because of Me, but for your sake. (John 12:28-31, NKJV)

I heard Jesse Duplantis, a Christian Minister, say that People do not run from God; they run from what God has called them to do (Duplantis, nd). Many times, I believe God shows us His love and mercy in certain situations, but we do not see it because we are looking for the spectacular and not the supernatural. Throughout this book, I am going to expose myself and some of my most intimate thoughts, actions, and mistakes. I will also share some of the perceptions that I had in my life. I will talk about the many miracles that have both happened to me, around me, and through me in the various stages of my life. Hopefully this will open your eyes to see how God is having an impact on and in your life. As you read every story, you will begin to see how God is working in and through you in so many different ways, situations, people, circum-stances, and even events. Maybe you are missing the miracle that is right before you!

Another saying I have heard is, The teacher is always silent during the test. He has taught us and given us the answer, but it is our job to pay attention to the master so that we can pass the test. Most of the tests that we go through are not worth taking twice. As long as we are paying attention, we don’t have to take the test twice. God is to us as a parent is to their children. A child will go to pick something up, but they are still too small to actually pick it up. So the parent grabs the other side of the heavy load and assists the child. Then the child looks happily at the parent saying,

Look mom, look dad, I did it!

And the parent, because of their love, looks at their child and says,

That’s right, you did it, baby.

To build confidence, children need to tackle the bigger

things in life. Much of the time, God is the same way. To me, this is not just a personal testimony but a testament of the love and generosity of my Savior. He is such a loving and caring father. Many times I think that we look at our earthly relationships and assume that Father God is the same way. However, I have a testimony of his overwhelming goodness, so let me tell you about My Jesus!

CHAPTER 2

––––––––

A Little about My Mom

and Her Past:

Told from Her Perspective

We become who we are through our experiences and the experiences of those that influence us. For most, the big-gest influencers on our lives are our parents. I would like to introduce you to mine so that you can see where I came from. The following sections were created from interviews with my parents, Bill and Robin.

Robin’s Story

As I stood in church singing praises to the Lord, my eyes closed and my hands lifted up singing the old hymn I’ll Fly Away. My mind went back fifty years to a small shotgun house on a southern cotton plantation that had been turned into a country church in Louisiana. The year was 1965. The sixties was a turbulent time, including events like the Vietnam War and violent protests associated with civil rights movement. John F. Kennedy, Robert Kennedy, and Martin Luther King had all been assassinated. But there in the humid summer air, I remembered happy days of ongoing childhood, running from my cousins house through the woods to my great grand-mother’s house. It was a child’s heaven. My whole family lived in