OLD SEEDS PRODUCE NEW CROPS
Cheryl Ricker, 1994 CFNI Grad
When a lady on York University’s campus approached
me, she had no idea how I’d prayed that morning: “Lord, I’ve narrowed it down to five Bible colleges, but I’m stuck. Please send someone my way who will tell me the name of the school where I’m supposed to go!” Since my parents don’t believe God still speaks to us, my decision didn’t exactly provoke the hallelujah chorus. But after they saw how much I grew that 1993-94 school year, they couldn’t help but change their tune. Besides, it gave them the most incredible son-in-law! Dwight and I met over a school advertised production of The Passion Play. We then took our passion to the Institute Building where we worshipped with Kevin Jonas. Next, we conveniently signed up for CFNI’s “Marriage and Family” class. I used to walk around the track with Mom Lindsay, but Dwight became my new walking partner—and he was easier to keep up with! We enjoyed witnessing together on the evangelism team on Fridays and attending a Messianic congregation on Saturdays. Naturally, we chose Israel for our mission’s trip. God clearly used CFNI in our marriage to teach us how to make Him our shelter. This proved vital when I was diagnosed with cervical dystonia, a neurological condition that’s like Parkinson’s disease. Involuntary movements made it difficult to stand, sit, and eat. Spasms from overfiring cranial nerves made muscles on one side of my neck become contracted with spasms, constantly forcing my head to the far left. This began our six-year journey of pressing into God for healing and recovery. I’ve learned to praise Him like my sanity depended on it.
Regardless of everything the enemy stole, I discovered that when everything’s stripped away, God is still more than enough! Against the doctor’s predictions, my health began to ever-so-slowly improve. Friends tried to comfort me, “You’ll someday write your own story.” It’s hard to imagine reliving the nightmarish details, but I trust Him. And in the midst of my ongoing healing journey, writers began reaching out to me for help with their publishing dreams. I never planned it, but the next thing I knew, I found myself in the role of a literary agent. From there, I became a screenwriter manager, dreaming bigger and bigger with God, all the while still suffering—and abiding. Then God connected me with worldfamous artist, Ron DiCianni, who nurtured a lifelong dream to see his art in the Bible. As only God can do, he joined the pieces of our God-sized dreams together. The Masterpiece Edition of The Passion Translation is now available on Amazon for preorder. The message is as simple as personal: God’s love and power in us through Jesus is limitless. My personal miracles came differently than expected. They popped in like joy bombs brightening my days. Dwight and I have two wonderful sons—one graduated from the Bethel School of Supernatural Ministry and the other from CFNI. What a joy it was to visualize the same place from where Dwight and I first held hands decades before, watching our son receive his diploma. Old seeds can produce new crops. Cheryl Ricker has written several books, including A Friend in the Storm, Rush of Heaven: One Woman’s Miraculous Healing Encounter with Jesus, Josiah’s Fire: Autism Stole his Words, God gave him a Voice, The Good Gift Giver: 31 Days of Unexpected Blessings, and The Masterpiece Edition of the Passion Translation.
ALU 16
THE VOICE WINTER 2021
