INTERVIEW WITH lINDA KOZAR

by Deborah Malone and Rita Prochazka

Questions by Rita:

Welcome, Linda, can you share some of your testimony with our readers?

“This is from an article I wrote about our family miracle and testimony.”

“Heart of Our Hearts”

“The grass withers, the flower fades, but the Word of God stands forever.” Isa. 40:8

Some believe that Jesus healed the sick way back when but have trouble accepting that He is our healer today (I Peter 2:24 ESV). Do you fall into that category, or is He your very present help in times of trouble? If you believe and rely on Him and trust in the power of His Word, it is likely that you have some amazing testimonies to share. If a life and death situation, exercising full-throttle faith is not an option; it’s a necessity.

On New Year’s Eve of 1988 my father had a series of heart attacks. His condition was extremely serious and the prognosis poor. Four arteries leading to his heart were blocked and severely damaged. One valve was leaking blood, and the doctors discovered an aneurysm in the outside wall of his heart that could rupture at any time, resulting in instant death. Doctors tentatively scheduled surgery but were waiting to see if he could gain enough strength to live through it. Poised between life and death, his poor heart struggled to continue beating.

Dad was forty-seven when he was hospitalized for the first time on Valentine’s Day, 1975. But unlike his own father who died of a heart attack around that age, he lived, attributing his survival of modern medicine and lifestyle changes. However, in the course of time between his first heart attack so long ago and this incident, most of our family, except for Dad, had asked Jesus into our lives.

So we watched and waited and prayed. And one night, after and exhausting day at the hospital, the family gathered in our parent’s kitchen. My mother was preparing to return to the hospital to spend the night at Dad’s side, but before she left, we decided to pray together. Filled with the hope of God’s promises, we formed a circle and joined hands, each sharing a desperate prayer for our father to live.

Our hearts were broken emotionally as our father’s was physically.

My brother was the last to pray, and he felt strongly prompted by the Lord to pray the prayer of King Hezekiah over our father.

In Second Kings, Chapter 20:1-6 (KJV), the Prophet Isaiah was sent to King Hezekiah by God and said unto him, “This saith the Lord, set thine house in order; for thou shalt die, and not live.” Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and wept bitterly and repented. So God answered, “…I have heard your prayer, I have seen the tears; behold, I will heal thee…And I will add unto thy days fifteen years…”

My brother continued praying, “Lord Jesus, we ask that You grant to us the life of our father. Let him live another fifteen years as you did Hezekiah.”

The strength of that prayer did not shake the earth or startle us. It was a simple heartfelt prayer that we agreed upon in the presence of God. But on the night before his operation, we all visited Dad, and something amazing happened. My brother asked him if he wanted to receive salvation. To our surprise and delight, he agreed. That very night, Dad asked Jesus to be his Lord and Savior!

Our father was deemed strong enough for surgery on Valentine’s Day, 1989. And after the surgery, his condition instantly improved. After a quadruple by-pass, he began an astonishing recovery. We discovered that the surgeons found absolutely no trace of the leaking valve, or “fatal” aneurysm in the wall of his heart! Dad was transformed inside and out and six weeks later, was able to proudly walk me down the aisle at my wedding.

In the years that followed, our parents became grandparents to a total of nine grandchildren. And as the years passed, so did our memory of that prayerful night. We had long ago forgotten the details of that prayer, until the close of the fifteen years approached.

Dad contracted bronchitis, be seemed to be doing all right. Doctors prescribed medicines which seemed to work. An x-ray revealed that his lungs were clear. However, both my mother and brother remembered the prayer of fifteen years earlier. The illness seemed to call up the echo of its spoken word. They both realized that 2004 was the fifteenth year but said nothing to the rest of the family to keep us from getting anxious. Perhaps God would let him live longer, they reasoned. After all, he seemed fine.

God is never late, never early, but always right on time.

A flower fades, dries and crumbles to dust, but its fragrance remains for a while. The fragrance of that one special life remains with our family, and it is sweet indeed. Our world, did not come to an end the day Dad died, though we all imagined it would. Though we missed him desperately, our lives continued.

Although his absence seemed unbearable in the beginning, we remembered the prayer and understood God had indeed granted us the desire of our hearts. He gave our father exactly what we prayed for, fifteen more years of life! We were, and are indeed grateful, and even more so with the eternal perspective, that we can look forward to a joyful reunion with him in Heaven.

In your walk with God in this season of your life, what have you learned?

What I’m learning in this season is to continue to trust God for everything. I gave my life to Christ in 1986 and have been learning and growing in Him since that time. The more I think I know about Jesus, the more I discover that I have a lot to learn. Every time I open my Bible, I find out something new about Him.

How have you prepared/been prepared for your ministry?

Preparation for any ministry begins with a clear call from God. Other people will try to fill a church need with a warm body, and even go so far as to say they were praying about who to ask and your name came up. But if God didn’t call you to it, don’t do it. Why? Whatever you sign up for will not be a praise and joy to God, it will be a burden, and you’ll be hard-pressed to share the love of God when people see how miserable you are. Some folks only want to volunteer to do things that put them in the spotlight or bring them recognition.

When I speak of God’s call however, I mean whatever postition God calls you to. That volunteer job might be mopping the church bathroom, or preparing Wednesday night church supper, or greeting on Sunday, or serving on a committee. Whatever the job, do it in God’s favor and calling and do it with all your might. People ask me how I have been able to host and teach a woman’s bible study in my home for thirty-one years and the answer is, “I was called.”

Questions by Deborah

Linda, what would be your advice to other “seasoned” women on ways to stay active in ministry?

We make time for the things we want to do in life. But if you’re not involved in some way in growing your father’s kingdom, your priorities need a readjustment. When you go about your Father’s business, that little change will bring you more happiness and fulfillment than you could ever imagine.

Can you share a little about your ministry with our readers, Linda?

Thirty-one years ago, Linda cried out to God and asked him to use her in some sort of a ministry. She felt a call in her heart to minister to women and wanted to create a safe place for women to study God’s Word, to pray, and share their feelings.

“I’d been to bible studies with ice breakers and formalities, and felt such a strong need to connect with other women in a place where we would feel comfortable sharing our struggles and problems so we could encourage and exhort one another.”

The bible study called “Babes With a Beatitude,” meets in her home every Tuesday going on thirty plus years, and the study is still going strong. The lessons are from the bible alone. There are no study course books to buy and no fees to attend. Women started telling the friends and inviting them to the group. Soon women from other Christian churches started attending. Now, the women are all from different Christian churches.

“God called me to this ministry to women and He gathers them there every week. Though we worship differently on Sunday, when we come together every Tuesday morning, we are one in Christ.”

What challenges have you had to overcome in this time of your “seasoned” ministry?

The biggest challenge is allotting time for everything I want to aspire to do and still make time for fun with family and friends.

Linda thank you so much for stopping by and sharing such a wonderful testimony and interview with us. I know your words will be an encouragement to others in their winter season.

Bio: Linda Kozar is an award-winning multi-published author of traditional and indie-published fiction and nonfiction books with a Southern flair. Linda and her husband Michael live in The Woodlands, Texas and enjoy spending time with their grown daughters, the wonderful son-in-law, two grands Eden and Wesley, and Gypsy their rascally Jack Russell Terrier.