The Richest Lady in Town - Softcover

Heatherley, Joyce Landorf

3.82

28 ratings by Goodreads

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0310271428 ISBN 13: 9780310271420

Publisher: Zondervan, 1979

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Everybody has a spiritual inheritance - this remarkable book will help you discover the secret treasure God gave to you!

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About the Author:

Joyce Landorf Heatherley, nationally known author, public speaker, and recording artist brings the special message of love and hope to thousands of men and women through her books, videos, music, and inspired presentations.

A graduate of Pasadena City College with a degree in music, Joyce also received an honorary doctorate in humanities from Azusa Pacific University. Through her 24 books, her film series (His Stubborn Love), speaking engagements, radio programs and national television appearances, Joyce has spread her inspired message of hope to millions of readers and viewers both in the U.S. and overseas. Her four record albums exemplify her musical gift and touch the hearts of people needing reassurance, hope and support in the trials of everyday living. There are over seven million copies of her products in circulation.

We asked my Grandfather Uzon to pray the blessing for the food, and in the good old Hungarian tradition, Grandpa pushed his chair back, stood up, began, "Dear Lord" in English, faltered a bit, and then switched to Hungarian. I understood some of what he said, but my children didn't. It never mattered. His prayer made us all know he was talking to God and God was listening. We felt shivers run up our spines. After his "Amen" Grandma added her benediction of "Hallelujah." And we were ready to eat. (Actually, they were ready to eat...I was still back on the prayer because I knew Grandpa had asked the Lord to "Bless the hands that lovingly prepared this meal." Mine.

The dinner, in my book, was a culinary delight and a smashing gourmet occasion. However, it was a success with everyone except Grandma. She could cook circles around everybody in our whole family, even the Hungarian ladies at her church, and she had little use of a dinner that didn't start out with beef or chicken soup (complete with those little farina dumplings), Hungarian chicken paprikas, and two other met dishes (with hand-made noodles this time), and end up with her rtes and strudel (dainty, tissue-paper thin dough surrounding apples, cinnamon, and nuts). My baked acorn squash with its buttery pecan syrup sauce didn't sit very Hungarian with her, but she was a good sport and picked her way around it. Later, at her home in her own kitchen she probably cooked up a batch of food for Grandpa to fill him up and to make amends for my American-style feast.

I don't recall too much of the conversation that glorious day other than that we laughed a great deal, and the dinner time stretched into two-and-a-half noisy, wonderful hours.

It was after the last pieces of pumpkin and mince pie had disappeared, while I was cleaning the last bit of spilled gravy off my white tiled sink that I worked alone in the kitchen with my husband. I moved my mother and grandma out of the kitchen into the living room, and as I was carefully fitting leftover turkey into our overcrowded refrigerator we go the great news.

My grandfather had vanished from sight right after dinner and without my knowledge had taken his own personal tour of our house, garage, and back yard and had ended up in the kitchen. His arms were folded over his fat tummy and there was a contented smile on his face.

To my husband, and in his fractured English, Grandpa said with an old wide man's authority,

"You know vat?"

"What, Grandpa?"

"You," he shook his finger, "You are millionaire!"

There was a small laugh of protest out of my husband, and he patted Grandpa's shoulder and mumbled something about that not being true. He intended to end Grandpa's conversation, but as Grandpa had looked our house over he had given his speech considerable thought and was not about to be shushed.

So Grandpa straightened to his full height and said, "You listen. I tell you da trute. You are big millionaire. You got this house, you got children, you got her." Now he was wagging his finger under my husband's nose.

"And you know vat else? You got God!"

Both of us were instantly struck by the profound truth of Grandpa's words. In fact, it seemed the truth changed so loudly it was almost deafening.

Then my husband put his arms around dear, wise, old Grandpa and said in a loving tone, "You're right, Grandpa. You're right!"

It was a year later that I began the first draft of the book His Stubborn Love - the story of the making of a millionaire. Months after Grandpa died, I remembered his incredible announcement the last Thanksgiving day we were together, "You are mil-lionaires!"

You see, I am the richest lady in town, not because of hoarded cash, immense investments in stocks and bonds, an heirloom collection of jewelry, or vast property holdings, but because of God's outpouring of spiritual wealth. I have at my fingertips large holdings of spiritual gifts, treasures, and yes, even power, working and readily available in me. You do too, if you belong to Christ. In fact, we have "far more than we would ever dare to ask or even dream of - infinitely beyond our highest prayers, desires, thoughts, or hopes!" (Eph. 3:20, Living Bible)

So, come on, leave whatever you're doing and go to the bank with me. I know the folks at the bank and I'll introduce you to everyone. After that, I'll sign you into the safe deposit area and together we will peek into the box of treasured riches! Some of the greatest values are found in the "Talent Account" (it always surprises me); the "Gentleness Account" (it instantly connects me with the Lord!); and the "Refinement Account" (I'd rather do without this one, yet each time I draw on it I wouldn't take a million dollars for the experience) - these and other accounts are all available to you and me. They are at our fingertips, ready and waiting for us to do our own taking.

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