Thinking again
One of the coolest things we do at this church is pray together; we break off into groups of 4-6 after worship and pray for each other. You are sitting in a random spot in a crowd of people you don't know, and then BOOM, you're holding hands with complete strangers who are asking how they can intercede for you. And you know what that breeds? Intimacy in the family. I love it.
This morning the couple we prayed with two weeks ago, sat behind us when they came in and we prayed with them again, this time introducing ourselves. Right from the start this guy is sharing his struggle with us. In his eyes I could see the desperation for answers that only God holds. And I can guarantee that God will bring him to my mind every day this week to pray for him and his wife. And here's another cool thing. For three weeks we've gone and all three weeks, the men are the first to speak and the first to pray. By the time it's my turn, the worship leader is already singing again and it's time to sit down. This is an amazing phenomenon. It's something I've never witnessed before.
The pastor is does not preach deep spiritual truths, but he preaches the Word and he leads by example, and these people follow because they love him and they trust him. It's so cool. Because most of the people are in the military, every week they have lost a family since we've been there. He brings them up, says something personal about them and to them and then prays for them. Then they take a turn to talk and they are all so grateful to have been apart of the church. It makes you want to be part of this family.
There are a few elements in this life that really count. It's not your job, because I know from experience, that it's not what you do, it's who you're with. And it's not how much money you have because for most of our lives we've been really po', and for a few months in our lives, we thought we were rich, *hello, tax return* and it really didn't feel any different because we always fretted over it and we still fought about it. And it's not where you are *unless you're in California where the sun heals like laughter and the ocean soothes like good medicine* because if you're alone, you'll still be lonely no matter where you go. It's Jesus, who never leaves, and family, whom you can never get escape because you share blood, and the church, the real church of Jesus Christ where you have home and family in this foreign land.
Yesterday we walked downtown through the Flower Festival, which is a huge ordeal packed with people and music and food and booths. As we were walking through a little area where there were no booths set up, there was a group of people standing together behind a man who was preaching the gospel right there on the sidewalk. After he stopped, the group started to sing about the blood of Jesus, and I cried. I wanted to go stand with them and embrace them like family I had never been introduced to. The kids were so excited when I told them what they were doing that they cheered. It was pretty moving. It made me think of Ezekiel lying on the ground shouting prophecy to the people, who were headed for devastation. I always imagine the people, like they were yesterday, just walking by pretending not to see or hear what was being said. It got into my head and really made me think about this times and the urgency that I should possess regarding lost souls. I've become so lax in my thinking, so self-consumed, that I've barely thought about rescuing the perishing. I can only pray that God will change my thinking, and therein, change my ways.
This morning the couple we prayed with two weeks ago, sat behind us when they came in and we prayed with them again, this time introducing ourselves. Right from the start this guy is sharing his struggle with us. In his eyes I could see the desperation for answers that only God holds. And I can guarantee that God will bring him to my mind every day this week to pray for him and his wife. And here's another cool thing. For three weeks we've gone and all three weeks, the men are the first to speak and the first to pray. By the time it's my turn, the worship leader is already singing again and it's time to sit down. This is an amazing phenomenon. It's something I've never witnessed before.
The pastor is does not preach deep spiritual truths, but he preaches the Word and he leads by example, and these people follow because they love him and they trust him. It's so cool. Because most of the people are in the military, every week they have lost a family since we've been there. He brings them up, says something personal about them and to them and then prays for them. Then they take a turn to talk and they are all so grateful to have been apart of the church. It makes you want to be part of this family.
There are a few elements in this life that really count. It's not your job, because I know from experience, that it's not what you do, it's who you're with. And it's not how much money you have because for most of our lives we've been really po', and for a few months in our lives, we thought we were rich, *hello, tax return* and it really didn't feel any different because we always fretted over it and we still fought about it. And it's not where you are *unless you're in California where the sun heals like laughter and the ocean soothes like good medicine* because if you're alone, you'll still be lonely no matter where you go. It's Jesus, who never leaves, and family, whom you can never get escape because you share blood, and the church, the real church of Jesus Christ where you have home and family in this foreign land.
Yesterday we walked downtown through the Flower Festival, which is a huge ordeal packed with people and music and food and booths. As we were walking through a little area where there were no booths set up, there was a group of people standing together behind a man who was preaching the gospel right there on the sidewalk. After he stopped, the group started to sing about the blood of Jesus, and I cried. I wanted to go stand with them and embrace them like family I had never been introduced to. The kids were so excited when I told them what they were doing that they cheered. It was pretty moving. It made me think of Ezekiel lying on the ground shouting prophecy to the people, who were headed for devastation. I always imagine the people, like they were yesterday, just walking by pretending not to see or hear what was being said. It got into my head and really made me think about this times and the urgency that I should possess regarding lost souls. I've become so lax in my thinking, so self-consumed, that I've barely thought about rescuing the perishing. I can only pray that God will change my thinking, and therein, change my ways.
awesome - I am so thankful for your new church family. thanks for posting - you can still challenge me from far far away. love you
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