Have you ever been under the water and felt the pressure to get oxygen? No matter how hard you're fighting to reach the top, it still feels like it's not fast enough... your heart beats harder, the thought coming to your mind - 'what if I don't make it???' You feel that physical need - that desperation - to breathe in air!
and FINALLY - when you break through the surface and suck in that deep breath of goodness, you never knew air tasted that crisp!
It's in my nature to push. I fight to excel - It's like I live life swimming through the water, staying down as long as humanly possible... And by the time I feel the desperate need for air, it's a fight to reach the top before it's too late.
Why do you think it is that we often live our lives this way? What is this drive in us that makes us push so much, staying down for so long before realizing our desperate need?
I've learned that the biggest danger is living out our relationships with God this way. We tuck our head down, push through our days and nights until we finally feel that breaking point, then we push to run as quickly to God as possible, hoping we make it in time. I'm guilty of having done that. Have you?
I think back of when I was a child and my grandparents put me in swimming lessons. I remember my biggest challenge was learning to breathe while I swam. I'd use up all my air, then almost stop swimming to suck up air before going back under. I recall my instructor telling me to take smaller amounts of air at a time, but more frequently...
Is it wrong for me to compare time with God in the same way? God honors our heart and welcomes us whenever we turn to Him - I'm not challenging that. BUT - I think we might be able to stave off some of those 'desperation' moments in life if we stay connected with Him, more engaged in His Word, more aware of His voice...
So, what are some practical ways that we do this? How do you stay more connected to God on a regular basis?
Friday, November 4, 2011
Monday, February 21, 2011
Encountering God's Presence
My first experience encountering God’s presence was at a church in Northern Virginia. I was almost fourteen. My father had been going to this church for a few months and I’d noticed a significant change in him, so I went along one Sunday morning to ‘scope it out’. In some ways, this Sunday morning church service matched the image I had created in my mind of what it should be like… that is, until I encountered God’s presence.
It started when the people were singing. I looked at the people around me, especially the young teens that were my age, and I saw the passion and joy bubbling up from their hearts and pouring out of their faces. Before I even understood what it was, my heart began to want what they had. I started to look a little more closely at the words they were singing. It wasn’t just songs ‘about’ God – they were singing right to Him! And they didn’t simply observe and enjoy the music that someone else was sharing. Everyone was involved. It wasn’t a concert. This was an encounter. A God Encounter.
I met God that day in that church sanctuary. Without fully understanding all that was happening in my heart at the time, I decided in that moment that I wanted more of God… I needed more of Him. My life has felt so desperate and ‘aimless’ until that moment. God wasn’t a “detached supernatural being who casually looked from afar” like I had thought – He was right there in that room with us. Now, my desperation was to to learn about God and get to know Him the way these other people did. And that day changed my life.
My faith journey has taken a lot of steps since then, but occasionally my mind will drift back to that day. Even though I’m a HUGE music buff, I can’t remember what songs were sung that day – but I’ll never forget the feeling of recognizing God’s presence for the very first time. The music didn’t call God down from the heavens… the song from our hearts did.
I wonder sometimes how people in our church family might answer questions related to corporate worship: Why do we sing on Sunday mornings? What does ‘worship’ really mean? What’s our goal/purpose to the time set aside for ‘worship’? Pushing a little deeper: If I were to ask you one-on-one (and you felt comfortable enough to be honest with me), what does Sunday morning worship time mean for you? Are you really able to ‘encounter God’ and His presence? How does that impact you, or does it?
Here’s the truth: It’s not enough to simply sing songs that make us feel good and happy. It’s not enough to sing songs that make us think about God… If we miss encountering God’s presence, then we’ve missed it all. Worship is so much more than songs about God or to God! Worship is a complete response (physical, mental, spiritual) to God in His fullness. And, worship of God can be expressed without any music at all… We can express worship to God through actions, words, choosing to be silent and still… (those are just a few.) It’s beautiful and authentic and even spontaneous.
My hearts prayer is that God would stir up in us a hunger for a deeper encounter with Him; that worship for each of us would become interwoven into the fabric of our every day, our every moment. That somewhere we’d move beyond the songs and allow the expressions within our heart to be released. AND that through this deepening encounter with God, our times of corporate worship (where we all come back together) would be even more focused, powerful, and life-changing - because it’s God’s Presence!
It started when the people were singing. I looked at the people around me, especially the young teens that were my age, and I saw the passion and joy bubbling up from their hearts and pouring out of their faces. Before I even understood what it was, my heart began to want what they had. I started to look a little more closely at the words they were singing. It wasn’t just songs ‘about’ God – they were singing right to Him! And they didn’t simply observe and enjoy the music that someone else was sharing. Everyone was involved. It wasn’t a concert. This was an encounter. A God Encounter.
I met God that day in that church sanctuary. Without fully understanding all that was happening in my heart at the time, I decided in that moment that I wanted more of God… I needed more of Him. My life has felt so desperate and ‘aimless’ until that moment. God wasn’t a “detached supernatural being who casually looked from afar” like I had thought – He was right there in that room with us. Now, my desperation was to to learn about God and get to know Him the way these other people did. And that day changed my life.
My faith journey has taken a lot of steps since then, but occasionally my mind will drift back to that day. Even though I’m a HUGE music buff, I can’t remember what songs were sung that day – but I’ll never forget the feeling of recognizing God’s presence for the very first time. The music didn’t call God down from the heavens… the song from our hearts did.
I wonder sometimes how people in our church family might answer questions related to corporate worship: Why do we sing on Sunday mornings? What does ‘worship’ really mean? What’s our goal/purpose to the time set aside for ‘worship’? Pushing a little deeper: If I were to ask you one-on-one (and you felt comfortable enough to be honest with me), what does Sunday morning worship time mean for you? Are you really able to ‘encounter God’ and His presence? How does that impact you, or does it?
Here’s the truth: It’s not enough to simply sing songs that make us feel good and happy. It’s not enough to sing songs that make us think about God… If we miss encountering God’s presence, then we’ve missed it all. Worship is so much more than songs about God or to God! Worship is a complete response (physical, mental, spiritual) to God in His fullness. And, worship of God can be expressed without any music at all… We can express worship to God through actions, words, choosing to be silent and still… (those are just a few.) It’s beautiful and authentic and even spontaneous.
My hearts prayer is that God would stir up in us a hunger for a deeper encounter with Him; that worship for each of us would become interwoven into the fabric of our every day, our every moment. That somewhere we’d move beyond the songs and allow the expressions within our heart to be released. AND that through this deepening encounter with God, our times of corporate worship (where we all come back together) would be even more focused, powerful, and life-changing - because it’s God’s Presence!
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
The Story My Life Speaks
There was a speaker at a conference recently who deeply challenged me. Dressed in casual clothes and with an Aussie accent, Alan Hirsch spoke so plainly and bluntly about Jesus that I was mesmerized. He described Jesus as a radical, a risk-taker, a guy who religious people couldn’t figure out, a man who spent his time with hookers and sleazy tax collectors and stinky fishermen. I confess, even though I ‘know’ those qualities of Jesus, it still felt like a far cry from the calm, clean, self-controlled Jesus that I picture in my mind.
Alan also shared a quote that has continued to echo through my heart every moment of every day since then. He shared, “Real truth must change you. If it doesn’t change you, it’s not real truth to you – your life will speak that it’s a lie.” Now, I haven’t been able to stop thinking about that… I mean, what ‘truths’ do I say I believe, but my life doesn’t match up to? If we profess Jesus with our mouth (his life, his redemption, his power over sin and death), but then our actions do not fully reflect that knowledge of Him, what testimony/message of Jesus is my life really shouting?
I think Paul understood this well, which is why he said in Romans 12:1, “Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.” Paul knew that it’s not so much the songs that we sing or the words which come out of our mouth that reflect God and His Lordship to the world – it’s our actions and ‘life story’ that speak louder either for or against God on our behalf…
My hearts cry above all else, is that God would continue to change me. It’s no longer enough for me to simply ‘know’ statements of faith or have a close understanding of God – I need His Word to be real and alive in me. I’m asking God to change me through His Word, to make me more into a reflection of Him instead of simply drawing attention to myself. I don’t want my life to misrepresent Him in this world in any way –or worse, point people away from God rather than toward Him. That would break my heart, and I believe it would break God’s heart, too.
I pray for each of us today, that we’d be challenged to ask God to reveal to us the message our lives are speaking for us… Is it the message that you want to be speaking? Is it in line with what you say you believe? Are you allowing God and His Word to continue to change you? I pray that through our life-message we could worship God more deeply and completely than we ever could with a simple song.
FACE IT - Has Real Truth really changed you?
Alan also shared a quote that has continued to echo through my heart every moment of every day since then. He shared, “Real truth must change you. If it doesn’t change you, it’s not real truth to you – your life will speak that it’s a lie.” Now, I haven’t been able to stop thinking about that… I mean, what ‘truths’ do I say I believe, but my life doesn’t match up to? If we profess Jesus with our mouth (his life, his redemption, his power over sin and death), but then our actions do not fully reflect that knowledge of Him, what testimony/message of Jesus is my life really shouting?
"Real Truth must change you. If it doesn't change you, it's not real truth to you - your life will speak that it's a lie." - Alan Hirsch
I think Paul understood this well, which is why he said in Romans 12:1, “Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.” Paul knew that it’s not so much the songs that we sing or the words which come out of our mouth that reflect God and His Lordship to the world – it’s our actions and ‘life story’ that speak louder either for or against God on our behalf…
My hearts cry above all else, is that God would continue to change me. It’s no longer enough for me to simply ‘know’ statements of faith or have a close understanding of God – I need His Word to be real and alive in me. I’m asking God to change me through His Word, to make me more into a reflection of Him instead of simply drawing attention to myself. I don’t want my life to misrepresent Him in this world in any way –or worse, point people away from God rather than toward Him. That would break my heart, and I believe it would break God’s heart, too.
I pray for each of us today, that we’d be challenged to ask God to reveal to us the message our lives are speaking for us… Is it the message that you want to be speaking? Is it in line with what you say you believe? Are you allowing God and His Word to continue to change you? I pray that through our life-message we could worship God more deeply and completely than we ever could with a simple song.
FACE IT - Has Real Truth really changed you?
Thursday, November 4, 2010
I was sung to this morning...
I have no idea what you're morning has been like, but if it's been anything like mine, we're both in trouble, LOL! Seriusly, this morning has been rough and it's not even 10 am yet. My biggest struggle has been that things have come up that are out of my routine, out of my comfort area, -OUT OF MY CONTROL- and I started to feel stressed, pushed, pressured... Do you ever feel the same way? It's not even that it was anything big or monumental that bothered me - it was just pressure that came from a billion different small and insignificant things... I felt out of control this morning, and I could feel my emotions in starting my day being swayed with each new *surprise* that came up before I was even fully awake and out of bed.
Usually as I'm waking up in the morning I have a song on my heart. Sometimes I feel like that song is a window for me to see where my heart and mind is focusing as I rise. Other times, I feel like it's a song of encouragement that God sings over me as I wake. This morning's song is called 'My Help Comes From The Lord' by The Museum. Here's a few of the lyrics to give you an idea (if you don't know the song):
verse 1:
When sorrows come and hope seems gone
You're the rock I rest upon
When waters rise and I can't breathe
You're the love that rescues me
Out of the darkness, lift up my eyes
Unto the hills, I feel my faith rise
chorus:
Maker of heaven, giver of life
You are my strength, my song in the night
My refuge my shelter, now and forevermore
My help comes from the Lord
As my morning seemed to crumble and fall as I woke up, I felt this song being sung over my heart and knew immediately that I needed to get into the Word... I decided to take a morning away from the book of Matthew (I've been going back to study the stories of Jesus's life) and instead went into the Psalms (soothing balm for my heart, hehe I'm such a girl).
Psalm 121 is God's song over my heart this morning:
1 I lift up my eyes to the mountains—
where does my help come from?
2 My help comes from the LORD,
the Maker of heaven and earth.
3 He will not let your foot slip—
he who watches over you will not slumber;
4 indeed, he who watches over Israel
will neither slumber nor sleep.
5 The LORD watches over you—
the LORD is your shade at your right hand;
6 the sun will not harm you by day,
nor the moon by night.
7 The LORD will keep you from all harm—
he will watch over your life;
8 the LORD will watch over your coming and going
both now and forevermore.
I pray that today we'd all get to stop and take time to really worship our Lord who watches over our every step, who guards us and keeps us from harm... That just as He sings over us, that we'd be able to sing back over Him this morning.
Love you guys. Have a great day!
-Rebecca
Usually as I'm waking up in the morning I have a song on my heart. Sometimes I feel like that song is a window for me to see where my heart and mind is focusing as I rise. Other times, I feel like it's a song of encouragement that God sings over me as I wake. This morning's song is called 'My Help Comes From The Lord' by The Museum. Here's a few of the lyrics to give you an idea (if you don't know the song):
verse 1:
When sorrows come and hope seems gone
You're the rock I rest upon
When waters rise and I can't breathe
You're the love that rescues me
Out of the darkness, lift up my eyes
Unto the hills, I feel my faith rise
chorus:
Maker of heaven, giver of life
You are my strength, my song in the night
My refuge my shelter, now and forevermore
My help comes from the Lord
As my morning seemed to crumble and fall as I woke up, I felt this song being sung over my heart and knew immediately that I needed to get into the Word... I decided to take a morning away from the book of Matthew (I've been going back to study the stories of Jesus's life) and instead went into the Psalms (soothing balm for my heart, hehe I'm such a girl).
Psalm 121 is God's song over my heart this morning:
1 I lift up my eyes to the mountains—
where does my help come from?
2 My help comes from the LORD,
the Maker of heaven and earth.
3 He will not let your foot slip—
he who watches over you will not slumber;
4 indeed, he who watches over Israel
will neither slumber nor sleep.
5 The LORD watches over you—
the LORD is your shade at your right hand;
6 the sun will not harm you by day,
nor the moon by night.
7 The LORD will keep you from all harm—
he will watch over your life;
8 the LORD will watch over your coming and going
both now and forevermore.
I pray that today we'd all get to stop and take time to really worship our Lord who watches over our every step, who guards us and keeps us from harm... That just as He sings over us, that we'd be able to sing back over Him this morning.
Love you guys. Have a great day!
-Rebecca
Sunday, September 26, 2010
Made perfect in weakness...
Maybe I shouldn't admit this (at the risk that my husband might actually read my blog, lol), but there has been more than one occasion in the last two weeks where my scattered brain should've brought catastrophy. I took off my wedding bands for the first time in almost a year this morning for a good cleaning, and forgot to put them back on. Tucker found them later in the bathroom. Just tonight, I left a pot of water on the stove to boil, and came back a good while later to find it completely empty (all the water burned off) - I had totally forgotten about it!
Everyone has some things about themselves that they wish could be overcome or - better yet - hidden from the eyes of others. :) And if I were to be completely raw here, I'd confess that a 'scattered brain' is nothing compared to my list of flaws and failures. I'm much more mortified with the idea of someone else having a grasp on how selfish I really am, how prideful and defensive I can be, and how down right moody I can be, too! HA!
That's why one small verse in 2 Corinthians 12 stops me dead in my tracks... "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Weakness? He used that ugly word!!! I don't want to acknowledge weaknesses about myself TO MYSELF, much less other people! And even though I know God knows all things, it still sometimes makes me cringe to realize that God knows me so intimately... He knows every inch, every thought... He knows every word and action that I said and did -AND- every word and action that I thought about but didn't follow through with. :)
But tonight was such a great example to me of God's faithfulness as in this verse... HE protected me! He prevented my kitchen from catching on fire! My 'weakness' became an opportunity for God to be seen without me muddling it up. I was able to see God's protection and provision DESPITE my mess up. :) If I had pushed through processing and reflecting on the moment in order to quickly forget it and 'move on', I would've missed capturing how God was able to shine through.
A question now pops into my heart - okay, so God can shine through in the midst of my scatteredness... AND I believe and trust that He can take a tough situation and turn it around. BUT how can He make something beautiful in the midst of my battle against pride, or in the middle of my selfishness?
I don't have answers to those questions, I'm just putting it out there. Somewhere deep within I'm breathing a sigh of relief. Though I have no idea what and how God'll do what He does, there's a sense of peace in trusting that His process brings about beauty that could never be matched by my best efforts.
...being made perfect in weakness. That gives me a lot to think about.
What do YOU think?
'night!
Rebecca
Everyone has some things about themselves that they wish could be overcome or - better yet - hidden from the eyes of others. :) And if I were to be completely raw here, I'd confess that a 'scattered brain' is nothing compared to my list of flaws and failures. I'm much more mortified with the idea of someone else having a grasp on how selfish I really am, how prideful and defensive I can be, and how down right moody I can be, too! HA!
That's why one small verse in 2 Corinthians 12 stops me dead in my tracks... "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Weakness? He used that ugly word!!! I don't want to acknowledge weaknesses about myself TO MYSELF, much less other people! And even though I know God knows all things, it still sometimes makes me cringe to realize that God knows me so intimately... He knows every inch, every thought... He knows every word and action that I said and did -AND- every word and action that I thought about but didn't follow through with. :)
But tonight was such a great example to me of God's faithfulness as in this verse... HE protected me! He prevented my kitchen from catching on fire! My 'weakness' became an opportunity for God to be seen without me muddling it up. I was able to see God's protection and provision DESPITE my mess up. :) If I had pushed through processing and reflecting on the moment in order to quickly forget it and 'move on', I would've missed capturing how God was able to shine through.
A question now pops into my heart - okay, so God can shine through in the midst of my scatteredness... AND I believe and trust that He can take a tough situation and turn it around. BUT how can He make something beautiful in the midst of my battle against pride, or in the middle of my selfishness?
I don't have answers to those questions, I'm just putting it out there. Somewhere deep within I'm breathing a sigh of relief. Though I have no idea what and how God'll do what He does, there's a sense of peace in trusting that His process brings about beauty that could never be matched by my best efforts.
...being made perfect in weakness. That gives me a lot to think about.
What do YOU think?
'night!
Rebecca
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Winning the Toughest Battles
It probably won’t surprise you to learn that I absolutely cannot watch movies that are scary or gory… BUT it might surprise you to know that some of my favorite stories in the Bible (at least in the Old Testament) are ones of battle! Why, you ask? It’s because I’m still amazed at how God made WORSHIP a KEY to victory! In story after story in the Old Testament, God gives us plenty of examples on how worship is part of His formula to overcome obstacles – even in winning mighty battles that seemed hopeless! Here is a cliff-notes version of one of my favorite battles (found in 2 Chronicles 20):
When three enemies (men from Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir) tried to attack the people of Judah, King Jehoshaphat did the unthinkable… Instead of calling his army together to strategically plan out a defensive or counter-offensive measure, he instead called every single person in Judah to a fast and to come to the temple to worship and pray. Men, women, and children – EVERYONE came before the Lord, determined to WAIT until they heard from God on how to proceed. God ended up directing them to move to a safe place, and it says (my favorite verse of this passage) that “As they (the people of Judah) began to sing and praise, the Lord set ambushes against their enemies and they were defeated.” The enemy armies ended up attacking and slaughtering each other, while the people of Judah were safely tucked away. The men of Judah went to an overlook and saw an entire battlefield full of all the dead warriors (of the enemies), and enough plunder that it took three days to collect it. (2 Chronicles 20)
I know some of that is a bit grotesque, BUT it’s such an incredible example of how God would want us to approach the battles we face in our everyday life! Here are a few precepts to victory:
- Our first response should always be to seriously seek God’s direction, being ready to wait if necessary. (Can you imagine the women and children waiting in that gathering? It wasn’t just the adult men who were called together - it was everyone!) Thinking on my own battles, how many times in the past have I tried to immediately solve something on my own first instead of seeking the Lord? OR I didn’t want to be patient and wait for an answer, so I jumped in with my plan and asked God to make it work? When the pressure comes, we should work to seek God FIRST.
- Sing and praise in the midst of the battle. My favorite verse says that it was AS they began to sing and praise that the ambushes against the enemy were set. Why do you think God did it that way? I don’t have a definitive answer to that one, but I know that when I begin to praise God, the eyes of my heart are taken off of myself… I begin to focus on God, and the things that once seemed so big, awful and impacting suddenly seem smaller and not as big of a deal. Praise changes our perspective, and in a battle perspective is everything!
- Trust God’s protection. God gave them very clear instructions on where to go (and if you read up in 2 Chronicles 20, you’ll see that He actually had the people of Judah pass really close to one of the enemy armies that we coming against them!) BUT – they trusted God. He (of course) was faithful to His word, and the location He gave for them was a safe haven in the midst of an awful battle where thousands died.
Are you in the middle of any battles today? Why not take a minute right now and re-strategize with God? Press the pause button on your normal response mode, and ask God (being willing to wait for an answer) what He would like to direct you to do. Allow Him to give you an entirely new perspective and show you the way to victory… AND – Make sure to cover your environment with praise to help you keep your eyes, heart and mind focused on the right place.
"My God is more than enough, He shall supply all my needs. He’s my El Shaddai, He looks out for me. Jehovah Jireh, He is my God. So why should I worry about the highs and the lows? The ups and the downs? When by my faith I know - My God is more than enough!” - Praise Song “Jehovah Jireh”
When three enemies (men from Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir) tried to attack the people of Judah, King Jehoshaphat did the unthinkable… Instead of calling his army together to strategically plan out a defensive or counter-offensive measure, he instead called every single person in Judah to a fast and to come to the temple to worship and pray. Men, women, and children – EVERYONE came before the Lord, determined to WAIT until they heard from God on how to proceed. God ended up directing them to move to a safe place, and it says (my favorite verse of this passage) that “As they (the people of Judah) began to sing and praise, the Lord set ambushes against their enemies and they were defeated.” The enemy armies ended up attacking and slaughtering each other, while the people of Judah were safely tucked away. The men of Judah went to an overlook and saw an entire battlefield full of all the dead warriors (of the enemies), and enough plunder that it took three days to collect it. (2 Chronicles 20)
I know some of that is a bit grotesque, BUT it’s such an incredible example of how God would want us to approach the battles we face in our everyday life! Here are a few precepts to victory:
- Our first response should always be to seriously seek God’s direction, being ready to wait if necessary. (Can you imagine the women and children waiting in that gathering? It wasn’t just the adult men who were called together - it was everyone!) Thinking on my own battles, how many times in the past have I tried to immediately solve something on my own first instead of seeking the Lord? OR I didn’t want to be patient and wait for an answer, so I jumped in with my plan and asked God to make it work? When the pressure comes, we should work to seek God FIRST.
- Sing and praise in the midst of the battle. My favorite verse says that it was AS they began to sing and praise that the ambushes against the enemy were set. Why do you think God did it that way? I don’t have a definitive answer to that one, but I know that when I begin to praise God, the eyes of my heart are taken off of myself… I begin to focus on God, and the things that once seemed so big, awful and impacting suddenly seem smaller and not as big of a deal. Praise changes our perspective, and in a battle perspective is everything!
- Trust God’s protection. God gave them very clear instructions on where to go (and if you read up in 2 Chronicles 20, you’ll see that He actually had the people of Judah pass really close to one of the enemy armies that we coming against them!) BUT – they trusted God. He (of course) was faithful to His word, and the location He gave for them was a safe haven in the midst of an awful battle where thousands died.
Are you in the middle of any battles today? Why not take a minute right now and re-strategize with God? Press the pause button on your normal response mode, and ask God (being willing to wait for an answer) what He would like to direct you to do. Allow Him to give you an entirely new perspective and show you the way to victory… AND – Make sure to cover your environment with praise to help you keep your eyes, heart and mind focused on the right place.
"My God is more than enough, He shall supply all my needs. He’s my El Shaddai, He looks out for me. Jehovah Jireh, He is my God. So why should I worry about the highs and the lows? The ups and the downs? When by my faith I know - My God is more than enough!” - Praise Song “Jehovah Jireh”
Sunday, August 29, 2010
He speaks...
There have only been a few occasions in my life where I had God speak something so clearly to me that I almost turned around to see who spoke it aloud. Most times He (God) takes a softer approach with me, impressing things upon my heart and guiding me through His Word - but it's still just as powerful, in fact it can be even more so. I've been amazed more and more about this very thing (hearing and discerning God's voice and direction) - and there's such a rich reward when I've stepped out in obedience to do something that I thought God was laying on my heart... This past week I was blown away at how God impressed something onto my heart early that morning (and I had no idea that the time that He was doing it), but by the end of the day I saw how the piece fit into His puzzle and I was just amazed at what God did. I was so thankful that His Spirit in me recognized His voice and responded to it! That never gets old or less exciting to me! AND seeing it come together on the other side is overwhelmingly joyful and awe-inspiring!
Early Sunday morning as I was getting ready for the day, a thought came to my mind of 'Rachel'. Now there are quite a few rachel's in my life, my twin sister being one, and multiple friends adding to that group. I didn't think anything of it (my mind can be quite random!) so I let it come and go like any other thought. I thought about a sweet and shy friend Rachel from church, making the mental note to connect with her that morning at church and tell her I had thought about her and prayed for her. I thought about my twin sister Rachel and her beautiful family, recalling the last phone call I had with her which was the day before... I thought about my 'Rachel-sisters', a group of women who sat with me at the 'Table of Rachel' for my Emmaus Walk... "Agh, I need to email the group!" I remembered! We even had this little group sign-language action-kinda-thing that one of the ladies had taught us, and without thought I did it infront of the mirror as I was doing my hair. Ah, memories of Rachel! God has brought a lot of incredible Rachels into my life. I even wondered if maybe I should encourage my sister Rachel to attend a Walk to Emmaus for herself! ...like I said, random thoughts. I was just going about my morning, thinking of things randomly and sharing thoughts with God - nothing profound, just everyday stuff. That was it.
We went to church and enjoyed great time in prayer, worship, and study... It's always such a blessing to be surrounded and encouraged by my church family! When the final service was over and things were winding down, I started to pack up my guitar to leave. Someone asked if I wanted to join a group for lunch. I usually jump on every chance I can get to have lunch with other people, but for some reason I said no this time around - I was feeling a little tired and thought maybe I should just head home...
As I reached to pick up my things (guitar in one hand, Bible, notebooks, bags in the other), I HEARD God speak to me so clearly - "Put your stuff down, and go sit over there." Wow. There it was. I actually froze for a second, then quickly put my stuff down and looked to see where the 'there' I was supposed to go sit was... I saw a group of about 5 people gathered together, so I went over and sat with them. They were praying with a young woman my age who I'd seen a few times before (she has georgeous hair and a really sweet smile!). I picked a seat behind her (They were praying for her and I didn't want to intrude) and I just began to pray silently along with them.
I found out about 2 minutes in - Her name was Rachel.
When they finished praying, she turned around and saw me, and I saw a light flicker in her eyes. She immediately grabbed my hand and squeezed it. I didn't know what was happening at that moment, but I KNEW God had told me to go there for a reason, and I was thankful. We clicked - we connected.
It wasn't until about 40 minutes later when I was in my car driving home that God flashed back into my memory the image of me looking back into the mirror, doing our little 'table of rachel' sign, that I realized what God had done. Her name was Rachel! Early in the morning, before I met her, before I even showed up at church, He had already placed HER NAME on my heart. I hadn't recognized or understood that was even taking place at the moment, I thought it was just 'Random Rebecca' thoughts... But God knew better. He spoke to my heart, and without understanding or realizing at all what was at hand, I simply took it in, then when the time came, I simply obeyed.
There is nothing in the world that compares with the feeling you get when you know something extraordinary just happened, and God allowed you to be a part of it. I started to laugh and cry in the car, simply because I was so humbled that God used me, so thankful that He spoke to me in such a special way, and SO THANKFUL that my response was immediate obedience - without having the faintest idea of a greater picture. (There are times when I wonder if I would've obeyed... I was tired, service was over, it was time to go home - lots of excuses could've easily shut the door and prevented me from being open and available for God.)
Lately my conversations with God have been surrounding this very idea - hearing His voice, discerning it and acting upon it immediately. I've prayed for a long time (years) that I truly want to hear not just the big, booming-from-the-heavens voice but also the soft, gentle whisper-in-the-wind from God. I truly want my every breath, my every step, my every moment to be available for God's use - but it's not as easy to make and keep yourself open and available for God as we'd like - Life would love to throw us many excuses that put US first - our schedule, our feelings, our energy level, etc... It's a tough battle, and both sides have their victories and losses.
BUT: My heart felt the rich reward of obeying God!!! I felt the joy of knowing that I had pleased Him by responding to His direction, and in honesty it was almost like a drug - I begged God for more opportunities to hear Him speak in such a unique way and get to act on it again, showing my obedience to God as an act of worship back to Him.
My question for you - what excites you most about hearing God's voice? What do you hope to see/do/change?
Love and Hugs from Cincinnati - I'm off to bed for now.
Rebecca
Early Sunday morning as I was getting ready for the day, a thought came to my mind of 'Rachel'. Now there are quite a few rachel's in my life, my twin sister being one, and multiple friends adding to that group. I didn't think anything of it (my mind can be quite random!) so I let it come and go like any other thought. I thought about a sweet and shy friend Rachel from church, making the mental note to connect with her that morning at church and tell her I had thought about her and prayed for her. I thought about my twin sister Rachel and her beautiful family, recalling the last phone call I had with her which was the day before... I thought about my 'Rachel-sisters', a group of women who sat with me at the 'Table of Rachel' for my Emmaus Walk... "Agh, I need to email the group!" I remembered! We even had this little group sign-language action-kinda-thing that one of the ladies had taught us, and without thought I did it infront of the mirror as I was doing my hair. Ah, memories of Rachel! God has brought a lot of incredible Rachels into my life. I even wondered if maybe I should encourage my sister Rachel to attend a Walk to Emmaus for herself! ...like I said, random thoughts. I was just going about my morning, thinking of things randomly and sharing thoughts with God - nothing profound, just everyday stuff. That was it.
We went to church and enjoyed great time in prayer, worship, and study... It's always such a blessing to be surrounded and encouraged by my church family! When the final service was over and things were winding down, I started to pack up my guitar to leave. Someone asked if I wanted to join a group for lunch. I usually jump on every chance I can get to have lunch with other people, but for some reason I said no this time around - I was feeling a little tired and thought maybe I should just head home...
As I reached to pick up my things (guitar in one hand, Bible, notebooks, bags in the other), I HEARD God speak to me so clearly - "Put your stuff down, and go sit over there." Wow. There it was. I actually froze for a second, then quickly put my stuff down and looked to see where the 'there' I was supposed to go sit was... I saw a group of about 5 people gathered together, so I went over and sat with them. They were praying with a young woman my age who I'd seen a few times before (she has georgeous hair and a really sweet smile!). I picked a seat behind her (They were praying for her and I didn't want to intrude) and I just began to pray silently along with them.
I found out about 2 minutes in - Her name was Rachel.
When they finished praying, she turned around and saw me, and I saw a light flicker in her eyes. She immediately grabbed my hand and squeezed it. I didn't know what was happening at that moment, but I KNEW God had told me to go there for a reason, and I was thankful. We clicked - we connected.
It wasn't until about 40 minutes later when I was in my car driving home that God flashed back into my memory the image of me looking back into the mirror, doing our little 'table of rachel' sign, that I realized what God had done. Her name was Rachel! Early in the morning, before I met her, before I even showed up at church, He had already placed HER NAME on my heart. I hadn't recognized or understood that was even taking place at the moment, I thought it was just 'Random Rebecca' thoughts... But God knew better. He spoke to my heart, and without understanding or realizing at all what was at hand, I simply took it in, then when the time came, I simply obeyed.
There is nothing in the world that compares with the feeling you get when you know something extraordinary just happened, and God allowed you to be a part of it. I started to laugh and cry in the car, simply because I was so humbled that God used me, so thankful that He spoke to me in such a special way, and SO THANKFUL that my response was immediate obedience - without having the faintest idea of a greater picture. (There are times when I wonder if I would've obeyed... I was tired, service was over, it was time to go home - lots of excuses could've easily shut the door and prevented me from being open and available for God.)
Lately my conversations with God have been surrounding this very idea - hearing His voice, discerning it and acting upon it immediately. I've prayed for a long time (years) that I truly want to hear not just the big, booming-from-the-heavens voice but also the soft, gentle whisper-in-the-wind from God. I truly want my every breath, my every step, my every moment to be available for God's use - but it's not as easy to make and keep yourself open and available for God as we'd like - Life would love to throw us many excuses that put US first - our schedule, our feelings, our energy level, etc... It's a tough battle, and both sides have their victories and losses.
BUT: My heart felt the rich reward of obeying God!!! I felt the joy of knowing that I had pleased Him by responding to His direction, and in honesty it was almost like a drug - I begged God for more opportunities to hear Him speak in such a unique way and get to act on it again, showing my obedience to God as an act of worship back to Him.
My question for you - what excites you most about hearing God's voice? What do you hope to see/do/change?
Love and Hugs from Cincinnati - I'm off to bed for now.
Rebecca
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