Today is an absurdly beautiful day. I got up early and the sun was shining. I walked outside and it smelled like melting snow, damp earth, and thawing grass–the smell of Spring! I can’t tell you what a relief it is to no longer have to fight and pray tooth and nail to keep my extremities from going numb. Or maybe I can: it’s a huge relief!
I noticed in prayer ministry as well that people were (locally at least) less depressed than usual. Not to say that anyone calls in to get God to help them with how happy they are. . .obviously I hear dozens of struggles and heartaches. But was anyone at the end of their rope? No, not really. Although maybe that’s not the truth, maybe my joy and delight over this lovely gift of a day have coloured all my encounters a rosy hue and protected my heart with a shiny glee-barrier. Even the bus people looked happier than usual. And I saw a red balloon float up across the perfect blue sky.
On days like this it’s easy to notice God saying hello in His little ways.
I greatly desire to be more obedient to God. God has been asking me to be more and more bold, and therefore I submitted a new piece to a rather large paper today. That in itself doesn’t require much boldness–I’m a writer after all, He made me that way. But the nature of the piece is personal, creative, and risky. If it gets rejected, I won’t know where else to send it. If it gets accepted, I won’t know how people will react. Risk is beautiful though, because if there is no risk in your life you never have any real need of God’s power. There are no miracles inside the boat, it’s when you step onto the water that things get interesting.
I’m reading a book called “Dreaming with God” by Bill Johnson. I’m only a tiny bit of the way in, but already I feel my heart thrumming with the thrill of revival. Not just for myself–although I fully expect to scour the pages for every last detail that applies to me and put it into action with all the passion God and I can muster–but for the people around me. I expect to see the world turned upside down in my lifetime, upside down for love and truth and creativity. It’ll start in many places, geographically speaking, but in only one place spiritually: the heart of the church. In other words, in our hearts. I’m loving the way it’ll look in my neck of the woods, and excited about how it will look elsewhere. For years I’ve had dreams of churches made up of individuals, filled with art and invention and music and movement. This book encourages me that my dreams are legitimate, and that others share them, because we all share God.
In the same way it was beautiful to feel the entire nation of Canada connected when we fought for hockey gold at the olympics, it is beautiful to feel the entire body of Christ connected when we fight for revival. Aren’t you just on the edge of your seat?
Speaking of my seat, it’s about time for me to get out of mine. Errands call, and then I have the immense privilege of fetching my boyfriend from work and going up to church with him. Smack dab in the middle of the week, and I get to bask in the presence of God, dance, sing, and hear some loving words of wisdom. Again I am convinced that God’s commands are for my good…what I would miss out on if I weren’t part of my church family! I love this in Psalm 68:
“A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows,
is God in his holy dwelling.
God sets the lonely in families,
he leads forth the prisoners with singing…”
So true! Been there, done that. As my friend would say, “What a Guy! How can you not love a Guy like that?”
And….end scene.
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