As i sat in church today i loved how our worship pastor asked us to rethink with a fresh mind of the song that was going to be next... it was OUR song... our COUNTRY's song... The Star Spangled Banner yet with a sad melody instead of the robust happy tune we always want to sing with pics of past wars. We are in a battle ground today... each day as we live in Christ. i remember an old missionary, Leo Humphrey, once say "There is No Rest In War". We have a battle to fight. His battle!
We heard from some parents of a young man who served our country. Adam Brown Seal Team 6. How he lived his life for himself and got himself in a mess of drugs... then went to jail and met Jesus...
ok so since this is my blog i can write as much as i want so please if you don't mind... please keep reading... Jail ministry is so cool... I have a friend who gave her life to Christ and under crazy circumstances ended up in jail and chose to take that time and be a missionary to the other inmates that were there... many came to Christ. Now one of my very best friends is working in a jail ministering to women sharing the bible study of Beth Moore's Breaking Free. She is seeing light-bulbs turning on. People get saved in Jail!
OK so back on track... this man met Jesus in jail and then went to Teen Challenge an excellent organization that help troubled teens... of which there were tons of these Teen Challenge kids in church today and many of them raised their hands to receive Christ. Glory! After Teen Challenge Adam went to be a Navy Seal. A book has been written about his life if you want to read it i hear it is fabulous. He was killed and his life of Christ reached so many lives... His parents came to our church to share his message of hope. It was powerful to say the least!
so i am sitting there and our pastor asks if anyone wants to know Jesus. If they want a life that is new? Several hands went up and it seemed like alot of them on my side of the room and they were all women. i know... we were supposed to have our eyes closed but sometimes the Lord awakens my heart to look anyway...the girl in my row had her hand up. i looked behind me to see the counselors and asked if they needed help. They go to the people if they stand when our pastor gives the invite to stand and someone will talk with them. She did not stand. i could not let this go... i went around to the other side of the row and waited for everything to end...
then...The Story of RED...i knew it the second of the first word... the voice of someone very special to me who i have prayed for, who i have watched God move in her... i have tears in my eyes right now thinking of what a privilege it has been to be a small part of her life. a small girl who i got to disciple, see her flourish, see her voice mature and her life bloom. a girl who lived through many difficulties yet always turned her eyes on Jesus. a girl who's voice needed to be heard...by me, by countless young people, and you and certainly many more. You see our God gave her talent that she has never even really recognized in herself. for some reason i have seen it since the day i met her. She sings with a voice of an angel better than most voices i hear on the radio and sings with such humility. i wish i could give you the lyrics but her writing style messes with my heart with all emotion. It wrecks me. just thinking of the color Red... his blood. mangled, torn. for me. for you and a precious woman i met today sitting in my row.
After the service was over i greeted her and told her that i saw her hand was up but she didn't stand... i asked what that was all about and she told me that she did know Christ as her Savior but had not been living for Christ. i asked her if i could pray with her right there...she said yes. i just prayed that God would reveal Himself to her and that He would lead her to live a different life. One that would follow Him instead of shy away from Him. She had tears in her eyes and said, why did you come and just pray with me? Who does that? i explained that Jesus does and sends people to us when we need Him. We went in another room and she told me her story. She said she was determined to go to church today, regardless of what the voices in her were telling her...just like me it was a dreary day but she got in her car even though she needed to save her gas determined to come to church and gave a second thought as she saw all the flags thinking maybe she should come another Sunday... but nope, her car drove right in to visitor parking. Can i say... thank you for visitor parking and the spot that was open just for her. She came, she heard, she listened, she was touched by Adams story, the story of RED, His story...for Her story to be different from today on.
i am so moved by the Lord that He speaks to my heart... to go pray with someone even though i don't wear a blue vest (from the earlier post) or have the alter worker sticker on in the back of the church. Sometimes... well all the time, we need to open our eyes and see people. Lets be moved by Adams story and by the greatest story of all... Jesus... the color of RED. Let us never be just hearers of the Word but doers.
Even though i detest this sticky icky weather... i am looking forward to being with my church family today for the 4th of July picnic today. He is a reason to fellowship together and see some people get baptized. Cannot wait... now to make the yummo cupcakes. i believe they will have RED frosting today!
