This is my friend Demi's daughter Alana. I think she's about three years old...and worshipping for the first time at a Mosaic service. Can you believe this? This is so great and beautiful...this is how we are to be. Like children, dancing before the Father. What an inspirational picture!This weekend, I got another picture of true worship. There's a man at my church named John who is involved in the Cleansing Stream ministry--a very intensive ministry that relies a lot on heavy intercession and prayer. In the past 6 months, John has lost both his youngest daughter and his wife (these tragedies occurred less than 5 months apart). One was unexpected, the other resulted from a longtime illness, and both were obviously major blows to this man and the rest of his family. I cannot imagine the grief John has had to endure in such a short period of time. I think I would hide from the world and forget my ministry for a while--whatever it may be.
But he didn't.
The week after his wife died, I saw him at church, worshipping God and serving as usual. It blew my mind. How could he do that? How could he show up, worship, and carry on with his ministry, let alone function at all? And yet, there he was, raising his hands to our faithful God, declaring that He is indeed faithful and merciful and just.
If that isn't a picture of true worship, I don't know what is...and from where I stood on the stage, I felt like maybe we needed to trade places.
So today was the last day of the Cleansing Stream Retreat. I went as a participant this time, and the last session was on the baptism of the Holy Spirit. As I went up to receive prayer for a fresh filling of the Spirit, it just so worked out that John, whom I had not formally met, was available to pray with me. And as he anointed me with oil, I felt honored--truly honored--to have this man, this true worshipper, pray for me to grow in my own worship.
God, let it be so! Let me have the same dedication, the same connectedness, the same soul-knitted bond that John shares with You. Thank You for this example, and please, please restore back to him a hundredfold what has been taken away. May he know peace, joy, and safety as he truly rests in You. Amen.
2 comments:
good post.
reminds me of this young girl (Paris), i think she is 4, who is the daughter of one of our media volunteers. Everytime I see her at services she is up dancing before the Lord and worshipping with her hands high in the air.
How amazing is that picture of Alana? The first time I saw it, I was definitely teary-eyed. Kids are so pure and innocent to begin with and then to see them unabashedly worship their creator...whew. That's enough to bring anyone back to the true stripped bare emotion that connects us to God.
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