My precious friend called from Phoenix today to share something that had happened at her church. (I share with her permission.) The praise team was playing soft music, and people were in quiet reflection.
“As I sat there,” my friend said, “the Lord gave me profound insight into a wound I’d had from my father since before I left home. God revealed a lie I had believed about how I thought my dad viewed me, and He told me the truth about the situation, which set me free. I nearly burst into tears, but I did my best to keep myself together… Then the music ended sort of suddenly, and this woman was just wailing in tears. This is NOT a charismatic church, so this was not a normal event! Everyone looked around as the pastor walked to the front, wondering how he was going to handle this. He looked in the direction of the woman and said softly, ‘I love when the Holy Spirit is at work.’ Aah! Everyone relaxed. She got herself together, as he began to teach. I realized that the Holy Spirit was obviously working in more than just me! And I was grateful that the pastor was okay with that and put everybody at ease.”
What a beautiful story. I love that the pastor was not threatened but embraced what God was doing. Isn’t that why we go to church, to experience God? Isn’t that what the pastor, a good pastor, wants for his people–For God to be present and active?
I am profoundly grateful for the Holy Spirit in the lives of believers. I’m grateful that He’s always doing something wonderful in us. I am grateful that He doesn’t ask us to hold it all together — which is exhausting — but to fall apart in Him. What a relief.
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