I am attending a ladies' Bible study which meets in my compound every other week. The other weeks it's across town. It's called Falling in Love with Jesus by Dee Brestin and Kathy Traccoli. One of the memory verses early in the study was Zephaniah 3:17.
It says: " The Lord your God is with you, He is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing."
During my private study the Lord prompted me to share an experience I had shortly before coming to Doha. I really didn't want to and in light of what the other ladies shared that night I know I wouldn't have wanted to. My experience seemed so small in comparison but it was monumental in my life because it had to do with breaking of the will. Building an altar of remembrance so to speak.
It was at a Wednesday night prayer service at Steephollow Baptist. Jon was gone for a month to Qatar and would be coming back for us soon. Pastor Dale was wanting to have prayer time that dealt with matters of the heart, not just surface issues that are mentioned so casually. He wanted us to share concerns that were really weighing on our hearts. My mind was on the global move coming shortly for my small family. All along I really did not want to go to Qatar. Things were going well and I felt very settled and happy in our church and community. Jon and I had had some major disagreements the past year on moving possibilities so when this job dropped in his lap to move to Qatar I was less than thrilled, especially when I looked on the map! But Jon really wanted to go and the Lord gave me peace about it. I knew we were leaving Texas.
God had provided so well for us while Jon was gone but there were some extra stresses obviously. When I started to pray outloud that night in prayer meeting all my anxieties and resistances broke through in a floodgate of tears. I think I got through one sentence of praying for Jon and then asking for God to help my attitude about not wanting to go before all the emotion just poured out. The wonderful thing is that as I was totally breaking down, baring my soul, I felt arms embracing me, hands holding me, others crying with me and interceding to the Father on my behalf. I can honestly say it is the closest feeling I've had to being carried along and lifted up by God's love. The other "heavenly" experience was the day Jon and I married. As I was escorted down the aisle with my father I remember smiling at individual people and seeing their glowing faces smiling back at me. I thought at that moment, 'This must be what heaven is like, all the saints welcoming you home!'
So I briefly told my new Bible study group my experience, eventhough their experiences seemed much more significant - the death of a child, a life-threatening accident of another's child. As I said mine seemed so small but I know it was important for me. As Elisabeth Elliot says, "When two wills cross someone has to die." I know I experienced the true Body of Christ that night at a little country church prayer meeting. I will cherish it always.
Posted by nellie at March 4, 2004 07:05 AM