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When I was a kid a loved reading His Mysterious Ways, a monthly article in a magazine that came to our house each month. I loved hearing about real life stories of people who had experienced for themselves the supernatural power and presence of God. I think it was, and is, comforting to know that God really is bigger than us and not bound by this realm that we see.
It satisfies something deep inside to know that God really is the same yesterday, today and forever and that although some of His most magnificent work is done on a macro scale for all of humanity, many of His miracles were and are reserved for individuals and reflect His love of intimacy. These stories build faith and the only thing better than reading them is living them. I lived one yesterday.
My seven year old was in day camp, my daughter and I had an appointment and so I asked my son to pick his brother up from camp. Alexa and I had just left the appointment and were driving when I heard my cell phone ring. The ring tone was the one I have set for members of the family. I told Alexa to find the phone. She couldn’t find it in any of the obvious places. ”I can’t find it, Mom. I didn’t even hear it ring. Are you sure you brought it?”
“I’m certain because it just rang. It’s Josh. I probably need to go get Josiah. Look under the seat. I really need to call Josh and let him know not to worry about Josiah.” Alexa proceeded to climb all over the car and I headed toward the day camp. Meanwhile, Josh had had a minor fender bender and was desparately trying to reach me and tell me to get Josiah.
I got to the camp and asked Alexa to go in and ask if Josiah had been picked up yet. Just as she started to protest on grounds of my questionable sanity since she had never found a phone that could have rung, Josiah came bouncing out. We headed home and on our way passed Josh who then met us in the driveway.
Josh and I were busy exchanging stories of what had happened. I was just explaining how I heard the phone ring and knew it was him and knew that I needed to get Josiah when Alexa came out of the house with my cell phone. It had been in my bedroom the whole time!
I haven’t written in a few days. I’ve just been too sad. Our beloved bulldog puppy died on Friday. It’s been really strange. I know she’s “just a dog” but we’ve all found ourselves in a place of mourning that equals losing a very special friend.
I miss everything about her. She had the most joyful disposition and it was impossible to be around her and not enter into her happiness. She had so much love in her little being and she insisted on sharing it with those around. She like to run and leap onto sofas or beds or wherever her current object of affection happened to be seated.
As I wept for our sweet Riley I was reminded of how the the Father loves even the animals He created and how much greater is His love for us. I thought of Him and how His heart must break each time He witnesses the death of an unborn baby, or a soldier, or anyone. As I said to one of my friends, my heart was broken wide open, so I decided I may as well camp out there (in that place of intercession) for a while.
I’ve decided to just stay for a while in that place of being touched with the things that grieve Jesus. If we are His friends, and that’s what He calls us, then we have to cry with Him as well as rejoice with Him.Nothing touches His heart more than His children who are lost.
I had a vision once of Jesus weeping. It looked like He was in what I imagine the Garden of Gethsemene looked like. I watched for a moment, then thought of how alone He’d been in that garden and my heart grew heavy. Then I thought, “Not anymore!” I never, ever wanted Him to weep alone, so I walked over, knelt beside Him and wept with Him for the people He was crying out for.
Maybe for some, crying for my puppy and intercession are just too big a gap to close, but for me turning my sorrow into intercession is the only way to make sense and use of grief.
My friend’s mom recently died and this weekend was her memorial service. It was two hours away, but after driving to the beach I figured I could handle two hours alone. So I set out on the highway with no one but the local DJ and was really enjoying being alone for a change.
I was headed to a little place called Moravian Falls. There is not much to it. It’s nestled in the North Carolina foothills between Charlotte and Winstom Salem. Its a mixture of mostly Christian newcomers who have migrated from all over the country in the last decade and the natives of the area who have been there for generations. Well I didn’t pay attention and cruised right past my cut off and ended up in Winston Salem. I got directions and back on the right road. I really didn’t know where to exit so I got off at a place that I knew was close. Basically for the next several hours I stopped and talked to people (since my cell phone was out of power and I couldn’t call my friends) until I got to my destination.
Six hours after setting out, I surprised my friends who thought I’d given up and gone back to Charlotte. They’re relatively new friends, so they don’t know “giving up” is not something to count on me doing.
It turned out to be an awesome weekend. I met wonderful new friends, one of whom I stayed up with until 5:00 a.m. talking! I got to reconnect with old friends I hadn’t seen in years, one of whom (with a little extra help) I danced with on the patio. We prayed and worshipped and I even got baptized, again, for the third time!
It was so good that I called Ryan the next day and got him to come up with the kids! It was such a time full of the life of God. Isn’t it just like Him to show up like that at a memorial service? My friend set out to celebrate life in honor of her mother and Life Himself came and was the center of it all!
