Bring a Kleenex If You Come

Randy has been doing a series of lessons with the theme "A Holy God/A Higher Calling/A Better Life," and words cannot express how fantastically moving each individual lesson has been. I can't really say that each one has been better than the last because they have all been truly amazing. To be a witness to the changes that God is bringing about in this church through Randy is humbling and thrilling.

Today Randy talked about praying for other people, otherwise known as intercessory prayer. Now I've been pretty emotional through most of his lessons anyway, but today I just about fell apart. He began by reading the blessing in Numbers 6:24-26: "The LORD bless you and keep you; the LORD make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you; the LORD turn his face toward you and give you peace." Then he had Peyton come up onstage and he knelt down and prayed that blessing over her. I could hardly see through my tears. He followed up by reading verse 27 that says, "So they will put my name on the Israelites, and I will bless them," and he talked about God's name being on Peyton, and he encouraged us to pray that blessing as a prayer for others. What an awesome thought!

He moved on to Psalm 20, which says, in part, "May he give you the desire of your heart and make all your plans succeed. We will shout for joy when you are victorious and will lift up our banners in the name of our God. May the LORD grant all your requests." He mentioned several people by name who have been struggling (publicly) with unfulfilled dreams, and it just caused my heart to ache for them and for so many others just like them who are waiting on the Lord and asking, "How long, Lord? How long?" And verse seven is so powerful: "Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God." What a profound hope we have in our Creator! Can I get an Amen?!

Finally, he read Luke 23:34 which says, simply, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing," and he tied that into the scriptures in Luke 6:28("Bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you") and Matthew 5:44 ("Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you"). I felt humbled once again as Randy encouraged us to visualize the scene as Jesus hung there on the cross between the two thieves, and in the midst of all the chaos and suffering and humiliation offered up that consummate prayer of forgiveness.

As he brought his sermon to a close, he talked about how we remember those last words of Jesus as he was dying on the cross, and then he told the story of my mother's final words to my brothers and me as she lay dying. I told Randy he should have warned me because his words triggered a tremendous emotional response in me that I haven't had in a while. Tears were running down my nose and splashing on my hands, my Bible, my dress, and then I felt my BFFT sit down next to me and give me a squeeze. I think she finally rested her arm on Tyler's, because he was on the other side of me doing the same thing! I didn't get to talk to T much after that but I know she'll read this eventually and I want her to know how much it meant to me that she came and comforted me in that moment.

And then came the Shepherd's Prayer, and I asked Tyler to come with me and I asked one of our shepherds to pray over Tyler, asking God to give him the heart of a servant, to give him the courage to be a young man of faith and conviction, and to help him to realize that he can do great things in God's kingdom. These prayers mean so much to me, and I feel so uplifted every time we gather to worship.

After the service my other BFFL came up, eyes bright with tears, and said, "I'm going to have to find another church, that's all there is to it." Right about that moment she turned around and saw something that caused her to tear up all over again, and me too--Tyler, Brennan and Hunter were standing in a semi-circle, their hands clasped and heads bowed, and one of our shepherds was praying over them. I am crying just trying to type these words. I am profoundly grateful that my children are witnessing and experiencing these same life-altering moments along with Randy and me!