a time of refreshing

My friend Missy and I went to a nearby church last night to hear Jim Cymbala speak.  I don't know what I was expecting, but what last night ended up being wasn't what I thought it'd be.  I had kinda gotten out of the mood of going to the service, even though I knew it'd be good, but life happens, and I ended up feeling frustrated and kinda tired/defeated by the time rolled around that Missy said she'd come and get me.

It was a bit of the same for her.  She had someone come to her house, and they ended up sitting there talking the whole time, and when she came to get me, she had run out of time and hadn't eaten dinner.   Plus, her son and his wife were coming over.  We even joked about just going back to one of our houses to watch it via the live stream that Bellevue said would be available.  But we kept going, realizing that if both of us were feeling like we didn't want to go, that we should go, because that meant the enemy didn't want us there.

I'm so glad she's so stubborn.  ;)

Also, the whole way there, we talked, I cried a little, and by the time we arrived at Bellevue thirty minutes later, I was already feeling lighter.  Sometimes I just need to be reassured that my kids aren't the only ones who sometimes make me feel crazy.  (More about that in a different blog post.)

We were a few minutes late, because we went to a wrong building at our first attempt to go in, and by the time we parked and hiked to the church (it is HUGE), the music had started.  This was so refreshing for me to sit and be a part of.  Usually I'm one of the ones helping lead in worship, either in the choir, or on a praise team down front.  I love doing both of those, by the way, and am honored to be able to serve in that way, but sometimes it's so nice to just participate.

The time of praise and worship was wonderful.  The presence of the Lord was already so evident, but it just kept getting better as the night went on.  When Jim came up to speak, he spoke on prayer, which is one thing he is passionate about.  The Brooklyn Tabernacle is known not just for their choir and his wife who leads them, but for their Tuesday night prayer meeting.  He spoke for a little while, and then we just started praying.

In looking on YouTube this morning for a testimony of a man he shared about, I came across this.  This is so close to what he said last night, and if you have the time, listen to it.  It's only about five minutes long.

 

The reason I'm even going on and on about this is because I have been struggling with having a consistent quiet time lately.  I've been reading in my bible most days, but I've been neglecting the prayer portion.  I wrote about my notebook a week or so ago, mentioning this, but things never really got any better after that post.  Part of the issue has just been me.  I've been up too late, not sleeping enough, and I've been waking up already tired.  Partly it's laziness I'm experiencing.  Some days it literally feels like I am in a rut, and I can't get out.  It could be because I've taken on some of the burden one of my kids has been carrying.

I went in last night having no idea that he would be speaking on prayer, and not even really knowing how much I needed to hear (and then experience) about that topic.  It is no coincidence, though, I will tell you that much.  God knew, and of course the whole night was exactly what I needed to hear.  He is so very faithful, though, and He knows our hearts, and He listens when we pour out our hearts to Him.  I guess I write this to encourage someone.  If you're feeling discouraged or let down, or frustrated at all, then I want to encourage you to pour it out to God.  He already knows, but the confessing it to Him is what makes the difference.  It's like He takes all that is weighing down our hearts and puts it onto Himself.  He truly does lift every burden.

If you are a part of my family, then know that I prayed for you last night.  God hears the cries of our hearts.  I trust Him with all that I prayed for, and I believe that He will answer accordingly.   I believe a time of refreshing is coming your way, so keep your eyes fixed on Jesus.

Love to all.