God Moments
I told you how much I love sunsets. I can remember in college when I needed to get alone with the Lord and I would park my little red honda civic at the Wingate Hotel overlooking Candler's Mountain and watch as the sun set on my hometown. Sometimes I'd listen to music as loud as my wimpy car stereo would blast it. Sometimes I'd pray out loud and pour out my heart to the Lord as if He was sitting right next to me in my passenger seat. Sometimes I'd cry uncontrollable sobs. Sometimes I'd just sit quietly. Speechless.
Songs like FFH's "Lord Move" bring back memories of those "God moments": "Lord, move in a way that I've never seen before, cuz' there's a mountain in the way, and a lock on the door. I'm drifting away, Waves are crashing on the shore. Lord, move...or move me."
I remember having a breakthrough during that song with my bible opened to Psalm 61, claiming the Lord as my Rock, the immovable Rock, asking Him to lead me to a place higher than myself - leading me to HIM. It was a point where I was deciding on my job and career options and praying for God's perfect will, begging for Him to just write it in the sky. He did not, clearly, but He gave me peace that where He was leading me was to a place beyond myself.
I remember a pitch black sky in the middle of who-knows-where New Mexico. I was traveling with the full time ministry team, Exodus, and we were the counselors at a youth camp. We'd taken all of the students to a wide open field and laid in the grass staring up the wide expanse as if it went on for eternity. We were told to be quiet - absolutely still - and just listen. Listen beyond the sounds of the night. Listen beyond the thoughts in your head. Listen for the voice of God...
...and I heard it. It was there, under the blackest of black skies, speckled with bursts of starlight as far as the eye could see, where I heard Him. It wasn't an audible voice but He was speaking directly to my heart. As a 19 year old sophomore in college, desperate to declare a major and searching for my "place in the world," I knew the Lord was placing a call of ministry upon my life. I was paralyzed - not by fear but by the presence of my Sovereign God meeting with me in that wide upon field underneath the expanse of the universe that He had created. And there He was, calling me.
After three years of traveling almost every weekend and ministering in churches all over the country, it was my last traveling opportunity on one of the ministry teams. We arrived at the church in South Carolina much later than anticipated but the pastor graciously greeted us. I'm not going to lie - he looked a little like Jesus. Long dark brown hair, a full but neat beard, he had kind and loving eyes and he spoke directly at you. He paid careful attention to go down the line of team, greeting each person with a firm handshake as he cared to know each one's name. He got to me, about halfway down the line, and shook my hand. Just as he went to move on to my teammate next to me, he stopped and came back, grabbing my hands - taking both this time - and looking intently into my eyes.
"Carrie," he said. "I don't know what you're going through or what you're facing, but the Lord has a message that I need to share with you..."
I held my breath. Who is this man? How could he know I'm in the middle of a crisis? What is he talking about?
He continued, "God needs you to know you're going to be okay. Everything's going to be okay. You're in His hands and His will."
Oh. My. Word. I couldn't hold back the tears that were now bursting from my eyes. The depths of my soul were crying out because of the anguish I'd been facing in a certain situation. In that moment, the Word became flesh to me - my word from the Lord in the truest form. I don't remember his name or the church, I just remember in that moment, I heard from God.
I've shared some deeply personal encounters; my "God Moments" as I like to call them. Maybe it's too personal for some but I need you to hear something: this is the very true and personal God we serve. He is real and He is sovereign and He is omniscient and omnipresent and He cares for YOU!
I feel certain you've had these moments too, but if you haven't experienced Him this way, I implore you to seek Him. Just as He promises: "You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart." (Jeremiah 29:13) He WILL meet you where you are.
I'd love to hear your own God moments...Share with me, please.
Songs like FFH's "Lord Move" bring back memories of those "God moments": "Lord, move in a way that I've never seen before, cuz' there's a mountain in the way, and a lock on the door. I'm drifting away, Waves are crashing on the shore. Lord, move...or move me."
I remember having a breakthrough during that song with my bible opened to Psalm 61, claiming the Lord as my Rock, the immovable Rock, asking Him to lead me to a place higher than myself - leading me to HIM. It was a point where I was deciding on my job and career options and praying for God's perfect will, begging for Him to just write it in the sky. He did not, clearly, but He gave me peace that where He was leading me was to a place beyond myself.
I remember a pitch black sky in the middle of who-knows-where New Mexico. I was traveling with the full time ministry team, Exodus, and we were the counselors at a youth camp. We'd taken all of the students to a wide open field and laid in the grass staring up the wide expanse as if it went on for eternity. We were told to be quiet - absolutely still - and just listen. Listen beyond the sounds of the night. Listen beyond the thoughts in your head. Listen for the voice of God...
...and I heard it. It was there, under the blackest of black skies, speckled with bursts of starlight as far as the eye could see, where I heard Him. It wasn't an audible voice but He was speaking directly to my heart. As a 19 year old sophomore in college, desperate to declare a major and searching for my "place in the world," I knew the Lord was placing a call of ministry upon my life. I was paralyzed - not by fear but by the presence of my Sovereign God meeting with me in that wide upon field underneath the expanse of the universe that He had created. And there He was, calling me.
After three years of traveling almost every weekend and ministering in churches all over the country, it was my last traveling opportunity on one of the ministry teams. We arrived at the church in South Carolina much later than anticipated but the pastor graciously greeted us. I'm not going to lie - he looked a little like Jesus. Long dark brown hair, a full but neat beard, he had kind and loving eyes and he spoke directly at you. He paid careful attention to go down the line of team, greeting each person with a firm handshake as he cared to know each one's name. He got to me, about halfway down the line, and shook my hand. Just as he went to move on to my teammate next to me, he stopped and came back, grabbing my hands - taking both this time - and looking intently into my eyes.
"Carrie," he said. "I don't know what you're going through or what you're facing, but the Lord has a message that I need to share with you..."
I held my breath. Who is this man? How could he know I'm in the middle of a crisis? What is he talking about?
He continued, "God needs you to know you're going to be okay. Everything's going to be okay. You're in His hands and His will."
Oh. My. Word. I couldn't hold back the tears that were now bursting from my eyes. The depths of my soul were crying out because of the anguish I'd been facing in a certain situation. In that moment, the Word became flesh to me - my word from the Lord in the truest form. I don't remember his name or the church, I just remember in that moment, I heard from God.
I've shared some deeply personal encounters; my "God Moments" as I like to call them. Maybe it's too personal for some but I need you to hear something: this is the very true and personal God we serve. He is real and He is sovereign and He is omniscient and omnipresent and He cares for YOU!
I feel certain you've had these moments too, but if you haven't experienced Him this way, I implore you to seek Him. Just as He promises: "You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart." (Jeremiah 29:13) He WILL meet you where you are.
I'd love to hear your own God moments...Share with me, please.
Wow--what a God Moment!
ReplyDeleteI have been journaling my God Moments for several years, though none as powerful as this.
I reread them during the dry times as a reminder that He will reach me again either directly or through His servant.
Thanks for sharing.
Peace, Rick