This Wednesday was such a beautiful evening at our ministry. We have been teaching through the book of James and we were ending our series on the last chapter. I taught again this week; the two people I had lined up for James 3 and 4 both got sick. I have loved every minute. Not being able to prepare as much as I usually like to do has been good for me. The Spirit takes over in the best ways.
The week before, I had offered anyone a Bible who didn't have one. because James 4:5 says "Do you think the Scriptures mean nothing?" The Holy Spirit gave me the idea to have a cart of them ready for anyone who needed one. When I was on stage, and made the announcement that they were available and to go back and get one, probably 30 people ran back to get one. People started clapping at the rush! I was giddy with awe. These former addicts, some just days sober, former prostitutes, those in grief, rushing to get to the Word.
The cart was almost empty by the end of the meeting.
One lady who works at one of our local recovery homes asked me my name. She said, "You just have to know something. I brought 17 guys here tonight and they talk about you and your messages all week long. One guy didn't want to come, but they all encouraged him to get in the van, "because you might miss something!" I tear up as I write it. It wasn't to hear me. It was to hear the Word! They were encouraging their housemate to come to not miss something from the Word!
I talked with my OG girl, the one the Lord used as such a beautiful bridge for me - from one ministry to this one, one life to another. She talked to me about being almost ready to graduate and we both started crying. "Your program saved my life." And I thought of her babies and the life they would lead because their mama met Jesus, and I just couldn't contain it. Praise spilled out from my eyes. And what I always wanted to happen is happening in her life; she will graduate from the home, but her church, the Church, is there for her forever. And she's connected! And those babies come to the nursery!
Afterwards, I took a new butterfly to the grocery. As she filled up the cart with frozen pizzas, ramen noodles, coffee creamer, donuts, I couldn't stop smiling. There was nowhere else I wanted to be in that moment. I got to baptize her a few weeks ago - my first butterfly in the water - and she told me as we strolled down the soda aisle how she was seeing the Holy Spirit in so many things. She's been texting me questions from the Bible. It's a genuine conversion that is taking root in the deep soil of this formerly trafficked - now set free! - woman...
She tells me she wants to minister to ladies in jail, "because I've spent so much time there myself. I have got to tell them about my Jesus and what He's done for me."
I dropped her off with a big hug and went through a drive through for a quick, late-night dinner. I drove up to the window to pay, and saw one of my ministry ladies, in all her purple-haired glory. "Hey!" we both shout at the recognition. She told me she was sorry to miss the meeting, she had to work. Was saving up for a place of her own. After 20 months sobriety, she was ready. We probably chatted for five minutes before I had to pull up.
My sheep are everywhere around town. Shining true and genuine lights at your drive through, being your waitress, walking down the street. They're converting their friends, they're running for Bibles. Holy Spirit is blowing fresh and powerful wind into our worship center every Wednesday night and it's like nothing I've been a part of. I feel burdened and convicted to share with them that the same Holy Spirit that is in all the buttoned-up, Sunday-morning, "normie"-crowd is in them too. They almost can't believe it. And yet, they know it's true. And they're starting to hear messages that speak to that Truth. That if they are in Christ, the Bible applies to them to, and needs to apply to their lives. And that once it does, man! The Bright Light that would shine!
I had such joy and excitement. There was an electric anticipation on Wednesday. My feet felt on solid Ground. But I could tell I should be on guard too. There was an incident where a guy slapped a girl inappropriately and I had to talk to him afterwards. Someone used the woman's bathroom who shouldn't have been in there... the enemy wants to undermine however he can.
Last week I was able to go on a retreat day with the Lord. I love those days so much. He led me to Exodus (of course)... and Moses' calling. Before the Sea, before the Freedom, there was a burning bush and Holy Ground and sandals taken off. There was questions of not being able to speak well, and 'Who am I?"
"Then the Lord asked Moses, "Who made a person's mouth? Who decides whether people speak or do not speak, hear or do not hear, see or do not see? Is it not I, the Lord? Now go! I will be with you as you speak, and I will instruct you in what to say."
I've arrived. I've come back to what was probably the original calling. Yes, it's ministering to the broken, the trafficked, the addict. Yes, it could be strategy again one day. But more than all this, underneath and deeper, is teaching the Word. He showed me this last week. Fully and completely. My role in 'setting them free,' will be, I think, to do so by teaching the Word. Truth brings freedom.
Let's set them free, Lord. Amen!
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