It started last week….
But I promise you this-the Holy Spirit will come upon you and you will be seized with power.
Acts 1 :8
As I mentioned on FB, I broke my foot about two weeks ago. Not a pleasant experience at all. I waited a day before going to the doctor. It wasn’t getting better and walking was difficult, so off I went to see what the doc had to say. They took an x-ray, and sure enough the bone was broken. They gave me a stiff boot and out the door I went. Doctors orders: 4-6 weeks of boot.
That evening both my husband and daughter prayed for me. The next day, my small group prayed for me. A couple days later, the boot was off and my foot felt good again. Yes, you read that correctly, boot off, foot good, normal boot on foot.
There was a catch in my Spirit, have you ever had that? It’s like I felt the need to keep “testing” my foot. I believed it, but found it unbelievable. I felt so grateful, loved, seen. I had questions. Why now, and not the numerous other times I’ve needed healing? What is different? This has given me a lot to think about.
On to the next “happening” I decided to go with my daughter and daughter in-law, both of them were getting tattoos. I like getting tattoos, but this time I couldn’t think of what I wanted exactly, so figured I’d wait this one out. But, then I mentioned it to God…”if I get one, what should it be?” (and yes, I think He cares about such things.) The word WAVE immediately came to mind. This is what happened:
It’s the Holy Spirit wave. Rooted.Empowered.Authentic.Loved. Washed in the Spirit of His Love. REAL. Washed clean, riding the wave. Last time I got a tattoo I got this: in case you are wondering, it’s an abstract Dove. Same story, I didn’t intend to get a dove, but while at the tattoo shop a picture of a dove popped into my head. Remember the story of Jesus being baptized in the Jordan river and Holy Spirit coming in the form of a dove to rest upon him? I feel like there’s a story here.
Okay, moving on.
I’ve been in online school. It’s been great, I love it. School decided to have an on campus gathering for all online students, so my husband and I hopped in the car and drove 12 hours for three days of online school on campus.
I felt excited to meet in person some of the faces I see every week on screen. When we walked in the door, it was different than I expected. It felt a little awkward. I recognized a lot of different faces, but not totally sure of their names or where I had seen them last. It took awhile for my brain to adjust. It did. One of my favorite people was on the schedule to talk, but first we had worship and prayer. It was beautiful.
After praise and worship, someone began to talk about the waves of the Holy Spirit and His cleansing fire. ( I just happened to be wearing a shirt that says “There is another in the fire.” Daniel 3:25) Then, a kind woman came up to my husband and I and asked if she could pray for us. She prayed, then she said “God is going to bring the two of you together in a way you’ve never experienced before. Any gaps you may be experiencing will be closed by an incredible closeness.”
Back story:
On the drive my husband and I were discussing that even after 40 years of marriage we still have those times that we struggle with good communication. It sometimes feels like there is a gap, and we don’t always know how to fix it.
So when a woman we’ve never met before begins to pray about the gap being closed, I totally know God is up to something. Then, another strange woman approached us and began to pray for our marriage and family. By then, I was feeling wave after wave of deep emotion and power. Then, a third woman, a fourth, and a fifth. Wave after wave of cleansing love. Words spoken about God’s promises to me, God’s power in our family, my writing, and expedient answers to long awaited promises.
Wave after wave of fire washed over me.
We listened to the speaker and I prayed for the opportunity to tell him the impact he has had on my life. I wanted it to be easy, and when the service was over, we basically ran into each other. I reached to say thank you, and was immediately interrupted. But, after he addressed the interruption, he turned back to me and I was able to tell him the ways God used him in my life. God does this, He uses people to help people.
When my husband and I got back to our little cottage in the country we went for a walk and discussed the events of the day. It was warm, sunny with a taste of Fall in the air. Trees with leaves of fire stood out to me as I lingered on the events of the past several days. Real.Waves.Fire. Rooted in an unseen God, yet so Empowered by His tender love towards me, and His Authentic weaving of events to show me that I am dearly Loved.
How are you experiencing the power of God in your life right now? What is He showing you?
I’m excited to go again tomorrow. To experience the presence of God within His Body is powerful, affirming, and personal. I like this!
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