Since I have only been a Christian for a few years I can remember all of my Christmases so far. My first Christmas Eve involved flag waving at a Catholic church, decorations all over the house, threats of coals in our stockings and unexpected presents from all of my friends. It was perfect. My second year was just as good as my first- complete with amazing people, my first Baptist Christmas Eve service and hot chocolate around the fire. The third year was similar to the second and involved a lot of friends, food and movies. This Christmas Eve, I woke up in the Jungle, to the sound of roosters crowing.
After breakfast we hiked through through the rain back to the canoes, over the raging river and back to the house to prepare for our church's first Christmas Eve service.
For a few days now I have felt something building- like we are about to experience something really crazy like a healing. And last night I really felt like it was about to happen. When we got to the church I just felt the presence of God all over that place like a physical force. So I started praying that if God wanted me to take part in some awesome Christmas miracle that He would make it clear. So throughout the night I asked a few people in our group if they felt like they were supposed to pray over anyone. No one had gotten any direction.
As we were worshipping and singing Christmas songs (again, I don't actually know any Christmas songs so I was standing in the back with the shy kids loving on them and getting them to clap along) I was continuously praying for God to work. And then as I looked around I heard a voice say, "This is healing."
The power that our words and our actions have is incredible. Every person in that room had been personally invited that night. Every child was about to walk out with a present of their own. Every person felt like we wanted them to be there- like they belonged. That was powerful. Love is powerful. In a small church in Panama, surrounded by darkness, next to a bar and a hundred yards from the border, we were bringing light. To children with parents too drunk to take care of them. With husbands whose wives chose alcohol over them. With old believers, new believers and unbelievers. With kids who beg for money and shine shoes to make enough change to buy a meal for the day. We were brining light. We were brining love. We were bringing God. We were bringing healing.
Our Crash of Love Family Christmas Card
