Ask and you shall receive
A few weeks ago (11.18.14,) I attended a tent church with some friends of ours from Hope House. The bus picked us up and we worshipped Jesus all the way there. I knew it was going to be an awesome day when we got on the bus and were welcomed with smiles and gospel music.
At most African churches we’ve visited, there are usually 2 sermons during the service. The first Pastor got up to speak about the Holy Spirit. He spoke on how the Holy Spirit was life, like a breath. And that the Holy Spirit is always with us. One of the things God has taught me on the Race (and tried before,) is that He is always with me. I think I’ve mentioned wind is one of my favorite parts of nature because you can’t see it, touch it or know where it comes from; but I feel like it is God giving me a hug or something. I thought it was really cool the service would start off with something I related to and needed to hear at that time.
During the second sermon, I heard God again through the Pastor. Most people in the church had no idea who we were, they only knew our names and states we were from, so it was a little weird when I thought I heard the pastor referring to me in his sermon. He said something to the affect of ‘one of our visitors has some family problems and we will remember to pray.’ I kinda looked around and wondered if it was about me. I was still getting to know the three other Racers that went with me that day, but couldn’t figure out if it was one of them. I tried to take my mind off of it to pay attention to the rest of his sermon.
After the service was over, the second pastor came and greeted us. He greeted me by asking if my parents were alive, and when I said yes, he said, ‘but they haven’t been together for a long time now?’ And I told him they had divorced when I was a baby. He replied,’ God gave me a word for you in my sermon, did you hear it?’ I said yes and he said he would continue to pray for me and my family.
All this to say, God does talk to all of us. Sometimes it is in the quiet whisper, the cool breeze on a hot day, a gorgeous sunset behind mountains or over the plains, a child’s smile, a friends hug, or an African preacher’s sermon.
God heard me through my frustrations of not being able to hear Him or wondering if I was listening hard enough, and He just shouted out to me.
