Anyone who walked by on September 22, 2017 could clearly hear the cries of eight young men earnestly praying over the sisters that God had placed in their lives, “Father we ask that you make yourself known to the young women here, and to us guys also.” As these words were breathed by my squad mate, gusts of powerful wind came over us drenching us in thick layers of the red African dust. The locals of Nsoko called it a dust blast or a mild sandstorm. Whatever the natives chose to call it made no difference, because to us, this was nothing but God’s hand at work in this country of Swaziland. His presence was so thick that I stood and embraced the stinging of sand and the force of the wind because all I could hear was, “Be still and know that I am God.”
The night went on and the wind died down, but His presence persisted in the night sky. The storm had kicked off what little power was in the area, so the stars filled the sky with brilliance. I have seen quite a few night skies in my life, but none of them came close to this night. The stars seemed to go on forever in every direction. The deep expanse was filled with colors that one doesn’t see everyday. Each individual star glistened in such a unique way that at first you might have thought it to be random and chaotic, but as you continue to gaze it becomes harmonious and even melodic.
Our God is such an awesome God. The wind picked up once again, and the dust lifted from the ground blowing about the land. In an effort to keep this night, this feeling of being in the midst of His glory, from fading as we slept, a handful of us guys chose to sleep outside in our ENO hammocks. We set them up, gathered our sleeping bags and pillows, bundled up, and suspended ourselves among an array of wooden posts. After about an hour of hanging there I decided that I wasn’t going to get any sleep in this storm, but around that same moment I remember feeling a wide grin sprawl across my face, because although I was unable to sleep, I didn’t really want to. There I hung, sleepless in the sandstorm, awake in His presence.
The entire night was such a humbling experience as I was reminded of the words in Job 38, “Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind and said… ‘where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth… when the morning stars sang together and all the sons of God shouted for joy?'” This awe inspiring God that speaks in the wind, laid the foundation of the earth, and makes the stars sing has chosen me to be here in this place and for that I am so humbled and so grateful.
