Pure Worshippers
Sometimes, in any situation certain things just pop out at me as impactful.
Last week while I was still in South Africa I stayed at Backdoor, a Black Township near Nelspruit. The experience of living with Linda and her parents among the community was great. Going to a football(soccer) game with the boys from their church, picking up food for the daily feeding programs, cleaning and organizing the garage in order to store donation items, and having “tea” time with them as their God stories unfolded. What precious moments these are when I get to spend time with others who have abandoned the “normal” life to respond to a calling to love and care for a community that is amongst the poor and orphaned.
What really struck me to the core was the Sunday service we went to. The tent church is right in the community and seems to stand as a beacon of light.
With many chances to visit African churches around the continent, the one thing that always strikes me is the worship. This day holding no differences I just surrendered to the music and allowed His Spirit to guide me.
The worship in Africa is so uninhibited. Men, women, and children, all worship with freedom and passion. During a point of the service they called upon the children to come up to the front to join in the worship time.
This …was the impactful moment.
There in the front stood a group of uninhibited worshippers.
I don’t think I can recall seeing children so pure, joyous, and focused on praising and worshipping God with their hands, lives and words. This was a sight that would bring tears to the eyes of many, challenge their lives to deeper greatness, and spur them on to have a life of faith that these children held unto.
A mind can easily go to the challenging verses about having a childlike faith, and the assurance of having “this” faith for inheriting the Kingdom of God. The reflection of seeing these children intensely and sincerely worshipping the One they love and trust brought me to conviction.
How easily, one can get tangled among the routines, worries, concerns, deadlines, and future plans. What the future may hold, how to change it, manipulate it, and figure it out on ones own ability is a struggle that many in adolescent and adulthood have on a daily basis.
There, among those pure worshippers my heart plead with the One who knew me. My pure hearts desire and strong intensions has been to seek my Fathers full inheritance. I know that the Kingdom of Heaven is here on earth and to the core of my being I want what He fully has for me.
Along with this pleading brings fear, overwhelming emotions, insecurities and doubt of His and my abilities. However, seeing the children, their faces full of faith and genuine love brought me to a renewal of hope.
I have been there…many times…where full surrender, faith and trust ruled over my life and decisions. Where my life was worship…pure…uninhibited…faith filled…trusting…and real. Just Him and I.
An overwhelming amount of peace and love surrounded me. As I was reminded of how to respond and receive this faith, for the moment I was there. Entering into this pure worship…where faith, trust, and a genuine surrendered heart enter into the Lords domain.
That is where I belonged.
And it felt amazing.
