So, my first encounter with an African church service BLEW
ME AWAY on more levels than I could ever describe.
On our first Saturday, the day after getting here, we were
prepared for the service to come the next day. Medson informed us that one of
us would need to preach, and all of us would be giving a short testimony of
some sort, and that we would sing. None of us felt particularly called to
preach, and so I offered, saying that unless someone else felt God called them
to, I would gladly do so. So, by the next morning after breakfast, just as cold
feet were trying to creep in, it was set that I would indeed be preaching.
I have preached a few
times while on the race, and I do truly
love being able to get up and speak about the Lord, and the ways that His love
has changed me, but when push comes to shove, I always get a little nervous
once committed. And then last month, while on an hour or so drive to the church
I was to be speaking at in a gypsy village in Romania, God and I had a long
talk about it. I was once again feeling those twinges of nervousness, and
decided to talk it through with God. And through that long and intimate
conversation, I realized that I had nothing to fear, nothing at all. We talked
about the fact that speaking is one of my gifts, and that given my love for and
relationship with Him, I would never be without something to talk about. And
then He dove even deeper, and asked if I truly believed that He spoke to me,
and worked through me. I do, so in that He showed me that as long as I seek Him
and His purpose what He is doing, that His will would indeed be done. And
lastly, He showed me that if I truly believe that He gave me such a gift for a
purpose, and my life goal was to use such a gift to change the world, then I
had better let any notion of fear go… and start practicing.
Standing in the kitchen, aware, suddenly, of the fact that I
had prepared nothing, I decided once again that there was no time or need to
worry, and simply prayed for the Lord to give me the words to share. By the
time we got to church, a short walk from our home here, I knew my basic topic,
thankfulness, and what verses I wanted to use. After giving up any hope of
planning much beyond that, I simply rested in His peace, and decided to let it
all be impromptu, on my part anyway, since the Lord had planned it all.
We got closer to the start of service, and I was called into
the Medson, the pastor’s, office. There I was told that I would be sitting at
the pulpit for the duration of the service with Him and the two elders, Willie
and Bango. I was overwhelmingly humbled
at such an honor, and treated with so much excitement and respect, and truly
felt honored for such a privilege.
After a prayer we all went in, and as planned I took my seat
at the front, facing the congregation, and so unprepared for the most beautiful
service of my life. I have never heard worship like that before, NEVER. By the
third song of the first set, every last one of us 13 world racers at least had
tears in our eyes, and some were freely crying. Their voices were haunting, and
so beautiful, and I was once again humbled in reverence to God’s love for me;
blown away that He would bring me to such a place for an experience that not
only gave Him even more glory, but made me fall so much more in love with Him.
After some time of praise, we each got up to give testimony,
and told of different places the Lord had brought us from, and ways He had
transformed us and our faiths. And then after we all had gone, sang our songs,
and once again enjoyed a few more songs from them, I was given the floor.
I preached on thankfulness, citing and discussing Psalm 100,
and the fact that we are called in Philippians 4:4 to, “rejoice in the Lord
always, again I say: Rejoice.” I felt so free up there, and so blessed to not
only speak about the lover of my soul, but to be able to breathe and rest in
His presence and truth. I was called “Pastor Lauren” throughout the service,
and was so encouraged by not only being allowed to share, but by Medson’s
excitement from my sermon. After the
service was over, I was asked to stand with Pastor Medson, and shake hands with
everyone as the left.
It’s amazing how God works, and the unique way He blesses
each of us. In offering to preach, I never could have anticipated being humbled
and blessed in such a way. The love and
joy of that church is obvious and overwhelming and I do truly feel so honored
to have had an opportunity to be a part of their service.
Now, as much as I do love speaking publicly, I do not feel
like I am called to be a pastor, not that I know exactly what I called to be
anymore; but that is another story. However, I am so encouraged by the fact
that in giving God more trust He has taken me so much deeper. And that through
trust in Him, He not only grows me more freely, but shows me how much more
simple it truly is. I am so thankful that even though He has made me grab hold
of the future that is so unknown to me, leaving it all up to Him and His
timing, even in revealing it to me, He helps me along the way. Rather than goals to be met, and positions to
be filled, He shows me the gifts necessary for that ever ambiguous future, and
urges me into growing deeper in them, and deeper into my trust in Him. I don’t
know what I am going to be or do when I get home from the race, or the years
that come after, but I do know that God has a plan for me… BIG plans in fact.
And in the freedom of ignorance, I am able to focus instead on the daily
intentions He has for me, further acquiring me to this lack of control that my
controlling nature so wants to combat, and in that preparing me for the most
successful future I could ever have. Praise be to Him.
