And Then I Got [Dragged] Away…

I am not quite sure how I ended up surrounded
by drunken men. 

From inside the church the sounds of drumming
and praising welled up in the air. This is what I wanted, this is what got my soul stirring. From inside the church, the smell
weighed heavy, a kind of mix between body odor and dirt. From a single open space in the wall, a
breeze flowed through. Chanting
and jumping seemed to last for a little while and then prayers for the work
that was going to be done. 

I will tell you that we were in what the
people referred to as a slum area. The houses were usually big empty huts and sheets separated the
rooms. We went into house after
house and usually prayed for the women of the house to either strengthen their
faith or for their husbands to come to know the Lord. We prayed for nightmares to be cast out and we prayed for
healing. I realized quick that the
men in the community were not guiding their families to the Lord. One by one, we were told of struggling
marriages or abandoned women and children. Seriously, it weighed on me the wrong way.

One of the last houses we went to we were told
that the husband was sitting outside, he was not a believer and their marriage
was struggling. All day long we
had been drug quickly from house to house, not building relationships but
seeking people who did not know the Lord to pray a sinner’s prayer. That is not the way I prefer to
operate. I was frustrated. But this was the opportunity; this was
the time to tell someone about how much they were loved, to tell him that there
is something better.

We walked right by him, on to the next
house. My spirit sunk a little
bit. This was not why I was
here. I am not a marketing
tool. I was praying and trying to
get my thoughts under control and back on Jesus.

We visited one more house. There was a man named Peter, who asked
to know more about God. He had been
going to church, but had not felt any change. For a brief couple minutes, we shared about how Jesus loved
him and died for him. And then… we
prayed for his addiction to alcohol. Seriously?

It was time to head back to church. However, I had reached breaking
point. This was not how I was
going to head back to the church. I know work is not in vein, but I wanted to at least tell one person
their worth and the street was lined with tattered clothed children and
drunkards. I made it a mission to
talk to as many people on the way back. Starting with kids. I gave
so many high fives and before long had about twenty kids following me down the
dirt, water logged road. George
would look at me confused as I would talk to everyone I passed. He stood there smiling.

Then came a divine encounter. A couple of guys stepped out and began
to talk to me. I could smell the
alcohol on their breath and their body odor seeped into my nostrils. We met a man named Edgar, we told him
why we here. We told him that Jesus
loved him. We invited him to
church to get a Bible. He
laughed. This is where things get
a little blurry for me. Somehow
the girls slipped away and started walking up the hill with Bishop. 

I had no idea, until I looked around and saw
that George and myself were the only two left. Next thing I know I was surrounded. There was Samuel, David, Peter, James,
Edgar and about four others. George looked at me, kind of out of concern and kind of shot me a kind
of plead to continue back to church. I was happy. I told the
guys that I had to be on my way. They were still questioning, they were still seeking. One of the guys asked for money and I
turned back. I looked him in the
eyes and felt it. I told him I
would pray for him.

He took off his dirty cap and I took hold of
his shoulder. I prayed for
addictions to break, I prayed for divine encounters, for the Spirit to fill him
up from head to toe and for blessing. He looked at me; the glaze in his eyes and a look of complete
bewilderment took hold of him. I
said goodbye again and Edgar stepped up and asked, “What about me?”

I smiled, this man who I had just met had no
idea about how much Jesus loved him wanted me to pray for him. Once again, I stepped up took hold of
his hand and shoulder and began to pray. One after one they lined up seeking some blessing. I was overwhelmed with so many
emotions. George stood by smiling. The day was turning around. Here the Spirit was causing revival amidst
drunkards. It was awesome!

I was mid-prayer for guy number four when I
felt a hand wrap around my arm. I
looked to my right and there was Bishop. He had come back for me. He
pulled me to the side and told me, “We have to go.” I looked back to the group of guys, eager to be heard, eager
to be talked to, seeking hope. I
said goodbye and turned my back on them. I was dragged away.

It was time for revival, but the only thing on
my mind was the revival that I had left. All my emotions about how I had seen the church react in the past
flooded me. My heart cried out, “Flood
my soul”. Why are we here? I asked God over and over again. Something just was not resonating. Something in me was bitter. I prayed all day long. And I was heard!

Isaiah
55:6-9

 

⁶  “Seek
the Lord while
he may be found;
    call upon him while he is near;
⁷ let the wicked forsake his way,
    and the unrighteous man his thoughts;
let him return to the Lord,
that he may have compassion on him,
    and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.
⁸ For my thoughts are not your
thoughts,
    neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord.
⁹  For as the heavens are higher than
the earth,
    so are my ways higher than your ways

So here
I am. I am writing about my time
spent with Team Wellspring over the last couple of days. My heart longs for restoration in the
church. There are a lot of good
things happening and there is a plentiful harvest. My bitterness is gone, as if I had a say in it. Haha