Holy Moment

O God!  Oh, God!  Praise God.  Oh, praise God!

Sweet shock froze my brain.
Then the emotions came.
     A flood.
Tears of gratitude when words were worthless.

We had been sitting at the table.  Talking about Jesus crying.
Father, You specifically chose this place and time to walk us into a Holy moment.

We had been sharing the things Jesus had taught us by teaching His disciples.  His preparation of the disciples concerning changes that were to come quickly.  (Luke 19, John 16)  His faithfulness to walk in obedience to His Father and letting His disciples know about the days ahead even though they did not comprehend what was really happening.  He was preparing them.  Jesus was loving them.

And we talked about Jesus weeping.  He wept twice. He had a regular cry of sadness and He had another that was a wailing, dirge of the soul.  We understood the difference.  We understand crying.

Then, I shared with my friends that I cried that very morning.  Cried because of the forced change; cried because of emptiness that echoes; cried because of the weight of foreboding circumstances on the horizon; cried for the gentleness of God's palm where He keeps me, sheltered under His wing as storms build and blow and pass on.  And praise music had played as I swayed, alone, and cried a little more because life is rich and deep, raw and alive as I walk in trust of Him.

And I trust Him.

As I finished sharing, I said, "You guys, I want to be able to dance before my God even if tears are dripping off my chin.  I want to dance with my God!"

Father! 
Were You waiting with a smile on Your face at that very moment?  
     Were You waiting for that. very. cue?  
          Were You waiting for me to put my heart's desire into words for me to hear myself say?  
     Were You waiting for my friends to hear this desire so they could see Your glory, too?  
You had perfectly planned a surprise party to be unleashed for my soul at an exact moment and You had set the table with Your Word and You had created a very special guest list!

The Holy moment was unleashed as the sound of a text flying into our presence was heard.  I glanced at my phone.  It was from my husband.  I saw the word 'benign'.

BENIGN!  "O God!  Oh, God!  Praise God.  Oh, praise God!"

The foreboding weight lifted and I covered my face and cried.  It was my second time to cry this day.  Cried till the tears were dripping off my chin and that is when my friends went into action!  One ran for the music and the other grabbed my hand.

I could hardly stand, so I bent over to help the deep cry out . . .
. . . and they danced for me, then they took my hands to lift them in the air to praise God. And we danced with God.  We danced with God!

As we sat down to close out our time, another song came on:
The Great I Am by Phillips, Craig, and Dean
and even as conversation was continuing at the table, silently I was singing in my heart.
Sitting in still-praise of Him!

Driving home, the chorus and first verse kept mixing, kept resounding in my soul:
I want to be close, close to Your side . . .
      Hallelujah, Holy, Holy
So heaven is real and death is a lie . . .
      God Almighty, the great I AM
I wanna hear voices of angels above
      Who is worthy, none beside Thee
Singing as one . . .
     God Almighty, the great I AM

Father, thank You for Holy moments.  Thank You for 'benign'.  Thank You for Your impeccable timing. Thank You for the gift of friends.  Thank You for music that helps us dance with You.  Thank You for tissues to wipe tears.  Thank You for music that becomes praise-of-my-soul.  

God moments.  Holy moments.
May you enjoy them silently.  And may you enjoy them with friends.
Love always,
Angie

ps  This happened yesterday.  And today, I am still dancing in the echoing-emptiness.  God is good.

Here is a little extra about the song The Great I am:  About the song

Hello after 4 months

Hello.

It has been four months since writing on this blog.  A time of being still before God.  Walking with Him.

I have had a chance to walk quietly back through the past 12 months thanking the Lord for the days He ordained.  And had a time to lay those days at His feet in prayer and in praise.

Here is a glimpse of that walk:

New Years Day 2012 began in my studio.  
God laid certain words on my heart to have on those walls.

January - We knew a storm was coming.  And we walked together into the waves of the storm.  
I thank God for a husband who answers to HIM.

 

February - A cold storm of the soul hit.  Shock.  
I am thankful for seasons that come and go.

March - God took me to Africa where I attended a worship service with words that would become prophetic for Skeet and me in the months ahead.  Three weeks in Africa left wonder on my heart.
A week after taking this picture, I returned home and Skeet resigned from his work of 23 years.  Friends from across the continent would send us Exodus 14:14.  Almost daily for about 3 weeks straight we would receive an email from someone . . . and they would pray Exodus 14:14 over us.  God was faithful and consistent in meeting us during the dark moments of hurt and fear and confusion.  And He gave me this picture to remind me!  God is so good.

April - A wind storm broke my tree. It was the place I would go to be reminded that even though Skeet and I are different in nature, God has entwined us to "dance" in this life together.  And the aspen is a symbol of me, the pine tree a symbol of Skeet.  

I was broken this year (See the broken aspen curled against the pine tree?)  Skeet has been a covering used by God in my life.  What a blessing.

May - All our children came home for Abbie's graduation.  And the Tingle-ettes have wings!  Both sons are in school at Texas A&M and both daughters are at Colorado Christian University.  They are precious to my heart!  This has been the best work I have ever done . . . To believe in my God, to love my husband, to say yes to motherhood, and to enjoy being a homemaker.  Rich, rich blessings overflow.

June - "Pack your tents."  That was the word Skeet and I both received separately from the Lord.  So we began.

July - The storms of my soul heated up.  Dark and hot.  And God waited patiently in that furnace with me as He cleaned out old wounds . . . by using new wounds and His healing touch. 

August - Acceptance and peace and healing began to blossom.  Bold among the rocky places God kept taking me.  He kept giving me visuals like this to remember our time together.  Humble Faith 

September - God was glorified during a weekend at Trail West where God said, "Tell them what I have taught you this year."  And Skeet came to each session, standing the entire time, praying over the words spoken, being my covering.  He stood.  I spoke.  And my heart smiled as lessons (in being empty of normal, broken, giving forgiveness, and seeing His blessings) were taught.  This was an amazing experience with God. 

October - God brought the teachings of Staci Eldridge to me. I chewed on His words for weeks after this time with Him.  We worshipped and praised and learned and rested.

November - My prayer became: "God renew Your joy in me.  Bring Your joy back.  Search me, o God, clean out my heart and my thoughts, see the hurtful things in me, and lead me in the everlasting way.  Lead me to You."  I struggled with hope, being afraid to wish for anything. 

 Hope.  Such a little word with such a chasm of meaning.  Look at the first picture in this blog . . . on the window is hung the word JOY.  John 15:8-11 are my directions to joy.  

Joy is not found to be of this world nor is hope.  Both are of eternity.

December - We were all home for 2 weeks.  We walked through traditions, walked in the woods, and walked through the past year, sharing where we had experienced God.  It was gracious of the Lord Jesus to prepare a place in our hearts to say good-bye to 2012 in our home of 23 years.  Something new is coming.  

What would your list of 12 pictures look like from this past year?  How did you experience God?

Now we look forward to the new.  "See!  I am doing a new thing!  Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?  I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland."   Isaiah 43:19

And we have spent time in prayer.  Prayer is such a precious gift from our God.  Jesus met with the Father regularly in prayer.  And we follow Jesus.  

May today be filled with thoughts of Him.  (Col 3:2-3)

May the peace of God rule in our hearts. (Col 3:12-15)

May our joy be complete as we walk in obedience to Him.  (John 15:10-11)

May we be refreshed as He is the object of our trust.  (Proverb 3:5-8)

May our sleep be sweet when we lay our heads down.  (Proverb 3:21-24)

And may we be surrendered to our faithful God as Father and Redeemer and Teacher. 

Love Always,
Angie