This past week my family and I were gone as a sort of birthday bash to me. On Friday my mom and Charlotte and I drove down to San Diego to meet my dad and Olivia and were there for several days, then dad and Liv and I drove to Anaheim where us two girls were at Disneyland for three and a half DAYS. As a Disney junkie, this was absolutely wonderful. We rode rides, met characters, and generally had a fantastic time.
But that was not what I wanted to tell you all about.
When we were in San Diego we had the opportunity to visit a friend's church. (If you'd like to check it out, go to http://allpeopleschurch.org/) It was a great message about being the friend of Jesus and I totally enjoyed it---especially as it went along with the theme of being a wild one.
After church, we were waiting to go to lunch with our friends when I saw this girl sitting in the back of the church by herself, crying a little. Seeing people cry in church is not a strange thing for me so that was not unusual. Nothing made her stand out to me but suddenly I knew the Lord wanted me to go speak with her.
About what? I wondered as I made my way over. I had no idea.
I sat down. I still had no idea what to talk to her about. She looked at me---I still had no idea.
"Hi," I began awkwardly. "I'm Hannah and I felt like I was supposed to come and talk to you." I paused and waited for a revelation to come. Nothing. So I just talked with her: I found out her name, that she was in her second year at Point Loma University, that she was rooming with---
Suddenly, I knew exactly what I was supposed to tell her.
I began sharing with this college student about a word I had received a few months ago---it was about being beautiful to Jesus and valued in the kingdom---and I knew I was supposed to tell her all of this. I told her how wonderful she was to Him and how deep His love for her was. At first she just nodded her head and smiled but didn't say "Oh wow! That's totally what I needed to hear!" But I ploughed onwards. The Lord told me to give her this word and by golly she was going to get it. Halfway through, she came undone and started crying.
Then Liv came over and sat patiently waiting till I was done sharing. When I was done, she looked at the college student and said, "Hi, I'm her sister, and when I looked at you the Lord gave me this picture for you." The young woman was sobbing now as Olivia shared that she had seen her as a white lily blooming in crystal clear water with deep roots. It was a beautiful picture and totally touched this girl.
For several minutes afterwards it was her holding our hands and weeping, weeping, weeping. I couldn't believe it---me, who never gets words for people, had just shared something that God is impressing upon my heart and look what it did! It turned this stranger into a puddle in the back row of church.
Later she told us how everything we had told her was spot on because she's in a season where the Lord is teaching her the goodness and joy of His love. She came to church run down, tired, and desperately needing encouragement and she told us so many walls in her heart were torn down because of what we had spoken. Smiling, she said, "I feel so loved and blessed right now, so thank you for being faithful to what the Lord was doing in your heart and being obedient to what He was doing."
So I am totally encouraged because I originally went over to this stranger not knowing what to say at all except that God wanted me to speak to her. Thank you, Jesus, for letting us be vessels for Your goodness.
But that was not what I wanted to tell you all about.
When we were in San Diego we had the opportunity to visit a friend's church. (If you'd like to check it out, go to http://allpeopleschurch.org/) It was a great message about being the friend of Jesus and I totally enjoyed it---especially as it went along with the theme of being a wild one.
After church, we were waiting to go to lunch with our friends when I saw this girl sitting in the back of the church by herself, crying a little. Seeing people cry in church is not a strange thing for me so that was not unusual. Nothing made her stand out to me but suddenly I knew the Lord wanted me to go speak with her.
About what? I wondered as I made my way over. I had no idea.
I sat down. I still had no idea what to talk to her about. She looked at me---I still had no idea.
"Hi," I began awkwardly. "I'm Hannah and I felt like I was supposed to come and talk to you." I paused and waited for a revelation to come. Nothing. So I just talked with her: I found out her name, that she was in her second year at Point Loma University, that she was rooming with---
Suddenly, I knew exactly what I was supposed to tell her.
I began sharing with this college student about a word I had received a few months ago---it was about being beautiful to Jesus and valued in the kingdom---and I knew I was supposed to tell her all of this. I told her how wonderful she was to Him and how deep His love for her was. At first she just nodded her head and smiled but didn't say "Oh wow! That's totally what I needed to hear!" But I ploughed onwards. The Lord told me to give her this word and by golly she was going to get it. Halfway through, she came undone and started crying.
Then Liv came over and sat patiently waiting till I was done sharing. When I was done, she looked at the college student and said, "Hi, I'm her sister, and when I looked at you the Lord gave me this picture for you." The young woman was sobbing now as Olivia shared that she had seen her as a white lily blooming in crystal clear water with deep roots. It was a beautiful picture and totally touched this girl.
For several minutes afterwards it was her holding our hands and weeping, weeping, weeping. I couldn't believe it---me, who never gets words for people, had just shared something that God is impressing upon my heart and look what it did! It turned this stranger into a puddle in the back row of church.
Later she told us how everything we had told her was spot on because she's in a season where the Lord is teaching her the goodness and joy of His love. She came to church run down, tired, and desperately needing encouragement and she told us so many walls in her heart were torn down because of what we had spoken. Smiling, she said, "I feel so loved and blessed right now, so thank you for being faithful to what the Lord was doing in your heart and being obedient to what He was doing."
So I am totally encouraged because I originally went over to this stranger not knowing what to say at all except that God wanted me to speak to her. Thank you, Jesus, for letting us be vessels for Your goodness.
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