my church away from church

Family Christian Stores is open on Sundays.

(Whether or not you agree with a Christian ministry being open on Sundays is irrelevant to this particular post; in fact, if you indeed disagree, just ask your pastor what day s/he takes as a Sabbath rest. I guarantee you s/he will not say Sunday...or do you not consider preaching a type of work?)

Sarcasm aside, I was unable to attend my local church gathering today because of work. And WOW, what an incredible day of "church" away from church. Allow me to share....

On my way to Kalamazoo, just like any other morning, I drove through the pre-dawn darkness with WCSG radio turned up. Sunday mornings are typically the best for Christian radio because of the emphasis on the sub-genre of "worship". But unlike any other morning, every song I heard from the driveway to the parking lot was a major "favorite" of mine. Every song I heard became a catalyst to open my heart and stir my soul.

And then I felt God. Or rather, like a rushing wind,
the Holy Spirit came over me.
filled me.
washed over me.
flowed through me.
broke me.

My chest felt like it was going to implode, then explode in a thousand pieces because of the love of God. I didn't ask for it; in fact, I've come to believe that ever since I became a Christian, I have been filled with and sealed by the Holy Spirit. But for some reason this felt physically and spiritually....different. Wonderfully different. Like God's Spirit was talking physiologically to my spirit.

And the only way for me to process this movement was to bawl my eyes out. (Good thing I could still see the road...)

Then the Holy Spirit quietly spoke to my spirit: "Bear witness of Me....bear witness....something mighty is going to happen today."

Um, okay! (I have learned through experience to never disobey the Holy Spirit.)

I arrived at the store, one hot glorious mess, still in wonder of what I had just experienced. And the Lord began reminding me of phrases from Scripture: be still; I know the plans I have for you; your life is a vapor; love one another; love covers a multitude of sins, etc.

Bear witness. Okay, so how was I going to do that? I trusted the Lord to supply the opportunity, and YES HE DID! My husband and I have been careful to pay all of our January bills as soon as we could so we would have the opportunity to FINALLY purchase a flat-screen TV (more of my husband's request than mine, but that's another story for another time, haha...). I've been learning how to act more generously with the resources I've been given, so I sprung for pizza for my co-workers, and wrote that off as my generous deed for the day.

Wrong.

As soon as we opened the store at noon, a young woman busted through the door, cold, hands and face dirty, smelled of cigarettes, tears in her eyes. "Can anyone help me?" she asked. "I feel sooo embarrassed but I ran out of gas and my gas gauge is broken. Do you have any change? I have a gas can with me! I'm sooo embarrassed..." and she began to weep. I offered her a hug, inhaling some second-hand cigarette smoke on her jacket, and then I heard it again: Bear witness!

Crap.

As much as I wanted to think "there goes the flat-screen TV fund", I knew right away it was a pretty pathetic thought. And I knew this was that opportunity.

"Grant, can you hold the fort for a minute? I'll be right back."

I left with the young woman, Jessica, across the street to Speedway.

"Thank you SO much," she said. "Tell them I'm on number five."

"Okay," I replied. Then I heard it again: "Bear witness....get a $20 gas card."

But I just bought pizza! I thought. Again, pathetic. Don't worry, just get the gift card and be glad you can...

I bought a gallon for the gas can and the $20 gas card and took it out to Jessica. She continued expressing gratitude as we walked back toward her car...

"Thank you again soooo much....God bless you! My brother is laying in the back seat of the car because he's got the H1N1 virus and though we went to the doctor already, I'm probably going to need to take him to the hospital and I wasn't sure how we were going to get there.....thank you again soooo much, bye!!"

What the?!

Jessica ran off ahead of me to put the gallon of gas in so she could leave, and I went back into the store.

A ten-minute God moment. Wow.
Bear witness....something mighty is going to happen today.

This story is not about me or the fact that I gave $20 to a total stranger to put gas in her car.
This story reveals the glory of God and the power of the Holy Spirit to change lives.
I said the Holy Spirit broke me, right?

Psalm 24 sums it up quite well:

¹ The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it,
    the world, and all who live in it;
² for he founded it on the seas
    and established it on the waters.

³ Who may ascend the mountain of the Lord?
    Who may stand in his holy place?
⁴ The one who has clean hands and a pure heart,
    who does not trust in an idol
    or swear by a false god.^[a]

⁵ They will receive blessing from the Lord
    and vindication from God their Savior.
⁶ Such is the generation of those who seek him,
    who seek your face, God of Jacob.^[b][c]

⁷ Lift up your heads, you gates;
    be lifted up, you ancient doors,
    that the King of glory may come in.
⁸ Who is this King of glory?
    The Lord strong and mighty,
    the Lord mighty in battle.
⁹ Lift up your heads, you gates;
    lift them up, you ancient doors,
    that the King of glory may come in.
¹⁰ Who is he, this King of glory?
    The Lord Almighty—
    he is the King of glory.