touching hearts

It's taken me two days to find a few minutes to sit down and get these thoughts out of my head so here goes...

This past weekend Sarah, Paula, Wayne, Booth and I went to Martinsville, VA to do their music Sunday (I think that's what Wayne called it). We drove up Saturday evening and met the corps officers and their family for dinner, what an amazing group. After dinner (best baked spaghetti I've had in awhile!) we drove up a mountain...or at least that's what it felt like...and had some fellowship time at their home. Let me tell you, Martinsville may be a tiny town with nothing but a Walmart and ' ollyw od' (hollywood) sign, but they sure do know how to treat their officers! What an amazing house!

Sunday...where do I begin? Our group had been asked to handle Sunday School as well as the Worship Service so we got to the corps and began setting things up. It was incredible how all of our individual projects worked together so well...their songs, Sarah's testimini, my Sunday school activity and Wayne's scripture verses. This weekend was nothing less than a gift from God.

Sunday school began, everyone was combined into one group and we met in the chapel. Sarah did some really fun bible drills, songs were sung and then I did my activity. Everyone received a white tube sock and a marker and were told to write a loving thought about a person on his/her "cast". I let them share the love for about 10 minutes before I finally had to settle them down so we could continue with the lesson, I think they could have spent all day lifting each other up!

After Sunday school we took a short break to regroup.

When worship began you could already sense it was going to be an amazing day...people were being moved with such force you could see it happening. Emotions were running high, not with crazy hysterical crying; but joyful, thank the Lord for finally breaking through this funk that surrounds me crying! It was a blessing to witness someone who had been afraid to worship because of battles she was, and still is, fighting deep in her soul break free and share it with those around so we could all rejoice for her renewed strength.

Then, I gave my testimony. Talk about being scared...scared isn't the word for what I felt. I didn't sleep well on Saturday night, I was worried about telling a group of people I didn't know about some pretty intense things. It was going to be the first time I had shared my testimony, completely, with anyone. Pretty much everyone I know is aware of bits and pieces...but no one has ever been told everything, beginning to end.

So I'm worried about telling these intimate things with strangers, not only because I would be opening myself up, but because I was afraid of how they would react. Would they find my story bogus? Poor little girl who had it so bad...while others are fighting to keep a roof over their head...I couldn't imagine what they would think of me.

When they were done singing and Sarah handed me the microphone, I could hardly stand I was so numb. My heart was beating so loud I thought my eardrums would explode. I walked over in front of the podium and sat down on the steps, and that's where I stayed the entire time. The devil tried to scare me out of telling these people what I had been through (and believe me, I was about two steps from telling Wayne I couldn't do it) but God pushed me through.

Not only did he push me through the fear but he spoke through me. I have never talked so freely in front of a group of strangers, especially about an emotional subject...I think they could understand me the entire time!!! I cried through the entire thing, but not the blubbering, can't catch my breath crying I typically do, just tears streaming down my cheeks.

So we spoke, God and I. Then I read the verses Wayne had requested and went back to my seat.

more to come

growing through His love...