About two Sundays ago, I had a memorable worship time out on my porch. It was a beautiful hot and sunny day, and I sat on my porch overlooking the street and the hostel yard. I have been spending a lot of time out there recently with God.
I was playing my guitar when one of the dear girls from the hostel (who will remain nameless here) came into my room. I invited her onto my porch. While out on the porch, we had church together. We love to sing contemporary praise songs together, so she asked if we could sing some together.
I was feeling spiritually depleted, like I was running on empty. My mother had just left and things felt strange and new all over again for a few days. As she and I sat there and began to sing, I felt our spirits mutually lift. We entered into a time of real worship, something that I had really been missing out on for too long. The Holy Spirit was there as we sang together and the tears flowed for both of us. I started crying first, and I said, "I'm sorry, nothing's wrong, I just cry when I worship," and opened my eyes to see her tearfully say, "Me, too!" We sang and sang and sang and prayed while singing, simultaneously in English and Malayalam. I felt our spirits really connect in worship together.
We decided to read the Bible together. I said, "Let's each just pick a place to read aloud," and we both turned to Psalm 139 at the same time, and then proceeded to start crying again! We read the Psalm over and over, really letting His peace settle on us. I played a song based on some of the verses from the Psalm, and then played for a song my best friend Susan has out on her new CD, "Steady Me," called "Fearfully & Wonderfully Made," also based on Psalm 139. We talked about which verses in the Psalm speak to us.
Shortly after, my friend opened up about her father's recent sudden and tragic death, of which I was previously unaware. We talked and cried together for a long while, and we had at time of deep, restorative, healing prayer. Our time together created a special friendship that has been growing since.
I continue to be amazed at the beauty of the girls of Lea Hostel. They are extraordinarily beautiful girls, inside and out. Their faith is so real, their friendships so deep. I feel that the deep love of these girls has healed a part of me somewhere. As we continue to grow in relationship together, I begin to discover their individual stories, stories often filled with immense heartbreak or challenge. Yet their joy is unmarred, and they are extraordinarily innocent. They truly listen to one another, they walk around holding hands together, frequently going about in pairs, where you never see one without the other. The depth of their ability to love and the purity and trusting nature of their hearts leaves me speechless. I am so thankful for these girls. (What am I going to do when I suddenly don't have 140 sweet little sisters to sing with me and play with my hair and play games with every night?) It would have been worth it to come all the way to India just to see them. No matter what happens during the day, I can always come home to my sisters at Lea Hostel who will shower me with their goodness. I see Jesus so clearly in each one of their smiles. They are each so precious, so unique, so wonderfully and expertly made in His image.
(Please check out my best friend Susan's new-and first-album, "Steady Me." Along with being a devoted follower of Jesus, my friend is an extremely talented songwriter, guitarist, pianist, and so much more, who has long been inspiring others in their walk of faith through her music. Her music radiates the love of God and speaks His truth boldly and beautifully; this album is about how in the raging ocean of life, Christ alone steadies us. Please listen to her music at her website: susanrandall.blogspot.com )
I was playing my guitar when one of the dear girls from the hostel (who will remain nameless here) came into my room. I invited her onto my porch. While out on the porch, we had church together. We love to sing contemporary praise songs together, so she asked if we could sing some together.
I was feeling spiritually depleted, like I was running on empty. My mother had just left and things felt strange and new all over again for a few days. As she and I sat there and began to sing, I felt our spirits mutually lift. We entered into a time of real worship, something that I had really been missing out on for too long. The Holy Spirit was there as we sang together and the tears flowed for both of us. I started crying first, and I said, "I'm sorry, nothing's wrong, I just cry when I worship," and opened my eyes to see her tearfully say, "Me, too!" We sang and sang and sang and prayed while singing, simultaneously in English and Malayalam. I felt our spirits really connect in worship together.
We decided to read the Bible together. I said, "Let's each just pick a place to read aloud," and we both turned to Psalm 139 at the same time, and then proceeded to start crying again! We read the Psalm over and over, really letting His peace settle on us. I played a song based on some of the verses from the Psalm, and then played for a song my best friend Susan has out on her new CD, "Steady Me," called "Fearfully & Wonderfully Made," also based on Psalm 139. We talked about which verses in the Psalm speak to us.
Shortly after, my friend opened up about her father's recent sudden and tragic death, of which I was previously unaware. We talked and cried together for a long while, and we had at time of deep, restorative, healing prayer. Our time together created a special friendship that has been growing since.
I continue to be amazed at the beauty of the girls of Lea Hostel. They are extraordinarily beautiful girls, inside and out. Their faith is so real, their friendships so deep. I feel that the deep love of these girls has healed a part of me somewhere. As we continue to grow in relationship together, I begin to discover their individual stories, stories often filled with immense heartbreak or challenge. Yet their joy is unmarred, and they are extraordinarily innocent. They truly listen to one another, they walk around holding hands together, frequently going about in pairs, where you never see one without the other. The depth of their ability to love and the purity and trusting nature of their hearts leaves me speechless. I am so thankful for these girls. (What am I going to do when I suddenly don't have 140 sweet little sisters to sing with me and play with my hair and play games with every night?) It would have been worth it to come all the way to India just to see them. No matter what happens during the day, I can always come home to my sisters at Lea Hostel who will shower me with their goodness. I see Jesus so clearly in each one of their smiles. They are each so precious, so unique, so wonderfully and expertly made in His image.
(Please check out my best friend Susan's new-and first-album, "Steady Me." Along with being a devoted follower of Jesus, my friend is an extremely talented songwriter, guitarist, pianist, and so much more, who has long been inspiring others in their walk of faith through her music. Her music radiates the love of God and speaks His truth boldly and beautifully; this album is about how in the raging ocean of life, Christ alone steadies us. Please listen to her music at her website: susanrandall.blogspot.com )
Faith... Because you have yielded to Jesus' desire to grant you the ability to see the revelation of Himself and His Kingdom around you, His name is glorified by your worshipful response to His generous grace and love.
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