Then, there was Wednesday

Easter resurrection glory…..then the “not-yet-ness” of Monday…..then the grace-rain of Tuesday….

Tuesday night, as I was processing all of this, two songs came to mind and spoke deeply to my heart…..

Steven Curtis Chapman sings of the story of Creation, Fall, and Restoration with God as the Center and Author. It is worshipful. It is “calling to mind” Truth because it IS, not because it feels like it.

All Things New

Steven Curtis Chapman

You spoke and made the sunrise to light up the very first day
You breathed across the water and started the very first wave
It was You
You introduced Your glory to every living creature on earth
And they started singing the first song to ever be heard
They sang for You

You make all things new, You make all things new

Then the world was broken, fallen and battered and scarred
You took the hopeless, the life wasted, ruined and marred

And made it new

You make all things new, You make all things new
You redeem and You transform, You renew and You restore
You make all things new, You make all things new
And forever we will watch and worship You

You turn winter into spring, You take every living thing
And You breathe Your breath of life into it over and over again

You made the sunrise, day after day after day
But there's a morning coming, when old things will all pass away
And everyone will see

You make all things new, You make all things new
Come redeem and come transform, Come renew and come restore
You make all things new, You make all things new
And forever we will watch and worship You

Now and forever You are making all things new
You're making all things new

Hallelujah...You make all things new

Amen! And let it be so! I needed to me reminded of that Truth on Tuesday.  And, God knew, so He reminded me.

The second song He brought to mind has been a favorite of mine for several months. It is the cry of my soul for the hurting world around me. On Tuesday night, it spoke to me of my role in the Restoration process, how I am to live in the not-yet.

Instruments of Peace

Lyrics attributed to Saint Francis

Lord, Make us instruments of Your peace,
Where there is hatred, let Your love increase
Lord, make us instruments of Your peace,
Walls of pride and prejudice shall cease
When we are Your instruments of peace.

Where there is hatred, we will show His love
Where there is injury, we will never judge
Where there is striving, we will speak His peace
To the people crying for release,
We will be His instruments of peace

Where there is blindness, we will pray for sight
where there is darkness, we will shine His light
Where there is sadness, we will bear their grief
To the millions crying for release,
We will be Your instruments of peace.

It amazes me that God chooses to use humans like me in His Plan for making all things new. I tend to think that it would take so long and be done so badly many times over that it wouldn’t be worth it. And yet, He chooses to use us anyway. It takes my breath away. It emboldens me. Yes, I will go. I have no idea how, but I will go.

Wednesday morning, I was late in getting out of the house….again. By the time I got to the bus stop, it was too late to ride my beloved Route 8~~ to the office. Plus, it was rush hour, so a bus ride would have probably taken twice as long as usual and I couldn’t be late for play group. More than slightly frustrated with myself and sad to be missing out on my reading and reflecting time, I decided to take a cab. Even though there was construction on the highway, I still arrived at the building complex where our consulting company’s office is early. And, because I took a cab, I entered through the side gate instead of the main gate that is closer to the bus stop.

Just inside the side gate, sitting on an old piece of cardboard, was a man. In his fifties, perhaps, his left arm and leg were severely paralyzed. He was calling out, “Disabled person! Disabled person. Please help!” hoping that passers-by would add to the short stack of 1 yuan bills kept from fluttering away in the spring wind by a small rock. Without thinking too much (by God’s gracious transformation of my heart), I stopped, looked into his eyes and squatted down to chat. From his plain taqiyah (Arabic for ‘hat’), I knew he was a Hui Muslim, as the majority are in this community, so I changed my vocabulary a bit.

“I believe in the True God, too. Can I pray for you?”

He responded in what I can only assume was Arabic, since I didn’t understand, but I knew from his nod and the gratefulness in his eyes that it meant, “Yes.” I put my hand in his crumpled one and prayed.

“Almighty, all-powerful Lord, we come into Your presence and ask that You bless this man and his household. Extend Your grace and allow him to know Your presence with him and sense Your deep, unending love for him. Show mercy on him and grant him that which his heart and his body needs. Touch his arm and his leg and heal him. Thank You, Lord. Amen.”

I asked his surname, pressed a bill into his hand and spoke the Lord’s blessing before I walked on. I will continue to pray for this man and for the small crowd that gathered as I squatted and prayed. I hope to meet him again, pray for him again, bearing his burdens away to the Son as I have been called.

Later in the day, I was hurrying down the sidewalk, already late to meet a friend for lunch. I heard my name called and there was the older sister of a boy I treated several months ago. She was excited to see me and we chatted for a bit about her schooling and tests and how her family was doing. It has been a year since they lost their dad, suddenly. Strangely, I felt unhurried and calm as we talked. Then, we said goodbye and walked in opposite directions. I hadn’t taken more than five steps, when God spoke almost audibly to my heart, “You need to go back and pray with her.” Like with the paralyzed man earlier, without thinking about it too much, I turned on my heel and ran toward her calling her name. I told her what the Lord just spoke to me. She seemed surprised, but pleasantly so, and I held her hands as I prayed. I asked for the Lord’s blessing for her family, a clear mind for her upcoming exams, and a sense of the Lord’s peace and presence with her. She squeezed my hands tightly and I knew, deep down, that Abba was using that moment to do something in her heart.

Lord, make me an instrument of Your peace….

Where there is blindness, I will pray for sight
where there is darkness, I will shine His light
Where there is sadness, I will bear their grief
To the millions (or even two) crying for release,
I will be Your instrument of peace.

I am so grateful to my mighty, loving God who desires His Truths to be known not only in my head, but in my heart, in my deepest places (Ps 51.6). I am so grateful for this tangible experience of Him using me to “make all things new” today!