Being With the Body

 

During this intense season of travel, we have been unable to attend our regular meeting times with our church family several times. In a row! I knew I had missed it, but I didn't realize just how much. Until yesterday. 


My spirit was heavy yesterday morning as we prepared to once again leave town. We had packed everything and loaded all of it before heading to worship so that we could leave straight from there as soon as it was over. Can you grow saddle sore from a pickup truck?


Anyway, I was in a rather gloomy place as we pulled into the parking lot. 


But then, as we entered the building and I began seeing the faces of all of those precious people we love, my heart shook off the heaviness. It is such a glorious thing for the Body to gather together for the purpose of bringing Him Glory and Praise. It is exactly what I needed to recharge my spirit for the coming week.


As soon as worship started, the floodgates opened and all those tears I had saved up from the weeks of not being in that place began coursing down my face. I couldn't even sing half the time. All I could do was raise my hands and weep. And in that process, He renewed my spirit and reminded me that He is Sufficient for whatever concerns us. His Grace is abundant and available before I know my need. I need never fear. I need never worry. I need never grow weary. I simply need to PRAISE.


While we were singing, there was one particular song that just about sent me to the floor. I'm sure many of you know it and it's a wonderful song that has ministered to my spirit for years. But yesterday it reminded me of a specific time.


Several years ago, there was a young couple in our small group who found out they were to be parents. We had so much fun helping them anticipate the birth of their first child. The pregnancy was high risk because of a pre-existing condition with this young mama. When it came time for their precious little daughter to be born, things didn't go as planned. She came early. But the larger problem was an infection. She looked absolutely perfect, but the infection was taking over. She lived for only a few days. We spent hours at the hospital praying and hoping He would miraculously turn the tide and allow her to remain here with us. But He called her home.


In those next several months, we tried to minister to the hearts of these two precious parents without a child to hold. It was hard. We didn't know what to say or do. We just kept loving them. I'm sure many of our attempts at comfort were not successful and even caused pain, at times, as we tried to do what only He can do.


There was one evening that came flooding back to me yesterday morning as we sang a song. Several of us had taken this sweet sister out for a "girl's night out." As we sat in the vehicle talking, the conversation inevitably turned to the loss of her daughter. She explained to us how certain things we had said sounded from her side of the situation. It was very helpful, going forward, to know how many of the things we say in those situations are more for us than for the one grieving. Then she told us about the way this song had ministered in ways our words never could. And as we sat in the car weeping, we started singing it together. 


The Lord met us there. In that car that night. He met us and showed Himself to us in a precious, powerful way as we sat singing and weeping.