Monday, March 24, 2008

• Easter Miracles

  The fact that Easter is a miracle in and of itself should be enough. Our salvation, what Jesus did and went through just to know us, that is the biggest miracle in the history if the world. It's everything. But because of who He is, he always does more...

  Sunday I was looking forward to my coworker Jen and her hubby Gonzolo visiting my church for the first time. Easter Sundays are always my favorite - the kids, the music, the celebration. The children were performing a play and a lot of the kids who were in it had parents coming that didn't regularly attend church. I was looking forward to meeting these parents and the opportunity they would have to hear the gospel and also see firsthand what God was doing in and through their kiddos.

  But God doesn't always do what I expect. I was thinking something cool would happen along those lines, but my coworker didn't show up and a couple of the parents look visibly uncomfortable being in church. Last week I began praying for God to bring more young adults to our church - we need more volunteers for both the kids and youth ministries and some of the best people to help are twenty-somethings. It also busts us out of self-centric focus when it comes to the church. So Sunday two of Brian's (our worship leader/youth pastor) friends came to church, one of whom had been for the first time last Sunday. The guy who came back, Jared, said that ours was the first church that he didn't feel judged and uncomfortable in. He told us he came back because Pastor Jim was going to talk about Jesus' last 7 days on earth and he wanted to know what happened. Then Bri's other friend said he hadn't been to church since he got married 2 years ago. He and his wife are currently seperated. Both guys said they have been wanting to find a home church and they think found it. Not only that, Jared had been in some  financial trouble and last week God miraculously provided the money and he recognized that God was the only one who could have done it.

  To top it all off, a sweet little old lady who visited last week, came back this week completely healed. During worship last Sunday she got so lost in the presence of God that her oxygen came off and she didn't even notice it. She can't breathe without it. When she realized what had happened and that she was breathing fine, she got so excited and told us after the worship service. We then prayed for her complete healing and when she came back this Sunday, she went up to rededicate her life to Jesus. She said she's been breathing all week without her oxygen and she can walk without her cane.

  God rarely does what I envision or expect. I should expect Him to do amazing things, but I need to quit locking Him in whatever box I craft.

   

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