The Weekend Behind

Precious Saints !!!!!!

How would you feel if you had broadly advertised to all and sundry (with quite a touch of humour if I may say so myself) as to just exactly what you had planned for the up and coming weekend and then exhorted and encouraged as much people as you could think of to join you in these various activities. And then bang, crash everything falls flat.
You see when I (check the I!) was making these plans I was already in denial. I was sick (no not only in the head like normal but physically) and of course I was just going ahead with my (check the my!) plans telling everybody and especially myself that I’m so ‘fine’ that you could hardly see me. I almost managed to convince myself but not my body. Even last Thursday morning after vomiting (yaargh solly 4 gruesome details) in both my bathrooms (just checking that they both could handle the emergency) I just said to me (check the me!) “ Gee I now feel so much better!?!” And so it was, high ho, high ho and off to work I go. But later……I could not get my mind to work over the matter (especially all that mucus, aargh!!!) and then it really did matter and I gave in/up/down and dragged my body, which felt like it weighed a million tons off to home and somehow I managed to get there and just crashed into bed.
So there we had it weekend gone for a burton. No cell group, street evangelism, soup kitchen…..etc etc. How could people actually manage without me! Actually everyone did scintillatingly incredibly well and those that stepped up to the plate were blessed. To all of you (I know some of you did not actually think you had it in you) who helped out Jesus these last coupla days while I’ve been examining my bedroom ceiling, thank you very much, you are a huge blessing to me and Allie. Oh yeah Allie had to cancel her weekend away to look after the South African patient (sic).
However there is so much more. With God there always is (go check out Ephesians 3:14-21). Peter C phones me on Friday night thinking I’m out doing Street Evangelism. Meantime I’m snug in bed reading last weekends Sunday Grimes (ouch, heaven forbid!) Anyways he asks to come around (he was practically at my doorstep when he phoned) and we have some coffee and chat. He just firstly explains how God led him to our place. Pete’s phone goes off and it’s Eugene and Carla they were wanting to visit some relatives in Kensington but got lost and God laid it on Genie’s heart to go visit Pete, I just gave Pete the thumbs up and he directed them to our place. They rocked up and eventually came in for coffee. We dimmed the lights and listened to At The Foot of the Cross. Then followed an awesome time of ministry as we ministered to each other and Pete also ministered and prayed for another couple over his cell. God gave me a word for Carla and Genie as we prayed for them and they later said it was so spot on. Then we prayed for Pete. He lay down on the couch and Genie started praying over him. I was kneeling down close to his ear, when suddenly Pete has a word for me. I mean what’s wrong with the man…..we are ministering to him!!!!! He tells me that God is going to loosen my tongue tonight and give me my first word and it’s going to mean holy. I’m already running a mild temperature and now I start sweating bullets (I apparently wasn’t the only one). His Holy Spirit gently knocks me onto my backside and suddenly there it is, a word from my heart to my head, I could hardly figure out wot was happening so eventually I just open my mouth and out comes the word and so ends just over four years of waiting. We are all blown away. Genie is face down on the floor worshipping God and eventually I get up and put on some music. We chat and eventually everybody goes home. Allie comes through as she was watching a movie with Mattie. She shares with me that she had been praying with us all the way through and that she also knew what word Peter was going to say before he said it and she was blown away and I just get even more blown away (like hey check the bugs in my teeth!!!). We chat, have coffee and I pray for her and I use my new prayer language (by this time got a few more words) and it’s awesome.
Eventually we go to bed, but I cannot sleep. So I end up praying the whole night practising how to call up this one word (which means holy) from my heart which then sets off the other words that I have. I get words and prayer insight into some people’s lives at about 5 o’clock in the morning. Fell asleep sometime after that.
Saturday was just a continuation of his blessings. Playing all kinds of games with Mattie, visits, SMS, phone calls from the Body of Christ. Sunday I started to feel slightly more human but just took things easy. Then off to church, first time out of the house since Thursday (except for one scintillating visit to the doc on Friday!). It was so good to come to God’s house and worship with His people. Then ministry and I got to pray for a coupla people and then it was Pete’s turn. I had to give Him what God had told me that Saturday morning. Anyways we pray for him and he is rested in the spirit. While he is down on the floor doing some carpet time he starts smiling and laughing a little. Ah queue for me so I just tell God’s Holy Spirit to rattle Pete’s teeth and give him a bellyache and then he’s rolling around on the floor like a two year old laughing his head of (lhho).
Well that’s all (I’m sure some of you suffering from eye and brain strain are saying ‘R U kidding!’) but I haven’t really covered it all ‘cause with God there is always so much more. But that’s all I can manage to get out for now (some of U R are saying wot a relief!).
Just remember when your plans appear to fall apart; just then really start looking for Him ‘cause He probably then really wants to do some serious work with you. Of course I can’t leave you without this one. “For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.” If you seek me with all your heart you will find me. (there is no doubt there at all) [ Jeremiah 29:11 & 13]

Give to the wind your fear
Hope and be undismayed
God hears your sighs and counts your tears
God will lift up
God will lift up
Lift up your head

(Chorus)
God will lift up your head
God will lift up your head
God will lift up your head
He will lift up, lift up your head

Leave to His sovereign way
To choose and to command
Then shall we wandering on His way
Know how wise and how strong
How wise and how strong

(Chorus)

Through waves and clouds and storms
He gently clears the way
Wait because in His time, so shall this night
Soon end in joy
Soon end in joy
Soon end in joy
Soon end in joy.

(Chorus)
By Jars of Clay off the CD Redemption Songs (lotsa venerable old hymns put in a modern musical context)

LoCTY !!!!!