Memorable

A friend joined me in the little space by the bathrooms for prayer. I was getting ready to both preside and preach at the evening's worship session after having already presided and preached a different sermon at the morning service then taught and led the crafts at Kids' Church that afternoon. I was tired and needed all the prayer I could get.

And it was one of those prayer sessions when I KNEW that God was moving in response to my friend's prayer. "Oh Lord, we ask that this be a memorable service . . ." That was all I heard.

All I wanted was a smooth plain vanilla lots of smiles no real problems short prayers service where nothing too earth-shattering happened so I could go home, eat dinner, and get to bed.

But he prayed for a memorable service. I resisted the urge to scream, "TAKE IT BACK TAKE IT BACK TAKE IT BACK!" That would have been rude and useless because I knew God and would be answering soon.

And, yes, of all the services I've been a part of, this one was definitely rises to the top of the list of memorable.

During the opening song and only seconds after the "Amen" to my friend's prayer, I had to physically remove three teenage boys who began verbally harassing and physically threatening a senior citizen who was sitting in the back row.

Because of trouble on the steps in front of the church we had to lock the doors and post a bouncer to control who could come in during the rest of the service.

After a song about peace, one woman who had recently started attending services stood up, turned around, and loudly cussed out some kids who were sitting several rows behind her.

And as the service drew to a close, a woman raised her hand and said, "Tonight I've decided to get baptized. How soon can we do it?"

We set the date.

Yes, it was a memorable service. And it wasn't so much because of the utter bedlam inside and out. The fact that He moved in a life-transforming way in someone even in the midst of that chaos -- now THAT is memorable.

I spend a lot of time praying for all the craziness in my life to just stop. And when I've maxed out on it, all I can seem to pray is for God to let me go home, eat dinner, an go to bed. It's then that I also need to look around and see a raised hand trying to get my attention to let me know that God is doing something memorable in the very center of it.

Because people have been praying in churches and in temples and at home and on the streets and even by the bathroom doors asking God to do something memorable. And though the chaos seems bent on distracting us, God is bringing transformation to people right in the center of the madness.

And on those days that I can realize that I KNOW I walk in the midst of prayers that are being answered, it's the glimpses of those answers rather than the chaos that make the day memorable.

Father, help me see you working in the world around me. Let me witness of You and share in Your vision.