Reflections on Sunday

A had a dream last night about leading praise and worship at my home church in Benson, NC. This type of dream has become more common within the past year, occurring several times a month now. I'm always on stage, behind a keyboard and microphone, looking out over a crowd. Most of the faces are familiar -- my church family. Some of the people are singing. Some are raising their hands. Others sit silently, and others simply watch me.

At times, the dream is stressful. Maybe this time I don't have the song list, so I'm winging it. Sometimes I'm the only one in the band who doesn't know the song. Usually, though, the dream is peaceful because I feel like I'm where I'm supposed to be. I don't mean in front of people. I mean worshipping. So when I woke up this morning after leading praise and worship in my dream, and I realized it's Sunday morning, and I'm across the ocean from my church, I got a slight case of the blues. Then I remembered.

The church is everywhere. It's me, my family, and my new roommate and friend. And, funny enough, the church is the man who comes to collect my rent. When I first met Jose, a sixty-something year old man, I thought he must have a lot of patience to listen to four girls speak in English for thirty minutes, trying to figure out who pays what. Finally, I told him in Spanish, "Please take a seat." He smiled and told us not to worry. Little did I know how serious he was.

As soon as we had everything figured out, he made another comment like "Don't worry. Why should we worry when God's got things under control?" At this, one of my roommates left, not knowing how to respond. Roommate #2 soon did the same. I stayed put, though, because something in my spirit was saying, "Oooh, this is gonna be good! Get ready for what this man has to say!"

By this time, he was standing, as if to leave, but he wasn't going anywhere anytime soon. He was beaming and so wound up, he looked like he was about to burst. And he soon did, after realizing that me and roommate #3 were Christians with open ears and hearts.

He talked, and he talked, and he talked. He gave his testimony, talked about his encounters with other people, shared his innermost thoughts, and praised and thanked God for His blessings and for us coming into his life. He talked so much that I could only respond with an occasional "Si!" or nod of my head. He talked for at least an hour, never slowing down or forgetting to say, "Thank you, Father! Oh, how He loves me!" A few, rare times, I would affirm his musings or give my point of view, but I mostly listened (and hard). Remember: He's speaking in Spanish this whole time. Amazingly, though, I understood 95% of what he said! This is truly miraculous since my Spanish is firmly intermediate. Love, I realized while watching his open, clear eyes and glowing face, is a universal language.

When he finally realized the time (way after midnight), he made for the door. A few times down the hall, he thought of a something, and he launched into another story of God's faithfulness. I didn't mind. When he was truly done, I hugged him close and kissed him on the cheek. I told him, in Spanish, "Thank you, my brother. You are beautiful vessel of God's love." I feel cheesy even when typing that, but you had to have been there. This man could have levitated, and I wouldn't have been surprised. He was that...light! He said he was glad to have met two young women who already understood God's love and grace. I told him how much I loved his visit because he reminded me of times with my family and our typical conversations. After the door closed behind him, I felt filled to the brim, like I do on a Sunday morning after going to church.


Newsboys - He Reigns
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He Reigns

It’s the song of the redeemed
Rising from the African plain
It’s the song of the forgiven
Drowning out the Amazon rain
The song of Asian believers
Filled with God’s holy fire
It’s every tribe, every tongue, every nation
A love song born of a grateful choir

It’s all God’s children singing
Glory, glory, hallelujah
He reigns, He reigns
It’s all God’s children singing
Glory, glory, hallelujah
He reigns, He reigns

Let it rise about the four winds
Caught up in the heavenly sound
Let praises echo from the towers of cathedrals
To the faithful gathered underground
Of all the songs sung from the dawn of creation
Some were meant to persist
Of all the bells rung from a thousand steeples
None rings truer than this

And all the powers of darkness
Tremble at what they’ve just heard
‘Cause all the powers of darkness
Can’t drown out a single word