I am sitting in the Brasilia airport waiting for my flight. I just finished a 2 week mission trip, teaching English. It was an incredible experience. I thought I would share one story from the trip on this site.
We got invited to a Baptist church in the city of Goiania. I don’t speak any Portuguese, so it was interesting listening to the worship and preaching. One of the members of our group was asked to give her testimony. I would guess that she was a woman in her mid 50’s.
She discussed her life and divorce. She talked about the loss, and the 15 yrs of bitterness that she experienced because she was not able to let go and forgive. Finally, she talked about how she had been able to heal. It was very emotional. She spoke in English, with an interpreter relaying the testimony to the congregation. Right after, the Brazilian preacher came up and gave an impromptu message.
I could'nt understand what he was saying, but he referenced Psalms 40. While he was preaching, I read it to myself.
Psalms 40:1 I waited patiently for the LORD; he turned to me and heard my cry. Psa 40:2 He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand. Psa 40:3 He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear the LORD and put their trust in him.
For some reason, I started to cry. I hadn’t cried like that in a long time. I thought I had moved past this intensity of feeling. After the service, the woman who gave her testimony came over, sat down and talked to me. We talked about her divorce, my divorce, forgiveness and moving on. She walked me through a number of bible passages from Psalms, Job, and many others. It was incredibly comforting.
Later that week, I had an opportunity to share my testimony with about 30 students. The whole experience has been very therapeutic. I feel at peace. God is good.
WOW.... that was a really beautiful gift. Which you then shared.
Yes God is good. Well done, Rock.
M: 57 H: 60 M: 35 yrs S30,D28,D19 H off to Alaska 2006 Recon 7/07- 8/08 *2016* X = "ALASKA 2.0" GROUND HOG DAY I File D 10/16 OW DIV 2/26/2018 X marries OW 5/2016
Thanks 25. I struggle with the "Patiently" part, but I see the progress. I feel like this trip has given me closure, that I am free to move forward. It will be interesting to see if I can keep this perspective when I get back to the stresses of everyday life. For now, though, it is a good feeling.
