Faith in the room…

Sitting at the coffee shop early this morning, the atmosphere is peaceful.  People spread out among couches and old kitchen tables, there is a hum of conversation that I begin to notice.

A man behind me is speaking to his friend about an experience that brought him face-to-face with rejection.  He had to fight it, and he didn’t grab onto it.  He overcame rejection in that moment.  I think to myself, “praise God for that.”  Having lived through it in my younger years, I know that freedom from the bondage of rejection is a hard war to win.

Not too far away, I hear a woman praying for her friend who was sitting next to her.  She prayed for healing in her friend’s body, for the hands of doctors who will soon be involved in this friend’s life.  They were trusting God with the outcome.  

Wow. That’s awesome.

The man behind me transitioned into speaking about a dream he recently had.  He was driving on familiar roads, moving up hills and down the other side.  Then he began doing daredevil stunts in his car – flipping and jumping and landing every trick.  The man he was with began to describe the meaning of the dream… driving speaks of ministry, familiar roads are reminiscent of everyday life… and there is daring bravery in the works this dreamer will accomplish for the Lord. 

Looking over my shoulder back to the praying women… and they are still praying.  Then the men begin speaking about how they came to know the Lord. Back and forth they share humble stories of how the Father met them where they were and loved them to wholeness and health. A lump rises in my throat, and I am blessed.

I am honored to be in the company of these men and women on this cloudy, windy morning.  The Lord said to my heart earlier this morning, “Come to Me all ye who are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”  A call to prayer, an invitation to meet. Life can be heavy, and the burden of responsibility can be great.  And as I keep my Tuesday morning appointment with the Father, seeking to move these burdens to His great shoulders, I am refreshed by faith in the room today. 

I sometimes have to remind myself that God is not a harsh, condemning, distant father, and I know I am not alone in this.  Circumstances in life will try to teach us lies about who God really is, but we know the truth.  He is loving, gentle, and kind.  He is slow to anger, perfect in patience, great in grace, and He sings over us with vision and purpose in every word. 

I am reminded of these things this morning as I sit in a coffee shop full of dreams, testimony, and prayer. I take a cleansing breath, release my burdens to the Lord, and thank Him for His goodness.

So, I turn it over to you today as you read and take in the experiences of my morning. What burdens do you happen to be carrying today? What lies have been spoken to you about the Lord? Today is a good day to go to Him if you are weary and in need of refreshing. He really is very good… and He loves you very much.