Sometimes you get the honor to be with someone who has recently
Experienced true loss.
Loss that is relational. Loss that is financial. Loss that is physical.
It really doesn’t matter. Loss is loss.
Gripping sadness. Overwhelming fear of the future.
Heartbreaking death. Tragic devastation.
You may not be able to exactly relate.
Because your losses are different.
But you get the privilege to look deep into the eyes of someone who has lost greatly.
You may stand far away from their loss, observing from a distance.
You may sense a vast void of perceiving their type of loss.
Their loss may be something you have never experienced, and its messy, confusing and foreign.
You may question the validity of feelings that they pour out onto you.
You may be hit with a flood of their sadness, anger, hate, betrayal, blame shifting.
Their feelings may not seem logical to you. So much emotion, so overwhelming.
Esperanza means “Hope!” (Credit: Team Esperanza)
You see their tears.
You hear them speak. You hug them. You listen.
You might not know what to say.
Forgive Us Father that We the Church tend to stand far away from the loss people experience and just observe it from a distance. Our churches can feel like a vast void of compassion for those who are experiencing loss. Our perception is a quick fix, offering specific classes, programs and seminars. Organized, understandable and familiar.
Forgive Us Father that We the Church tend to not listen very well to others who pour out their sadness, anger, hate, betrayal and blame shifting onto Us. And We tend to hit back with non-emotional logic and avoid any overwhelming discussion.
We really don’t like experiencing pain. Again.
Forgive Us Father that We the Church see tears and don’t know how to wipe them away. We hear words of the hurting and don’t know what to say. We listen, but not actively with understanding. We know that We should hug. But don’t.
Maybe We forgot that in Our past and present losses, You were and are there.
Maybe We forgot that You see tears and You wipe them off.
Maybe We forgot that You hear each and every word when We speak.
Maybe We forgot that You hug us.
Maybe We forgot that You listen to Us with understanding.
Maybe We forgot that We really COULD relate because of You.
Someone who has experienced true loss looks deep into Our eyes.
Jesus.
When We know Him as Savior and Lord,
He sees that We have His Holy Spirit.
His Holy Spirit tells Us what to say and do. All the time.
When We ask. (Luke 12:12)
That is Supernatural Power.
Its not natural….messy, confusing and foreign.
It’s not the plans of men and women… organized, understandable and familiar.
Its not of this world…its pure, wise and mysterious. (1 Corinthians 2:7)
That’s what We tap into every second.
That’s what drives Us every second.
His Holy Spirit.
In Our actions. In Our words. (Acts 1:8)
Let His Joy grip You.
Let His Hope for the future overwhelm You.
You get the privilege to pour that out in a flood to those experiencing loss.
Be the flood of Hope that breaks through pain.
What an honor.
PRAY FOR:
Your local church. Churches throughout this nation need people of prayer covering their pastors, staff, leaders and congregation. Pray for repentance and revival and a fresh wind, fresh fire of the Holy Spirit. Our nation needs Christians to rise up like a mighty army and go and do, just like Jesus said.
PRAY FOR:
Cuba. We were there in December speaking on Hope at a Pastors Conference. Cuba’s communist government allows house churches to operate (just like China). Pastors run the risk of being arrested and their house church being shut down. Bibles are nowhere to be found. (We smuggled some in). Except for tourist areas, abject poverty is rampant in Cuba. The needs are so great there. People live on $20/month. No matter what their job is. Basic food is rationed. Most families do not have enough. Very few have a car. Very few have a bike. Everyone walks. Or takes an old almost broken down bus or horse carriage. Pray for this communist regime to fall. The people overwhelmingly were glad that Fidel Castro died. Some pastors at this conference were from Santiago. This area was devastated and flooded by Hurricane Matthew. They lost EVERYTHING. Their homes, their churches. Everything they had was wiped out. They came to the conference with just their clothes on their backs. With tears streaming down their face, they declared their hope is in Jesus alone. Wow.
We come back here to freedom. Everyone was in a panic about Christmas. Rushing everywhere buying, buying, and buying more things.
PRAY FOR:
We are going back to Washington, DC for the Inauguration, Prayer Breakfast and Inaugural Ball. Please continue to pray for President Obama and President Elect Trump during this transition. Our country is in desperate need of repentance and revival by the Holy Spirit. We believe that God will be working in supernatural ways through the government. Pray for protection and divine appointments for us. We will be meeting with some national leaders and elected officials.
PRAY FOR:
Our business and our family.
Let me know what you think. Email me at shellynotw@gmail.com.