Lives Interwined by the Holy Spirit

    Have you ever had one of those moments when you just know that your path was meant to cross with someone else's? It doesn't happen to me very often, but when it does I know that the Lord is up to something. There are so many people that I build relationships with simply because I enjoy who they are or friendships seem to just develop naturally, but there are other moments when the Holy Spirit begins to weave people into the depths of my heart filling me with a deep love for them upon our very first meeting that can't be explained. These are the moments to which I am referring; the moments when there is something very specific that He is doing in our midst. 

    I knew it when I met Andres and Anthony during my month of World Race ministry in Nicaragua (Anthony, me, and Andres in August '08- pictured below right). The Lord would literally wake me up in the middle of the night to pray for them at least a couple nights a week. I knew when I was here that the Spirit was intertwining my life with theirs in a way that could not be undone. For more on their story, read: Raising up Powerful Men and Reaching Past the Facades. At the time I didn't realize that they would ultimately lead me back to New Song full-time, but I knew the first time they opened their hearts to me and my team that my story with them wouldn't be ending as that month of ministry finished. 

   I knew it two years ago, that first day that I sat at the Corner House playing cards with Jasmina. When she invited me to return the next day, I knew that I was the beginning of a new facet of ministry here in Candelaria. To read more about this story, read: The Road to Relationship & Redemption Part 1, Part 2, and Protecting Innocence Part 2 and When Life is Hard, There is Hope Part 4. I knew that the Lord was interwining our lives with a purpose and I needed to pursue the relationship. I knew when Jasmina told me she was pregnant and asked me to name Katalin that this was an invitation to deeper relationship and role within their lives (pictured left playing with Jasmina and Katalin). I knew the Lord is doing something in this relationship. I still don't know the extent of my involvement in their lives, but I know that the Lord has a special purpose in my relationship with these two beautiful girls.

And now it's happening again….

    Before I had seen their faces or even knew their names, I knew that the Lord was planting a love for these two sweet sisters deep in my heart. I listened as their aunt shared their story with me. I could hear the Spirit whispering to my spirit, "Pay attention. There is something I am doing here and I'm inviting YOU to be a part of it." I listened wholeheartedly wondering what the Lord had for me in their lives.
   Today I got to meet precious Juanita and Jessica. They will be coming to live with their aunt next month and will be here in our community and church family. As I sat talking with them, I knew that I was falling in love with them already! I just know there is something that the Lord has in store for this relationship.
   As their aunt was introducing them to me, she told me that a big part of the reason she wanted to bring the girls to live with her in Candelaria is for them to be in relationship with me. As she began to pray for her nieces, what to do for them, and who could help her with them, the Lord spoke to her 3 times and whispering my name and telling her to bring the girls here to me. Wow. Honestly, this might be one of the craziest things I have seen the Spirit do in my relationships. The Lord- 3 times- whispered my name and told her to bring the girls into relationship with me. He told me, before I even knew their names, that I am meant to have a role in their lives. I have woken up praying for these girls every morning since I heard their story.
   At this moment, I have absolutely NO clue what the Lord wants from me in regards to these two sweet girls. I do not know what He is doing, but I know that He is certainly doing something. Start praying with me. I promise there will be more to this story….