Waves of Transformation

   I have seen so many signs of this transformation in the last week. I’m going to share with you some of these glimpses. I’m leaving out names and pictures because I’m sharing a lot of their pain and I want to respect their privacy.

*I saw a family that has been living in discord for years begin to walk towards wholeness and reconciliation. It all began with a single act of courageous forgiveness. This was a home filled with manipulation, control, fear, fighting, and abuse. In a moment of humility, one of my teenage girls (who has endured the majority of the family’s anger and abuse) stood up and asked forgiveness from her grandmother (the family’s matriarch) for not loving her the way that Christ loves. They stood their embracing, weeping, and allowing the Lord’s love to purify both of their hearts. This moment did not immediately fix all of the family’s problems, but it has been the beginning of change. The grandmother has begun to defend her granddaughter rather than constantly condemning her.

*I saw one of my teenage boys really have a fire in his eyes as Linda called the youth to really abandon themselves to the Lord. This young man has been on the fence for a long time deciding whether to truly follow the Lord or go along with his peers. For awhile I saw him breaking away from the church, but now he is returning. As Linda spoke of the abundant life that the Lord offers full of Kingdom purpose, love and joy, I saw a spark in him that I haven’t seen for quite some time. He hasn’t yet decided to jump headfirst into life with the Lord, but I see the Lord calling him as deep calls out to deep. My heart leaps for joy as I see him coming not only to services after a month’s absence, but also coming for the first time to small group Bible study.

*I saw one of my friends break the cycle of silent suffering and begin to open up and share about her childhood rape. It’s heartbreaking to watch someone struggle through so much hurt and pain, but it’s beautiful to see her finally allow the Lord to enter a part of her heart that has locked away for so long. I love to see the tears come knowing that they are the beginning of a journey of healing.

*I saw one of the young ladies I’ve been discipling really make a decision to be finished with numbing her pain with drinking. She has been serious about stopping this destructive habit in her life even to the point of making the choice to separate herself from relationships that will tempt her to drink again.

*I saw one of our shy young men humble himself and take a courageous step to apologize and ask forgiveness from his girlfriend in front of the entire youth group (more than 40 people) for a mistake he had made. It was such a beautiful gesture of his love for her in a community where so many women are being demeaned and abused in their relationships. What an example to other young men!

*I saw a husband who used to degrade and be unfaithful to his wife truly give his life to the Lord. This relationship with the Lord changed his heart and has been walked out in real ways leading him to love his wife and children more. Last week he stood and preached in front of the church about what it means to love your wife as Christ loves the church.

  There is still so much to be done in this village, but the Spirit of the Lord is on the move and transformation IS coming! We are seeing places in families and in individual’s hearts being rebuilt after years of devastation. I love Isaiah 61. It’s one of my favorite passages of scripture. I love how the beginning is speaking of someone anointed by the Lord and what they will do among the people: proclaiming freedom, comforting, replacing ashes with beauty and mourning with gladness and despair with praise. Then in the second half of verse 3 there is a switch in pronouns from “He has appointed me to…” to “they will”. We are anointed to go and to minister to the broken and the captive, but it is THEY who will rebuild the places long devastated. I’m seeing first fruits of that here in Candelaria. More is coming. This is only the beginning of a tidal wave of the Lord’s Kingdom sweeping through this village in love, power, healing, restoration, and freedom!