fresh anointing

This past weekend I went back home with my roommate and sister Hannah. We got to spend some great time with my family and enjoy my mom's awesome cooking. We also got to visit Mama John. For those of you who don't stalk this blog regularly, Mama John is an incredible woman of God that we met at David and Leah's wedding. She's Leah's grandmother. She spent over 20 years as a missionary/nurse in different parts of Africa (Kenya, Ethiopia, etc.).

Mama John remembered us (although she called me "Hannah" and Hannah "Alex") and welcomed us into her small room at an assisted living facility in Irmo. She has very poor eyesight but that didn't keep her from walking over to us and giving us great big hugs. We sat down in pink recliners and began to talk. She began to talk, and Hannah and I just listened.

She told us stories like you would never believe. Stories from her childhood and college years, stories about marriage and motherhood, stories about loss and climbing mountains. She told us stories of bush nursing, and her time in war-torn countries. Stories of violence and killing, of redemption and hope, stories that are similar to the kind you see in movies or read about in books on famous politicians or spies. All of them true, and all of them personal experiences. Her eyesight might be bad, and she might walk with a very pink cane - but Mama John's memory is sharper than my own.

We asked her questions - "How do you see all of the suffering - the dying children and the ravages of war - and still be so confident in God's goodness - still have so much faith?" "How did you cope with all of the sad things that you saw day after day?" "What one thing did you do each day to prepare yourself for all of it?"

She began, in true Mama John form, to speak to us about the Word, and prayer, and memorizing Scripture - but really she just spoke about knowing the Lord. She said she had moments where she would scream, "God, where are you?" She told us of the time in her life when prayer and spending time in the Word didn't seem important or necessary, and so she went her own way. She said, "That was the time when I needed to be praying and in the Word the most." She spoke about how Satan is the great deceiver - how sin looks beautiful at times and, even though we're forgiven, there are great consequences that come with sin.

She said to stay in the Word - to keep reading until you get a word and then take it with you for the rest of your day. She spoke to us about how listening and waiting were the hardest parts of prayer. She spoke about asking for a fresh anointing of the Holy Spirit each day. Even though she knew she had him inside of her already, she wanted each day a fresh anointing as her "daily bread." She said she would wait, and not move, until she heard from him (though not always audibly).

She spoke to us about the power of touch, and of love. Even in her late 80's, she spoke of how God used Caleb into his old age - of how she felt like she had more mountains to climb. She talked with us about her dreams to see a church rise up in a certain war-torn, Islamic-dominated country. She told us about her desire to share Jesus with other residents in her new home, and how she was beginning to get to know them (mind you, she's only been there for a week or so). Then she prayed for us, and we were blessed to pray for her. Riding home, we talked about our time with her and how we felt like we'd just come back from a refreshing retreat.

One thing she told me stood out to me especially. I've been so afraid for the majority of my life, but each time I go into a new clinical setting, I'm worried I won't know what to do. She said that God has given her many jobs over the course of her life that she wasn't equipped to do, but that He did the equipping. She would walk into each day giving the Lord all that she had to give, and then she would watch Him provide and work in His way. She said, "Know that it's God calling you. If He's calling you, then you just give Him all that you have and He'll give you all that you need."

Friends - don't move from the secret place until you get a word from the Lord this week. Take it with you and be obedient to what He calls you to. Let's get to know Him and trust Him alone. He's good.
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