Today is Sunday - a day of worship - a day to reflect on the amazing grace of God and His wonderful blessings in our lives. Praise God, I have not had a migraine since last Sunday, and though I have had auras, headaches, etc, I was able to sing today during worship. Despite the seeming unending technical difficulties with the sound system, it was such an encouragement to stand and view the faces of my church family - many who are suffering, many who are weary - to see those faces offering a sacrifice of praise to God - the One who faithfully sustains through all trials.To see hands lifted high in worship to the One who cried tears so that their eyes could be dried. To see Jim singing with tear-filled eyes, sorrowing for the loss of his dear wife and best friend of so many years. To see Rose catch my eye with a smile on her face, realizing that my standing there was an answer to her prayers. To see Christa, with both hands lifted high and a smile on her face not because of her uncomfortable silence, but because her trustworthy God is proving Himself to be greater. To see Jimmy standing on the front row speechless, with joy on his face - and knowing that he slept last night after countless nights of insomnia! To see Dave working on the sound board, rejoicing that He's able to stand today and not be in so much pain that he can't be at church. To see new faces, that for the first time were experiencing that time of corporate worship. To see Kayce, knowing this was her second worship service as a Christian - I'm overwhelmed by God's greatness at work in our midst. Its an honor to stand side by side with such faithful Christians approaching the Throne of Grace together.
During our worship rehersal this morning, we were practicing "Grace Unmeasured" and Jim took a moment to point out to the band an evidence of grace in Danny Robert's life. Danny (our pianist) is in his young twenties and he and his wife, Nikki had a son 2 1/2 months ago. Baby Bentley had to be rushed to the NICU shortly after birth and spent the first few weeks of his life struggling to survive. By God's grace, Bentley came to church last Sunday for the first time. What a joy to see his tiny body in his mother's arms. What a sweet time of rejocing that was.
And then to find out today that Bentley is legally blind and may never see clearly or live a "normal" life. To hear Danny talk about that with a smile on his face because he knows that God will continue to sustain. To see gratefulness in his heart overflowing through his sparkling eyes because his dear son should be dead, but is still miraculously with us. What an evidence of God's overwhelming and abundant grace at work.
I have much to learn from Danny and Nikki. I thank God for bringing them to us 2 years ago. Our body would not be the same without them.
I pray that God in His abundant mercy would heal Bentley. But I realized today that if He doesn't do this, that the first face Bentley will ever see is the face of His Creator! What an honor! What a joy that would be!! To be blind, with no grasp of beauty and then to wake up to complete Beauty that is ever-present. To see men as "trees walking" and then walk hand in hand with the One who heals both soul and body!
I pray that God would most importantly draw dear Bentley to Him - that He would resuce His soul and provide a peace that has nothing to do with physical blindness. I know He can do this, for He has healed my spiritual blindness. He caused my scaly eyes to view a glimpse of His glory on the amazing, horrible Cross. I pray the same for Bentley. And I pray that the Jesus who had mercy on the weak and hurting, would show, yet again, his abundant mercy on His weak and hurting children - that He would lavish Danny and Nikki with overflowing, ever-present, tender grace.