Honor
Friday Food for Thought: Honor....
There are different ways I see 'honor' happening around me. Today I got to see two of those ways. Both impacted me on a deeply personal level!
There are different ways I see 'honor' happening around me. Today I got to see two of those ways. Both impacted me on a deeply personal level!
It's a cloudy Friday in December and my husband and I went to the hospital to pray for someone from our church who had a stroke over Christmas. It is always a honor and priviledge to get to pray with people in these times. It's hard to explain the honor that is given to you as pastors, that a family would trust you in such a way, as to let you 'in' to such a personal and private time - and today we were honored in such a way.
We had gone a couple of days previously.. and the Lord had told me to 'sing' over this wonderful woman of faith. I knew I had read somewhere that often people who have had strokes .. or dementia - brain issues - will often have trouble speaking but they will not have trouble singing. So.. I knew the Lord was showing me something.
We arrived that day, and her eyes were not open.. and the family was gathered around her bed. I gently leaned over and whispered in her ear, ' The Lord said to sing over you my friend. He said you are one who loves to Worship... so here goes!'.. and I quietly began to sing the Doxolgy in her ear. Within seconds her eyes opened, and she began to mouth the words with me. It was beautiful. It was sweet! It was the way our God takes cares of us and sends us the encouragement we need when we need it and SHE needed to have someone sing over her. Then I sensed Him saying sing again.. and so I did. Her eyes were now fully open and she was looking straight at me, as I sang again for her! What an honor.
Today we went back to visit this lovely lady, and this time the Lord said to me , ' Pam, she loves the word - so bring your bible and read scripture over her!'... So I did... and to see this woman of faith, look at me as I told her what the Lord had sent me to do, smile at me.. nod her head, and then close her eyes in reverence as I read. It was beyond precious.... So I read to her the first portion of scripture I had sensed to read.. but what came next was an honor I haven't always experinced!
I prayed with her.. and then shared that there was a second portion of scripture that He wanted me to read over her. She noded again. Her family had been gathered around her when we first came in, but many ( if not all of them) had gone out into the hallways to talk to my husband. I laughing told her that there was a line up of wonderful men that had moved out to the hallway to make room for me - it was her husband ( he's 96).. and her sons.. her daughter and friends. They made 'room' for me. They honored me and gave me precious time with their mother.
AND THEN I read again - just her and I and two others in the room. As I began to read the scripture, I sensed movement around me.. and realised that there was no more talking - all conversations had ceased. There was a reverence - a holy moment happening becasuse the Word was being read.
As I straightened up, I realised that EVERYONE had some back into the room . They had ceased all talking.. as a way to honor the reading of the Word - they stopped all the conversations, and gave their full attention to the scriptures being read aloud.
They HONORED the Word... it was so amazing. It blessed my soul! I heard the Lord say, ' Look at this Pam ! This is Honor - this is the HONOR for my Word.' I wish I could find the words to adequately explain and express what that room felt like as they all came into the room and stood respectfully and quietly as the Word was read.
As I finished the portion I felt God tell me to read over her, my husband stepped up and we prayed over this dear lady. Her eyes looked at us, and they were twinkling! And I told her she'd have to put up with us singing a blessing over her.. and as my husband I started to sing, suddenly they ( her family and friends) all joined us singing over their mom:
Praise God, from whom all blessings flow;
Praise Him, all creatures here below;
Praise Him above, ye heav'nly host;
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.
Amen.
But it was the silent reverence they gave the reading of the Word, that stayed with me as we left that room.
Now adays people talk through the reading of the Word - it's not common anymore to see people give that reverence they used to, to the Word.
But today I got to see how this family - these grown men and women - honored the Word and gave it their full attention - probably just the way their Mama raised them.
Pretty cool.....
We had gone a couple of days previously.. and the Lord had told me to 'sing' over this wonderful woman of faith. I knew I had read somewhere that often people who have had strokes .. or dementia - brain issues - will often have trouble speaking but they will not have trouble singing. So.. I knew the Lord was showing me something.
We arrived that day, and her eyes were not open.. and the family was gathered around her bed. I gently leaned over and whispered in her ear, ' The Lord said to sing over you my friend. He said you are one who loves to Worship... so here goes!'.. and I quietly began to sing the Doxolgy in her ear. Within seconds her eyes opened, and she began to mouth the words with me. It was beautiful. It was sweet! It was the way our God takes cares of us and sends us the encouragement we need when we need it and SHE needed to have someone sing over her. Then I sensed Him saying sing again.. and so I did. Her eyes were now fully open and she was looking straight at me, as I sang again for her! What an honor.
Today we went back to visit this lovely lady, and this time the Lord said to me , ' Pam, she loves the word - so bring your bible and read scripture over her!'... So I did... and to see this woman of faith, look at me as I told her what the Lord had sent me to do, smile at me.. nod her head, and then close her eyes in reverence as I read. It was beyond precious.... So I read to her the first portion of scripture I had sensed to read.. but what came next was an honor I haven't always experinced!
I prayed with her.. and then shared that there was a second portion of scripture that He wanted me to read over her. She noded again. Her family had been gathered around her when we first came in, but many ( if not all of them) had gone out into the hallways to talk to my husband. I laughing told her that there was a line up of wonderful men that had moved out to the hallway to make room for me - it was her husband ( he's 96).. and her sons.. her daughter and friends. They made 'room' for me. They honored me and gave me precious time with their mother.
AND THEN I read again - just her and I and two others in the room. As I began to read the scripture, I sensed movement around me.. and realised that there was no more talking - all conversations had ceased. There was a reverence - a holy moment happening becasuse the Word was being read.
As I straightened up, I realised that EVERYONE had some back into the room . They had ceased all talking.. as a way to honor the reading of the Word - they stopped all the conversations, and gave their full attention to the scriptures being read aloud.
They HONORED the Word... it was so amazing. It blessed my soul! I heard the Lord say, ' Look at this Pam ! This is Honor - this is the HONOR for my Word.' I wish I could find the words to adequately explain and express what that room felt like as they all came into the room and stood respectfully and quietly as the Word was read.
As I finished the portion I felt God tell me to read over her, my husband stepped up and we prayed over this dear lady. Her eyes looked at us, and they were twinkling! And I told her she'd have to put up with us singing a blessing over her.. and as my husband I started to sing, suddenly they ( her family and friends) all joined us singing over their mom:
Praise God, from whom all blessings flow;
Praise Him, all creatures here below;
Praise Him above, ye heav'nly host;
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.
Amen.
But it was the silent reverence they gave the reading of the Word, that stayed with me as we left that room.
Now adays people talk through the reading of the Word - it's not common anymore to see people give that reverence they used to, to the Word.
But today I got to see how this family - these grown men and women - honored the Word and gave it their full attention - probably just the way their Mama raised them.
Pretty cool.....
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