I knew I had a solid group of three women to start a band with, but getting a date to start was a bit sketchy and then there were two other women who expressed interest. And then one declined because she doesn’t have the margin this season.
Really, what I felt more than the enemy’s darts is God’s unfailing presence and assurance that there will be a band in my neighbourhood. When we finalized things for four of us to meet on a Tuesday in September, I asked them to bring their calendar and journals for notes for prayers, they were all so excited – I dare to say that two of them had faces that were shining their eyes were so bright with anticipation.
Before the meeting started, one woman who couldn’t meet that night texted the group and said how excited she was for us and we were being prayed for.
I was lead to centre ourselves in Genesis 16 and the question asked to Hagar, “Where have you come from and where are you going?” We talked about (in something of a folded/sandwiched order) what drew us to the band, where we have been with other small groups and what we hope to gain/discover/come to know by mid-December.
Our conversation just flowed and was thoughtful, honest, appropriately vulnerable and even funny at different points. We took turns sharing and praying for one another and set our meetings for through to December.
When they went to leave, we marvelled at the full moon shining super bright in the sky. Positively luminous! As they drove home, I quickly texted the group in order to catch up the woman who couldn’t be there about missing her and catching her up on our basic outline. I started the text by saying, “As the other women drove away, I think the smile on God’s face was bigger than any grin on the man in the moon…”
When each woman arrived home they texted describing the happy hearts and feelings of mingled joy and gratitude for our meeting.
Anonymous