We have been in Nepal exactly twelve days. My supervisor has said so many times, "You just can't explain this place." And I really can't. It's such a strange mix of beauty and dirt-joy and darkness.
And my heart is so glad here.
Tonight was one of the greatest nights of my life. And I don't say that lightly. Laura, Leah, and I were walking up the stairs in our hotel, and two complete strangers walked up to our room and started conversation with us. We had never met them, but they said when we walked in they knew we were part of the family and wanted to encourage us. Within ten minutes of meeting this sweet brother and sister in Christ, they were praying over us the exact things all of our hearts needed. It was as if the Holy Spirit was pouring out of them and directly into us.
And if the night would have ended there, that one sweet moment would have been more than enough and more than we'd hoped for, but God must have felt like showing off tonight.
Somehow over the next hour, three different, separate groups of believers found their way to our room, along with a guitar and djembe, and sweet, precious worship to our King was lifted up for the next few hours.
We were all in this city for one night at the same time. And the Lord brought us together to share our stories, offer our praise, read scripture over each other and shed tears for the lost with complete strangers, that were family.
And God brought us together for "such a time as this." What an incredible,undeserving gift!
Yesterday I was reading in 2 Chronicles, and the first five chapters is a detailed explanation of Solomon building the temple of the Lord. And it's stunning. It was elaborate and massive and unlike anything the earth had ever seen before. And when they go to bring the ark of the covenant into the temple, there's praise from Israel like nothing that has ever been seen or heard before! (Seriously, it's beautiful; go read it!) There are sacrifices being offered up-so many, it can't be recorded, and there are cymbals, harps, lyres, and trumpeters-and all of them are "joined in unison, as with one voice, to give praise and thanks to the Lord...He is good; His love endures forever" (5:13) Then get this,
"The temple of the Lord was filled with a cloud, and the priests could not perform their service because of the cloud, for the glory of the Lord filled the temple of God."
I don't know about you, but when I read this, my heart was completely overwhelmed. Read it and really picture it unfolding. There are 120 priests here, and this cloud-a literal cloud-comes down from heaven and stops them from performing their service because the glory of the Lord! I mean, our God is an entirely unique and powerful God!
And in my prayer journal yesterday, I wrote about how I wish I could have been there for that! How, out of ALL time, THAT moment had to be one of the sweetest for Him-top notch, is actually what I said.
And then tonight as twelve complete American strangers were gathered in a small hotel room in Nepal, God so clearly, sweetly whispered to all of me, "THIS is top notch."
"He is most glorified in us when we are most delighted in Him." Piper
And I don't know that I've ever felt more delighted than tonight.
"Sing to the Lord, all the earth;
proclaim his salvation day after day.
Declare his glory among the nations,
his marvelous deeds among all peoples.
For great is the Lord and most worthy of praise;
He is to be feared above all gods.
For all gods of the nations are idols,
but the Lord made the heavens.
Splendor and majesty are before him;
strength and joy in his dwelling place."
Chronicles 16:23-27
What happened tonight shouldn't have happened where we're living-a five minute walk from the second largest Buddhist stuppa in the world, yet God knew that each of us, either coming or going, needed tonight.
Praise God for sweet gifts of divine appointments.
I'm going to leave you with a video-this song has broken me this past week. I pray it does the same for you.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zYuWOx2pp38
