May 2008 Monthly Letter

“The wind (Spirit) blows where it wills, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes.”John 3:8

I was in Texas where the wind blows across the plains. It was during the women's session of an UpBuilding Weekend that we experienced the blowing of the Holy Spirit in a significant way!

Following a break, the teaching focused on Colossians 2:13-16. Emphasis was placed upon God's forgiving us our sins and enabling us to forgive others through the power of the Holy Spirit. Following this, the women go outside to a small hole (symbolic grave) and bury the names of persons they choose to forgive who have sinned against them.

All of a sudden Joyce began to weep uncontrollably. Sensing a moving of the wind (Spirit), I stopped teaching and said, “Sisters in Christ, it is obvious that the Holy Spirit is speaking to our sister. Might we pause and pray for her." A few women left their chairs, gathered around her, laid their comforting hands upon her, as we all prayed silently.

When Joyce composed herself, I continued to expound the remainder of the Colossians passage, instructed the women to write the names on post-it notes® of anyone they desired to forgive in the power of Spirit, and to go outside and symbolically bury such. Joyce did this but chose NOT to tell anyone what was happening to her.

On Sunday morning, Joyce was one of the Sunday appointed greeters. She greeted me and the pastor as we entered the sanctuary. After the service she sought me out and declared with excitement: “I have to tell you what the Spirit did to me and through me yesterday and today!

Yesterday He convicted me of my 30 year old bitterness that I had against my mother. (She did not reveal what caused it.) He also convinced me to confess it, so that I could be cleansed and began a new relationship with my mother. The symbolical burial was a confirmation for me of releasing her once and for all.

This morning, guess who came to this church? Yes, my mother! She rarely attends. When she has come, we don't sit together, nor talk to one another. Well, this morning because God had ordained that I was one of the greeters, when I saw my mother coming down the sidewalk, I felt a strong desire welling up within me to greet her with a hug and kiss! I acted upon it and rushed out to express my newly found joy and love to her in both words and action!

I was amazed and so was she! In fact, she almost fell over backwards because of my hug and long over-due expression of love! The Spirit produced in me the fruit of love, joy, and peace!

He evaporated 30 years of bitterness toward her and turned it into a sweet reconciliation that came when the He empowered me to forgive her. We are now going out together to lunch!”

Thank you for allowing me on your behalf to be a wind sock—“an open-ended sleeve attached to a standard that indicates the direction of the wind blowing through it.”