So right out of High School a really scared little 18 year old got on a plane and headed to the UK. I know that alone was an act of God because I never was the adventurous type.
In fact I was very shy. Incredibly shy. SERIOUSLY shy. In fact in school anytime we were asked to do a presentation I started shaking so bad the teacher actually asked if I was having a seizure. I could barely breathe if a teacher called on me in class and I remember several classes skipping the oral presentation and taking an F just so I wouldn’t have to get in front of the class. People terrified me.
So imagine my surprise when the first day of our Evangelism Team (Called the Hub Team back then) when I was told that we would be doing our first presentation in a couple days in front of over 500 people. Some people take baby steps to getting over there fears I took a head on collision crash course. God strengthened me and a few days later I was in front of 500 people speaking about the Life that only God can bring….granted there was a little bit of voice breaking that went with that…but the information was shared. A miracle was done in my life.
A few days later the team was gathered and we were told we are going to do something called a “Power Hour” basically the gist is that we would pray and go out on the streets for an hour and pray, prophesy and preach to people on the streets. Now I would love to say that I got on the street corner and preached to everyone I saw…because I didn’t but I was overwhelmed with a sense to pray like I never have before. As I prayed I saw people crying and panic taking place. I never had felt such a heaviness in my spirit. I walked home and asked my roommate to pray with me because I was so overwhelmed by everything. So we prayed. After that I walked back to our center and I noticed that everyone was in our pastors office watching TV. I just kept walking and then one of leaders told me that I might want to come and see this. I watched as the second tower fell. The day was September 11, 2001 and when I was praying was about the time the first tower was hit.
I don’t know what the prayers did that day, but never had I felt the urgency that I felt on that day and at that time.
It is interesting to read your alterations of your life, since I have a quite different recollection of you as a Teen.
ReplyDeleteI can remember one time, I think it was around '94 or '95 or so, when the Zelinski's became our Pastoral leaders. Jim and his wife held a party in their new home, a small thing to my memory, and I remember you dancing as though you had not a care in the world.
Not exactly someone fearful of crowds to mine mind. I always envied you for that.