by Jane Ross
Sometimes, we take for granted how much little acts of love mean. The Spirit knows our souls and knows what we need in a timelier and more precise manner than we know ourselves. I write to share as a receiver of unexpected grace from the Spirit working through His saints. My children have been very protective of me, but that meant physical isolation, which made me feel quite alone, unable to participate in any of the activities to which I had been accustomed and have enjoyed. Likely, as a result, the following resulted in my bursting into tears during this incredible “stay safe, stay home” time: (1) listening to a voicemail message from my son describing the pancake breakfast he was making his family; (2) hearing my Pastor’s voice asking me if I was doing all right; (3) talking to Jeff, the worship team leader, who was just reaching out to me; (4) viewing a collage picture that my daughter prepared after my husband had passed. And yet, the Spirit remained with me, whether I knew it or not.
When I received the request to serve on the Easter Sunday Worship Team, I didn’t feel confident I could push through the emotions to succeed, but felt I needed to make the attempt. My husband loved to hear me sing and loved Easter services, so I would have to fight nostalgic remembrances and weighty feelings of loss to power through. Practicing the music and working to properly record my voice lifted my spirit! I experienced some technical difficulty downloading my recordings, but Tony and Annie spent hours helping me through it. Rejoining the worship team after my husband’s passing felt more than intimidating and uncertain but remained important to me. The team lifted me up, though, and, I believe, God was working through them. I feel incredibly grateful for the ongoing chance to sing and lead worship with the family I have found in St. Luke’s wonderful worship team. Praise God for these wonderful brothers and sisters in Christ! (Ephesians 3:14-21) If there’s a lesson to remember, I think we should all remember to listen to the nudging of the Spirit to encourage others, because we have no idea of the impact a word of encouragement and/or an act of love toward another can have.
Song link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XqjPLzKJv0I
