Yesterday in many liturgical services across the globe, Christians celebrated the day Jesus was first brought into the temple. When the chaplain spoke about it at my church yesterday, he focused on the encounter Jesus had with Simeon. This old dude was tight with the Holy Spirit, and Simeon was led to the temple that day to encounter the Messiah. It was no accident that he reached out for the holy child, and he knew in that moment that it was a blessed encounter.
I want to be that tight with the Holy Spirit. I’m not there yet, but on this journey into deeper relationship with God, I’ve had some pretty amazing encounters. Just this past week I was wheeling home from the grocery store when a woman stopped me outside my house.
“Sind Sie Frau Hewett?” she asked.
“Yes,” I wasn’t sure who she was, but I’ve been recognized by strangers before.
She switched to English with a thick French accent to tell me she was the mother of two of my students. I lit up with excitement, “I love your sons!” We spent a few minutes laughing about how different the two boys are – a stoic older brother and chatty younger son.
She thanked me for staying to teach her kids.
I’ve never thought of leaving because of my accident, and this kind stranger pointed out to me that my willingness to stay was a testimony of Jesus’ love to her children and their peers. Wow, what a huge encouragement. We had a brief but significant conversation as she spoke truth about how pain leads us closer to Jesus if we let it. Later that day I had a very different conversation with a student about whether she preferred American chocolate chip cookies or chocolate crinkle cookies.
“Cookies are cookies,” she replied.
“Well, I’ll be sure to have some ready for your birthday dinner on Sunday.”
She had invited me over to the dorm to meet her parents and celebrate her birthday with her dorm family. Not long after sunset, she knocked on my door with her dad to drive me up to my old house where she now lives with eleven other girls from BFA. For the first time in over two years, I walked up the first set of stairs to the main floor of the place I called home when I first moved to Germany. I remember hauling my suitcase up those stairs two and a half years ago; I remember falling down those stairs in my socks when the steps were wet – twice. This was my first time to ascend gripping the bannister and carefully placing my feet while balancing with my other stick. It was my first time to see the remodeled kitchen and repainted living room. It wasn’t my home anymore, but I still felt comfortable returning to that place I’d spent so much time.
Lea’s dad had been working all day to prepare an incredible meal for all the dorm girls, and the food was delicious. Her family served a five course meal while dorm sisters laughed and shouted and planned out who would survive a zombie apocalypse. For the record, I would definitely choose those girls to protect me in the event of a zombie apocalypse. Between the main course and dessert, I was honored to participate in the dorm tradition of birthday blessings. Each person around the room takes a turn celebrating and blessing the birthday honoree. That was an encounter with the Holy Spirit – to hear a dozen people affirming this beautiful student.
I crave those encounters. Last night was a well timed reminder that I’m not exempt from those meetings where the Holy Spirit is present that take place upstairs. I’m not unable to participate in celebrations of God’s goodness that are outside of my own house. I can still access the Spirit – though sometimes it takes a little (or a lot) of effort. The effort, though, is so worthwhile. All that I’ve been through is so worthwhile when I think of how much closer it has brought me to the Holy Spirit – when I think of all the encounters that are opportunities to glorify his name. What a gift.
Speaking of gifts, I’d still love for as many of you as possible to join with me in prayer this Thursday. The Facebook event is just a list of requests – not a time or place commitment. God is at work doing exciting things right now – join with me in celebrating him on my birthday.
