UNDER THE INFLUENCE… (of the Holy Spirit)

So, how did you sleep last night?

Lily shakes her head slowly side-to-in a negative fashion, a normal response to this question I often ask at the breakfast table.  

For many years Lily has had trouble sleeping. We aren’t really sure why. She’s been to multiple doctors and has had many tests. Before she knew me the doctors told Lily that she suffered from sleep apnea. A condition that causes you to stop breathing for a short time during sleep. This usually occurs with people who are overweight, but Lily has always been slim. They could never explain why it was happening, only telling her it was probably something neurological in her brain causing this to happen. After a time of struggling with a CPAP mask and machine, Lily felt that she had to stop. It was worse for her sleep than the actual apnea. This is something she has struggled with for years. It has gotten a little better lately, as we have tried a more natural approach for her overall health, such as taking magnesium supplements and other things. Although she seems to be sleeping a little better in our own home, it’s a different story when we travel (which we have been doing a lot lately). 

With the beginning of our new ministry and mission project, “LIRA” we, for the last 9 months, have been traveling all over Colombia, presenting our project and looking for support from the local churches. Lily, a natural-born teacher and speaker, is usually asked to preach on Sunday mornings. She also has official pastoral credentials with her church here in Colombia so she has preached many times before. Especially now, during this time. 

Combining the travel and the sleep issues, the preaching and presenting our project, Lily many times is operating on fumes. Yesterday was no exception. We were scheduled to present our project at a church in Cali, a large city in Valle del Cauca, Colombia and Lily was also to preach Sunday morning. We traveled on Saturday morning and held an apologetics workshop for the youth of the church on Saturday evening. Sunday morning arrives and while getting ready to leave for the church Lily says, “I didn’t sleep at all last night and I feel exhausted.” She commented, “May God give me the strength to get through this day.” 

Many times after finishing preaching Lily says she feels she did terribly. She says she feels the message is not clear and the people aren’t engaged, even though they tell her after the service that it was great and they really enjoyed it. I tell her the same thing. The only criticism she has ever received is that she preaches very fast and that she should try to slow down a little. Three different times people have told her that, including a woman this same day.

So the church service ended, and I felt it was great! At least five times her speaking was interrupted with applause. The people were very kind and told her they loved the message. But right away I hear Lily telling her sister, who lives in Cali and attended the service with us, that she thinks this was her worst preaching ever! Her sister says, “No, it was really good.” Later Lily tells me the same thing, that she thinks this was her worst preaching ever. She said, “I felt like there was a wall in front of me and I felt like my brain was not working. I couldn’t connect any thoughts and have no idea what I even said.” She continued, “I just kept thinking, I wish this could be over and I felt uncomfortable when the people applauded because I thought I didn’t deserve it.” She was so convinced that it was her worst preaching, that she talked about it Monday morning over eggs and arepas, I reassured her it was not bad at all and actually, it was very good. As soon as breakfast was over she disappeared into the bedroom and proceeded to watch the recorded live feed of the service on YouTube. After some time passed she returned, and with a humble look on her face, she said, “I’m amazed, I can’t believe what I  watched. Really it was a very beautiful message. I couldn’t remember anything that I said, I only remember that I just kept talking.” She said, “I felt like my brain wasn’t working, but somehow what I said was very deep. It all made sense and in fact, it made me cry a couple of times.” 

You have to know something about Lily, she has an extraordinary relationship with her Heavenly Father. Like no one else I have ever known. He leads her and talks to her in amazing ways. And I know He takes care of her.  So it was with no surprise that I told her, “I know what happened yesterday. Is it possible that the lack of sleep is not necessarily a bad thing? Could it be that God used that so you were unable to get in the way of the Holy Spirit speaking through you? You had no choice but to just open your mouth and let Him speak. I truly believe that it was not you speaking in your flesh, but, you allowing God to speak through you.” I added, “That is why you spoke so fast! I think it’s like a fire hose, when God opens it up you can’t control it and it just starts flooding out.” I told her, “I’m often amazed how you say that you feel you can’t connect your thoughts when preaching and you feel that you can’t remember what to say. But when you’re on the stage, you speak so fast without pausing and you appear so confident. How then is that even possible? It’s the Holy Spirit! What else?

My friend, if you are a born again Christian then you have the Holy Spirit inside of you! You received Him at the time of your conversion. He is not a strange force or a mystical mystery, He is the third person of the Godhead, (The Father, The Son and The Holy Spirit). He will speak to you if you will listen to Him. He can lead you through difficult situations. And He can provide you with supernatural power in times of great need to glorify the Father. Open up to Him, welcome Him, and never quench His leading.

To God be the Glory!

Thanks for reading,
Randy