Did You Feel That ?

Sometimes when we are going about our mundane, repetitious and boring tasks, we suddenly feel something strange. In most cases, we just shrug it off to be something we can safely ignore, and move on to more important issues. We never stop to think of what it may have been, or who it may have been. I truly believe that this is a gentle nudge from the Holy Spirit. It’s nothing but a tap on the shoulder from our God who wants and needs our attention. I was privileged to be a witness to our wonderful God as He slowly transformed 11 individuals with the use of His Holy Spirit.

The process began Thursday as the team began preparation for the 28th Presbytery of the James Pilgrimage (PJP 28). This gathering had been in the planning phase for a year, and was about to be launched in a very quiet and humble fashion. The pilgrims began to arrive, being dropped off by their sponsors, and left with a team of strangers who would be their servants for the next three days. This experience is very humbling in that as a pilgrim, you will not have access to a watch or cell phone. We, as the team, will take care of everything. We even go as far as reminding you of medication schedules and any other concern you may have. It is somewhat frightening to place complete trust in a complete stranger, but it is also very liberating at the same time. I was honored to be a part of this process of witnessing a very dramatic, obvious and gratifying change in the pilgrims. There is only one explanation for this dramatic shift. God was there among us through His Holy Spirit. It was the most awesome thing to watch as we guided these individuals on a journey that only God could lead.

As the days went by, you could just see the transformation take place. The faith journeys of each individual were moving them forward, but only as fast or as slow as each one needed to move. It was just simply amazing to watch the Holy Spirit move everyone, including the team members, as the weekend progressed. I cannot say enough about this small group of dedicated individuals who had worked so hard to bring this wonderful experience to fruition. I was blown away by the humble and servant-like attitude displayed throughout the weekend by all the team members. It was very assuring to me that we, as the team, were able to reach these pilgrims and take them further along in their faith walk.

While traveling back to Regent Univ. I was able to ponder just what I had witnessed. There seemed to be a change in me as well. My faith had grown, just like the faith of the individuals who had just walked with Christ through PJP 28. To see the change in the faces, attitudes and faith of the new “babe chicks” was nothing more than evidence for me that there is a God, and he works through us by using the Holy Spirit to examine, influence and convince. There is just no other explanation for what happened at PJP28. Congratulations to the new “Babe Chicks.”

DeColores!