Passion Cape Town 2012

Most of you know that Penny (middle) and I have walked a very long road. A long, hard road that I've not always been sure what to do with. Penny is a product of many different environments, influences, and authorities as her life has been tossed around so much over the years. I sometimes envisioned/feared that as she hit her late teens, she was going to suffer terribly at the hands of her past. Well, I know life is a journey and things change, but just for today I want to share about how encouraged I am from my experience with Penny last Saturday night at the Passion Concert at Cape Town Stadium.
The show started with a bang. Lights down, flashing colors, loud music and people jumping around. Penny loves parties, so I think this sort of felt like a Jesus version of some club scene she had scene on TV. But as the night progressed, Penny's enthusiasm grew exponentially. To see my little friend with hands raised, shouting and screaming the name of Jesus, singing songs loud and proud, and absolutely swept away in the fun and joy of worshipping the Lord, I honestly cannot tell you the feelings that swept through my heart.
At one point we had to stand in 3's and pray. I thought maybe I would be stuck carrying the prayer time, as I was standing with two teenage girls. But Penny just piped in there about how she hopes the fire in her heart for Jesus wouldn't go out once she got back to school Monday morning, about how thankful she was for God's version of family, and how much she loved Him. Tears dripped down my face as I listened to her pour out her heart before the Lord. And after I finished praying for her, she was a weeping mess in my arms. The Holy Spirit ministered to Penny on a deep level that night.

There have been times when I have felt a weight of emotion about Penny's life. But that night, standing under an open Cape Town sky, I saw how the Lord had been the faithful one in this and I had Him to thank for things I hadn't even known He was doing. Stirring Penny's heart in new ways. And producing a young woman with a faith of her own.

Thank you, Lord, for your version of family. We love you Jesus.

Comments

  1. AnonymousOctober 14, 2012 at 7:25 PM

    thanks for writing about your night under the Cape Town sky with your sister in Christ and adopted daughter in life. What a beautiful and encouraging story. dad

    ReplyDelete

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