Note: This blog post is a bonus devotion celebrating the launch of Janet Hines’ new book Between the Valley and the Mountaintop: Glimpses of God in the Middle Places
sniffle in an attempt to stop the tears
with no success. Mine flow freely.
In the midst of the group we have been with for three days, we are praying.
Me – the white woman from the other side of the world standing in a room as the fans blow, horns blow, the unidentifiable smell blows through and the occasional dog barks, we stand.
We the visitors have been asked to pray individually with the women, the men on the team with the men, according to custom.
They line up. Heads bowed and covered. Hands folded as they whisper “Jai Masih Ki.” Hail to Christ.
Sometimes they touch their little child with them. Some, their empty womb. One is a new widow with three daughters. I only know that because one woman whispered “widow” and “three daughters” in English. Today there are no translators just an occasional word of english.
She weeps. I can feel her heart beat as I wrap my arms around her and she holds me tightly.
“Lord, come close. Let Your arms take the place of mine. Please Lord replace her hopelessness with hopefulness. Your hope, Lord. Please fill her heart with Your light and let her become a beacon in the world around her.
Let her testimony grow strong as she becomes more and more aware of Your presence in her life. Place a hedge of protection around each of these women and their hearts, Lord. You created woman’s heart to expand with the ability to love in ways we never knew possible. Thank You for that Lord. Use us. Grow us. Come close Lord.
This post is being hosted by my friend, Liz Giertz. Click here to join me over at her blog to read the rest.
So much of life is spent in those “between” places. Janet has combined her love for photography and gift of noticing beauty in the journey into this dynamic devotional-style message. Janet transparently shares about how she saw glimpses of God in the triumphs, trials and everything in between.
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