Recently I participated in a Cardboard Testimonies at my church, which is held in a school gymnasium. Reading the signs of past sufferings cut deep into my heart. Why does life hurt so much? I cried. Joy returned when I read the other side of these signs. Hope exists. God is real and He still heals.
After everyone shared their silent story, our church began to sing. I closed my eyes and felt such freedom and peace as our voices sounded as one. Every once and a while, I’d look out at the audience. But the bright lights kept me from seeing faces.
So instead I looked up and out, above the audience, and noticed this sign. I watched this little light bounce around the border of the visitor side. Closing my eyes again, I sensed we were in a holy place. Gym or not, God’s healing presence was here. He was near doing a work, restoring what had once been ruins and death and bringing new life.
We continued worshiping in song. When I looked up again, I saw the light now circling on the home side.
Thank you, Lord, now I see.
This scoreboard spoke volumes about you and me. We are visitors right now. And yes, life is hard. These cardboard signs proved that.
But one day–I repeat one day–we will cross over like this light to our “home.” A heavenly home where tears don’t exist, where we are completely whole and healed. Resting in the Father’s perfect love, Home Sweet Home at last!
Thank you, Father God. You amaze me. There is nowhere I can go where You are not there and speaking a life-giving word. Thank You that I can share these moments with others to encourage them that You are real. May these two pictures be a sweet reminder of our pilgrimage.
We are just passing through.
Visitors, yes, today.
Home — one tomorrow.
Oh what joy that day will be!
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(Took these pics a week after I had this experience, Easter Sunday after service. I’m sure people were wondering. Maybe someday someone will ask me and I can share.)
Thank you for joining me for another Stop, Look and Listen where I share how God speaks through the simple, the everyday, and the ordinary moments of life.
This is awesome. Thank you for being a person who truly sees our God in the everyday and then sharing it with us so we can see and enjoy just how great He is!
Somedays I ache a deep ache for home. But I will serve Him while I wait to be called there!
Wonderful, Tiffany. This post inspires me.
Life truly does hurt sometimes, and pain is something that isn’t limited to how much faith we happen to have.
How I look forward to that one day, and how I covet the faith that convinces me this life is just a whisper of breeze in an endless forest.
What a beautiful message!!!!
Praise the LORD!!!
: ) There’s no place like home. B
Amen, amen.
This was great Tiffany.
Yes, we are truly “just visiting this planet”!!
Aliens, strangers…
Abraham truly understood this:
“By faith he became a sojourner in the land of promise, as in a land not his own, dwelling in tents, with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise.
Love you♥
Tiffany:
What a thought provoking post! Wow! I cried at the one Cardboard Testimony God-Tube video that I saw – can’t imagine doing one in your own church. So freeing! I love how God makes His Presence known.
Tonight I was doing something earlier on the computer and I caught God singing over me. I laughed and said to God, “You are too funny… I heard those words You just sang over me.” He is sooo real!
Choosing JOY,
Stephanie
[kneeling in prayer]
What a beautiful, strong picture, Tiffany. It touched my heart deeply. Thank you. Gloria http://gloriarose.wordpress.com
God is so AWESOME. And awesome isn’t great enough to describe our Father God. I’m like luvmy4sons. Sometimes I ache for home. I know God is using each of us for His purpose to be fulfilled. AMEN. I love how God uses your blog to reach out to us. Praise HIM!
I saw a cardboards sign service on a church website. It was truly moving, just watching the video. I can’t imagine being there! It is hard for us to be vulnerable with each other in a way that promotes cleansing and healing. What if even one person in a group doesn’t honor the trust of vulnerability and they go tell our story in hurtful ways? That shuts down openness. That is what is so neat about the cardboard testimonies – these people are being so open and honest you really can’t use it against them. They are telling the world, and their honesty creates more openness and healing. Good post!
Warren
I love these posts! I am so glad that we are visitors here and that we have an eternal home to go to… I am currently reading a book about Heaven and asking God to help me have a more eternal perspective, and to live more in light of eternity… what a difference that would make in how I live my days…
The Lord spoke to me today through the ordinary, and I thought of you and these posts, and was sad I did not have my camera… I will have to start carrying it in my purse.
I was eating lunch all by myself at Panera bread and spending some time in the Word, I looked up and there on the wall in front of me was the word BREAD… and God spoke this to me:
Feast on the Living Bread, It will satisfy and fill you like nothing else…
Thanks for encouraging us to stop, look, and listen for God among the ordinary things…
Blessings!
AWESOME TIFFANY! The truth and beauty in God’s Word, in the things that He lets you see to not only encourage and fill you, but to do the same to all of us.
We praise you Lord for everything, absolutely everything.
Thank you for blessing all of us here.
Hugs,
Alleluiabelle