Learning......

ceo for the kidsI feel like I'm in a very steep learning curve right now. Lots of things are happening in and around me. A dear friend and fellow missionary senses a calling from Hungary to South Africa; my friend and mentor leaving. I'm trying to learn what it means to LISTEN to the Lord, REALLY listen and discern His voice over all the competing voices around me. I was home ill for a week with a nasty virus which completely wiped me out. During that time, I prayed for a funeral service. A family in our church lost a father and grandfather. As I prayed, one word kept coming to mind: PEACE. So I prayed for peace in everyone's hearts, that the peace of Christ would reign over the service, that the Holy Spirit would grant everyone a tremendous sense of peace; that the service would be a time of peaceful worship of the Lord. At a funeral? Yesterday, I got a call from the daughter of this man, a dear friend of mine who said, "Hi Arden! Just imagine we experienced such PEACE throughout the entire service. Everyone! Even those who are not Christians said they simply couldn't understand the peace they sensed. And then we started to worship, and it was the most beautiful worshipful time ever at a funeral. I expected it to be horrible; funerals are horrible, but it was so covered in peace!!!" Mind you, I had said NOTHING to this woman, and as I sat listening to her, my heart was rejoicing in Jesus that HE would give such a gift to them, and now to me, to celebrate what HE wanted to give them and give me through this man's passing. I shared with her what the Lord had put on my heart to pray on that day, and she nearly jumped for joy at the confirmation that indeed, the Lord is so very, very good!!! I've jumped in the river and I'm being carried along by the Word and the Spirit into realms never dreamed of, and oh boy, is it exciting! Amen!!!!