When I felt the call to commit in prayer and fasting for Barrett, I knew that call was to be echoed among our friends and our church. I felt so passionate, so sure, in what God was personally calling me to do. There is no other way that any of us can help Barrett but to pray. Pray. Pray. I was so hopeful that others would join with us to pray for Barrett's healing; to fast as able; to step out in faith and say "we won't be silent!".
So I wrote a letter that expressed my thoughts - how I felt God had called me, what he was calling me to, why I was seeking others to join us. Ultimately, I wanted to bring this situation - Barrett's struggling health - to the forefront and ask our friends to pray with us. I challenged them to search their own hearts for how God was calling them to action, knowing that not everybody could commit to that which was on my own heart.
I had a great vision that friend after friend would commit to join with us in praying for Barrett at the least. I was hopeful that most of our friends would also join us in fasting on Wednesdays and sharing fellowship and meals with the Delmez family. And the response was mostly silence. I was mad, frustrated, confused, saddened, hurt.
And as I go through this, I am reminded of 2 things:
1. The response was not complete silence. There are those who have committed with us to pray together daily for Barrett to be fully healed. We are few, but we are strong and we are passionate about the way God is moving in this situation. Praise the Lord for bringing us together to support our friends in need.
I reflect on Ann Voskamp's thoughts from One Thousand Gifts - What, then, is grace? If it is receiving what we do not deserve, then isn't it all grace? Barrett's life. A commitment among friends to pray daily for his healing. Fellowship among those gathering together. Not least of all, our salvation, which is grace at its utmost - to have been given a life in Christ when we have done nothing to deserve it. Knowing God through that salvation, which allows us to boldly ask for his healing in the first place.
2. We are not opposed when we are doing nothing worth being opposed.
I heard this while listening to a sermon today:
"What difficult situation do you have in your life right now that makes you want to get focused and isolated and fearful? This could be the greatest opportunity God will ever give you to preach the word. And not just with your life, but also with your words."
Hebrews 4:12 - “For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit...; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.”
God calls us to preach the word.
And I was reminded of an important thing - "the power is in the message, not in the messenger. When you begin to share that message, Satan’s tactics will go from division and subtlety to frontal. You start growing, sharing, living - as you press against things, you will experience frontal attack. The goal is to get you to withdraw and isolate and say 'this is for somebody else'."
Fear not - greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world.
What an opportunity Barrett's life has given all of us to preach the word. Let us be faithful to the message God has given each of us to preach.
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