The Wow Factor
"I want The Wow Factor," she said, and a murmur of agreement went around the room. Brenda had been sharing her heart's cry when it came to her experience of faith in Christ.
Earlier, before the members of the cell group arrived, as I prepared dinner, Brenda had told me of an experience she'd had that morning.
She'd been at the church, where she works as a part-time secretary, when the phone rang. It was for one of the pastors, who were not in at the time. Brenda was about to hang up the phone, when she put it back to her ear and asked the caller, "Is there anything I can help you with?"
The woman said that she was experiencing double vision and needed to get to the hospital. In no time, Brenda was on her way to pick her up.
At the hospital, Brenda dropped the woman off and was headed back towards the church when she heard God say, "I wanted you to pray with her."
"Pray? Really?" Brenda said--and kept driving.
"You need to turn around and go back." And Brenda knew there was no real choice.
Entering the hospital again a few minutes later, she looked for and found the woman, who looked up with surprise at seeing Brenda again.
"Would you like me to pray with you?" Brenda asked, and the woman said she would.
Stepping right out of her comfort zone--praying--out loud--in a public place, Brenda began to pray.
As she prayed, the words began to flow with a power that came from the Holy Spirit, a prayer for peace.
Brenda opened her eyes to find that the woman was weeping.
"Were you scared?" she asked, and the woman nodded.
Brenda experienced joy--the high--of the Wow Factor--being used--being in partnership with God--available and obedient to him.
As we read a chapter of Acts together as a cell group that evening--a book that draws the word "Wow," often, we all longed for that excitement to be our experience daily.
In another context today I heard the words, "You only have so many opportunities to be called to bat." Those words captured my imagination with their significance in relation to opportunities to be used by God--and I knew that I didn't want to miss a single one of them.
Deuteronomy 12:7 (New International Version)
7 There, in the presence of the LORD your God, you and your families shall eat and shall rejoice in everything you have put your hand to, because the LORD your God has blessed you.
Earlier, before the members of the cell group arrived, as I prepared dinner, Brenda had told me of an experience she'd had that morning.
She'd been at the church, where she works as a part-time secretary, when the phone rang. It was for one of the pastors, who were not in at the time. Brenda was about to hang up the phone, when she put it back to her ear and asked the caller, "Is there anything I can help you with?"
The woman said that she was experiencing double vision and needed to get to the hospital. In no time, Brenda was on her way to pick her up.
At the hospital, Brenda dropped the woman off and was headed back towards the church when she heard God say, "I wanted you to pray with her."
"Pray? Really?" Brenda said--and kept driving.
"You need to turn around and go back." And Brenda knew there was no real choice.
Entering the hospital again a few minutes later, she looked for and found the woman, who looked up with surprise at seeing Brenda again.
"Would you like me to pray with you?" Brenda asked, and the woman said she would.
Stepping right out of her comfort zone--praying--out loud--in a public place, Brenda began to pray.
As she prayed, the words began to flow with a power that came from the Holy Spirit, a prayer for peace.
Brenda opened her eyes to find that the woman was weeping.
"Were you scared?" she asked, and the woman nodded.
Brenda experienced joy--the high--of the Wow Factor--being used--being in partnership with God--available and obedient to him.
As we read a chapter of Acts together as a cell group that evening--a book that draws the word "Wow," often, we all longed for that excitement to be our experience daily.
In another context today I heard the words, "You only have so many opportunities to be called to bat." Those words captured my imagination with their significance in relation to opportunities to be used by God--and I knew that I didn't want to miss a single one of them.
Deuteronomy 12:7 (New International Version)
7 There, in the presence of the LORD your God, you and your families shall eat and shall rejoice in everything you have put your hand to, because the LORD your God has blessed you.
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