a year to indefinite: When I am inadequate

As a Christian, worship of God is not only an integral part of my life but is the core, the essence, the centre of my being. Worship, simply put, is to give worth or value to something or someone. In this case, God, the Creator of the universe, my Father, Saviour and Advocate. Now in Christian tradition, worship, at least in a corporate setting, tends to be wrapped up in music and singing. Usually the songs will be about God and his attributes, or our response to Him and his attributes. But in reality worship is bigger than just singing songs on a Sunday.

In the book of John, Jesus says,

"But the time is coming - indeed it's here now - when true worshippers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth. The Father is looking for those who will worship him that way. For God is Spirit, so those who worship him must worship in spirit and in truth."

In the book of Romans, Paul says,

"Let them (our bodies) be a living and holy sacrifice - the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him. Don't copy the behaviour and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think.

Standing in a room at one of the local hospitals the other night I was confronted by this idea of worship. Because really, in the middle of a bunch of Christians, singing songs and telling God how good he is, it is not that hard. But praying for a lady who had just lost a two week old baby and couldn't go to the burial because she herself was facing surgery, that requires a little more faith to worship an Almighty God.

The room smelt of bleach, blood and stale sweat. In fact there was blood on the floor around the empty bed on the other side of the room. Medical supplies littered a cabinet in the middle of the room and medical staff constantly passed in and out to get them. There were no nurses to help her to the bathroom. There were no kitchen staff to bring her food. There were no blankets on the bed. She even had to buy supplies like cannulas, syringes, gloves to be treated. Her hope attached to her family staying with her and spending the money so that she could have the help she needed.

We helped this lady to the bathroom. Although she was very close to passing out, we had to walk her through the throng of people sleeping on the floor of the next ward to the outside pit latrine. The smell of urine and faeces was overpowering, hardly hygienic. While visiting we could hear the cries of women delivering babies coming from the next ward.

And we were there to pray for her, to bring what comfort we could. We prayed for healing and peace, for joy in despair, for hope in darkness.

And in the midst of this I saw God, who had not abandoned her or me, and gave Him praise, because in that moment I was inadequate but He was more than enough.

Blessings

Bron

The Lord is my shepherd;

I have all that I need.

He lets me rest in green meadows;

he leads me beside peaceful streams.

He renews my strength.

He guides me along right paths,

bringing honour to his name.

Even when I walk through the dark valley of death,

I will not be afraid,

for you are close beside me.