covered

i don't know how i forgot about this until tonight... His timing, i suppose.

last week at community group, i was totally checked out for most of it. my spirit started jumping almost as soon as i got there, so i spent most of the time praying - in serious intercession mode. then the lies started just slamming into me - i could positively feel condemnation and judgment flying at me. i knew it was not coming from my group - i know their hearts too well - but after battling those thoughts and feelings for several hours, i was starting to lose.

when it came time for prayer requests, i passed. you could feel the spirits come to attention in the room, and you could almost hear the thoughts - ann doesn't have anything to say? what's up with that? what's wrong with her? we got to the end, and something rose up in me - a last-ditch effort to not walk out defeated. so in pure defiance of the enemy of God, i told them about the feelings of condemnation and judgment... about my mom having to buy my first tank of gas... about the Lord not releasing me to just send out 2000 resumes... that He wants me looking at Him, trusting Him for provision and direction... that i am not to listen to the voices - even the well-meaning ones - that keep urging me to get a job - any job... i can't do that. He won't let me.

my voice broke as i was talking, and i ended up crying through most of it. in case you haven't figured this out - i hate to cry. not so much that it's a sign of weakness, as much as it just gives me a brutal headache... anyway, my community surrounded me, laid hands on me, prayed for me - but it didn't stop there.

late that night, i knew that they had kept praying. by the time that i actually laid my head on my pillow, i was positively enveloped in prayer. i had a canopy of prayer surrounding me. i was hidden in Christ, in the shadow of His wing - cloaked and protected and loved. it was so... sweet. would it sound strange if i said that i swear that i could almost smell Him?

tonight, they were prompted to pray for me again, although i did not specifically ask for them to pray about this situation. they are truly walking with me through this season... and i am so grateful because i don't know how to pray for His provision for myself. i can believe Him for it, i can trust Him to provide, but i don't know how to pray for it.

they are my community - they are my intimate allies. to be part of a church that is so deeply entrenched in the value - no, the absolute necessity - of community, is such a blessing, and one that i am often guilty of taking for granted. this being true, let me take a minute to remind us all just how truly blessed we are.

we are part of the family of God. we are the Body of Christ. we are allowed to be part of the Body of Christ known as the ring community church. our leadership team loves the Lord deeply, grasps the intimacy of walking out grace daily, and desires all those who walk through our doors to know that they are welcome, to know that they are surrounded by people who truly love the Lord. our pastor is a truly anointed teacher, a man seeking after the things of God, who is always pointing us to deeper intimacy with the Lord. no pedestals here - just deep gratitude to the Lord for the privilege of being allowed to be a part of this Body we call the ring.

oh, how we praise YOU!