Worship & Warfare Banner StoriesYet Will I Rejoice…Last night when I got to Rainbow Prison Ministries I was down for the count. Everything just piled up on top of my head and weight on me like a metal mass. Even though my heart wanted to be present for those 10 to 15 gals who took time off their “movie night” to come to church, after about the third song Joel played I quietly took my seat and rested my head in my hands. I could feel the women rally around me - they are true warriors, often drawn into the futile battles of life - yet it's so amazing when given the opportunity to help someone else how they jump on it. At that moment, they let me know how much they appreciated and valued me, and so I simply let them do what I felt was my job to do last night, and they lifted me up instead. One of the girls came up to me handing me the banner called, “Yet Will I Rejoice.” Habakkuk 3:17 “Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labor of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls: Yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation.' The outside blackness represents the all the hard stuff of life closing in on us. The earth tone at the bottom is our life, and the blue tone represents God, with a swirl of joy in the middle - the result of our choice to express joy because we choose to trust in His strength to pull us through. (The scrawny vines have no fruit, and empty field have no flocks or herds, the olives are scattered across the bottom of the flag. DS) I took the flag in my hands and stood back up on my feet. I told the gals that God had asked me to do something, and every eye was on me! “Yet will I rejoice when someone precious to me in my family hit rock bottom and took a bunch of pills and almost lost his life last week…” “Yet will I rejoice when the nurse called up and said, 'We don't understand it, but he turned around in the night for no reason and his kidney started working again and his breathing improved.” Yet will I rejoice when depression hits me so hard I can't do anything but breathe? God is my strength.” “Yet will I rejoice when people make fun of me because I hold up a banner to praise my God. I don't care how stupid it makes me look because the Bible says the foolishness of the world is wisdom to God and the wisdom of the world is foolishness to Him. I'll never give it up.” A bridge was formed in their minds from viewing me as a white woman, married to a lawyer, dressed in nice clothes, to seeing me as a fellow sister in need. One by one they began to open up and share their hearts and the dreams they still hold dear. My simple words, “I'm not going to give up,” sparked a hope in them as well to keep believing. We wrapped the colorful silk banners, New Growth, Breakthrough, Glorious Victory, Peace, Kingdom, around them as we prayed for them. They looked so beautiful as “He clothed them in His righteousness.” Julie rested her hand on every woman's head and said a prayer for each one! They waited silently in line for her hand, and when it was their turn they knelt down beside her chair and Randy lifted her hand up to rest upon their head and she said a prayer. The room was quiet with His holiness resting gently on each woman. These moments, created by the Holy Spirit, are such a gift. The words, “Truly Living,” come to mind. True life is receiving what God provides for us. Receiving and responding to His goodness. YET WILL I REJOICE! With every breath comes a chance to praise Him one more day. Cindy and Joel Return to Banner Stories Index | ||||||||||||||||||
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