Playing in the sand.

This week has been good, with yesterday being the highlight. We had a guest worship-leader at school whose style didn't really fit with me, so I had a hard time with worship this week. But God has been revealing stuff to me about me that I didn't even realize was there. I won't really get into that now.

But I will tell you about yesterday, which was way cool. It started with breakfast, to which I felt very late because I didn't wake up until ten minutes before I headed out the door. But I was sitting down enjoying a cinnamon-raisin bagel with butter and jam when I heard Rudy call my name and the names of some other girls near me. He pulled us aside and introduced us to a lady from our host church. She had come in to ask for prayer because she was having terrible congestion and couldn't breathe. So us girls prayed for her. And when we were finished, she had tears in her eyes. She looked up and took a deep breath. Her airways were clear, she could breathe deeply and normally.

It was the first time I have prayed for anyone and seen instant healing, and I'm glad it won't be the last. I begin to understand why Bill Johnson calls it "Christian recreation." Their healing heals something in me. And I understand more than ever now that He really is listening, and He doesn't just watch from afar, He touches people.

Later in the afternoon, one of my classes went on a field trip to the beach in Trinidad. It was beautiful. The whole point was to invite Holy Spirit to come and play with us, get to know Him a little better. I wasn't feeling particularly well, so instead of running off down the beach and exploring, I parked myself in the sand and started to make a sand-sculpture because art becomes an obsession that leaves me no focus room for pain. It took a while. Everyone else was wandering back up the beach toward me to leave when I finished it - a sandy seagull - and I headed toward the water to rinse off my hands. Holy Spirit had been with me the whole time, just hanging out. We chit-chatted a little about nothing important. When I headed to the water, just sort of forgetting He was there, I thought to myself, "Man, I love playing in the sand!" Looking down, I saw beautiful patterns in the sand from the breaking waves and retreating water, and heard Him say, "Me too..."

Nothing big or important, maybe, but it really touched my heart. God likes to play in the sand. He really likes to play in the sand with me. 'Cause I'm his favorite. But that's another story for another time.

Peace out!
--Anna Grace