holy spirit rain down

there are many times that i find myself overwhelmingly emotional and I sort of chuckle at myself and the ridiculous way I cry about everything. However, sometimes I fail to recognize that sometimes my tears are not emotions or me being silly, but the spirit of the living God falling all around me. Tonight has been an interesting night. I first received a phone call from my dearest friend that a boy we knew passed away today. The guy and I werent friends by any means, we had met once, and I remember who he is and that is about all. When she called me I for some strange reason just typed in his name to google and oddly enough his family had created a web site about him and his progression through his illness. I wont tell you all about it, however you should visit the web site. I began to read what had been written about him passing on today into eternity. The words these people spoke were incredible. The peace and contentment the Lord had given them was incomprehendable. As I continued reading, music started to play, it was the great old hymn Blessed Assurance. It was so amazing to hear that song about the assurance of Christ and the amazing praise that will take place when we meet him in heaven, forever and ever. It was encouraging and inspiring to me to read what his family felt and the song that was written so long ago. It was so neat to see how everything in the world can change, but what God offers to His people always stays the same. His promise never changes or falls short, He is always faithful and He always receives the glory. I kept looking through the website and read blogs written by different people, saw engagement pictures of when he asked his fiance to marry him, and much more. The strength of these people and of him was so impressive. I just wish and pray that I could be more like that. They saught Christ on their faces everyday in such an incredibly powerful way. It was amazing

As the night went on and I kept writing thank you notes, I was waiting for the Shelter from the Storm special on television to begin. there were many celebrities there singing, others giving short speeches about why we should donate money, and others answering the phones taking down the donations. It was unbelievable to see the devastation and the brokeness of the people of LA, MS, and AL. I have been watching it for a week now and it never becomes mundane to see. I still cry everytime and just want to give those people everything I have. I have missed so much working for the American Red Cross and just wish I could move back down south and help them again to better those communities that have been affected. i seem to have failed praying for those people enough, but was incredibly burdened tonight for them while watching this special.

i now realize that these tears tonight were not my usual emotional floods but rather that of the holy spirit placing on my heart a burden for these people who are hurting and a challenge to be more faithful to the God that is so faithful to me. This family that has lost their brother/son/friend to lucemia and those that have lost their homes and families to a storm are so much more incredibly stronger than I have ever thought about being. I HAVE to be more effective, I HAVE to be more faithful to the calling of God's will for my life, and I HAVE to depend on God as if my life was being pulled out from underneath me by storm or death.